On April 30, NYWIFT partnered with the International Documentary Association (IDA) at Tribeca Film Center to present a lively panel discussion with filmmakers discussing how they funded their films.
Photograph by Jennifer Silverman.
The amazing panel included Mary Dore, Nancy Kennedy, Susan MacLaury, Megan Smith-Harris, John T. Trigonis, and moderator Savanna Washington. They all had great tips for filmmakers up against fundraising challenges.
The panel discussed crowdfunding and gave helpful advice to maximize donations, included the importance of original and personal perks, and spreading the word by frequent and unique tweets and Facebook posts. The panel also agreed that making sure your funders were properly thanked was essential to successful fundraising. Grant writing, personal donations, and corporate donations were also topics covered by the panel.
The filmmakers had unique challenges and victories funding their films, but they all agreed that being passionate and persistent were essential to making it happen. — JENNIFER SILVERMAN
nywift
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