Move Mountains Filmmakers Grant

Overview

The Move Mountains Filmmakers Grant is a production grant program from The North Face that awards $25,000 each to four women directors to create short films about exploration, adventure, and the outdoors. Launched in 2019, the program was created in direct response to data showing that only 8% of the top 250 grossing films of that year were directed by women. The North Face positioned the grant as part of its broader Move Mountains campaign, which addresses gender parity in outdoor sports and adventure culture.

The inaugural cycle selected four directors from a competitive applicant pool. Each received $25,000 to develop and shoot a 4-to-7-minute short film plus a 30-second trailer, with delivery by March 1, 2020. The finished films were distributed across The North Face's digital platforms, giving the directors exposure to the brand's global audience.

The program pairs each grantee with industry mentors. The inaugural cycle's mentors included Barbara Kopple (two-time Academy Award-winning documentarian), Taylor Rees (documentary filmmaker and photojournalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic and the United Nations), and Eloise King (award-winning director and former global executive producer at VICE, known for "Gurls Talk with Adwoa Aboah"). The mentorship covers creative development, production strategy, and distribution navigation.

What It Funds

The Move Mountains Filmmakers Grant provides $25,000 in production funding per selected director. The funding covers the full production cycle for a short film: development, shooting, and post-production. The deliverables are specific:

• A short film of 4 to 7 minutes capturing "exploration in its most authentic sense"
• A 30-second trailer
• Completed projects are shared and promoted across The North Face channels

The thematic scope centers on exploration. The North Face defines this broadly: examples include examining what makes art important, discovering the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains, or telling personal stories about returning to a place of origin. The key requirement is that the film engages with the outdoors, adventure, or the natural world in a way that reflects the brand's identity.

In addition to the cash grant, selected directors receive:

• Mentorship from established filmmakers, distributors, and industry executives
• Access to The North Face's equipment and resources
• Distribution through The North Face's digital platforms
• Invitation to attend and network at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride
• Opportunity to present their work at partner film festivals

Eligibility

Who Can Apply

• Open to women directors based in the United States.
• Filmmakers with experience in adventure, outdoor, or documentary filmmaking are preferred.
• The program has also supported directors transitioning into the outdoor format from other areas of documentary work.

Project Requirements

• Projects must be short films (4 to 7 minutes) focused on outdoor adventure, nature, or themes related to women in the outdoors.
• Both documentary and narrative approaches are eligible, though the program's history leans toward documentary and adventure storytelling.
• The application requires: a short bio, a director's treatment, an itemized budget, a production/post-production schedule, a plan for the film's mood and style imagery, and samples of past work.

Program Schedule

The Move Mountains Filmmakers Grant has operated in periodic cycles rather than on a fixed annual schedule. The inaugural cycle accepted applications through July 23, with grantees notified by August 15. Filmmakers should monitor The North Face website and social channels for announcements of new grant rounds.

Program History and Notable Recipients

The inaugural Move Mountains grantees were announced at the WUTI Goes IdyllWILD Film Festival. Recipients included Marie-Louise Nkashama, an NYU Tisch student whose film "The Traveler Comes Home" documented her journey back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The four grantees represented a range of perspectives and backgrounds, reflecting the program's goal of elevating diverse women's voices in adventure filmmaking.

The program is notable among corporate-sponsored film grants for prioritizing genuine creative and directorial development alongside the brand's content goals. Unlike many branded content commissions where the brand controls the creative direction, the Move Mountains grant gives directors substantial creative autonomy while providing professional mentorship and industry access.

How This Grant Differs from Other Documentary Grants

Most documentary grants are funded by foundations or nonprofit organizations and impose no brand obligations. The Move Mountains grant is a corporate-sponsored program, which creates specific dynamics:

• Brand alignment: The film must align with The North Face's brand identity, which centers on outdoor exploration and adventure. Projects outside this thematic scope are not eligible, regardless of quality.
• Distribution model: Films are distributed through The North Face's channels rather than through traditional festival or distributor pathways. This provides significant audience reach but limits the filmmaker's control over distribution strategy.
• Mentorship component: The mentorship structure is more formalized than most cash-only grants. Grantees work closely with established filmmakers and industry executives throughout the production process.
• Deliverable specifications: The 4-to-7-minute format and 30-second trailer are fixed requirements. Filmmakers cannot adjust the scope of the deliverable.

Who Should Apply

Women directors seeking production support for a short outdoor or adventure film who want both funding and distribution access through a major brand platform. The grant is well suited to experienced documentary directors who want to expand their portfolio into the outdoor and adventure space, as well as emerging directors with a strong personal connection to outdoor storytelling. Filmmakers should be comfortable working within a branded content framework and producing to a specific deliverable specification.

Past Recipients and What They Made with the Money

The inaugural Move Mountains grantees were announced at the WUTI Goes IdyllWILD Film Festival. Recipients included Marie-Louise Nkashama, an NYU Tisch student whose film The Traveler Comes Home documented her journey back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The four grantees represented a range of perspectives and backgrounds, reflecting the program's goal of elevating diverse women's voices in adventure filmmaking. Each received $25,000 to develop and shoot a 4-to-7-minute short film plus a 30-second trailer, with delivery by March 1, 2020. The finished films were distributed across The North Face's digital platforms, giving the directors exposure to the brand's global audience. The program is notable among corporate-sponsored film grants for prioritizing genuine creative and directorial development alongside the brand's content goals, giving directors substantial creative autonomy while providing professional mentorship and industry access.

Typical Award Size Range

The Move Mountains Filmmakers Grant awards $25,000 per selected director, with four directors selected per cycle (total $100,000 per cycle). The funding covers the full production cycle for a short film: development, shooting, and post-production. The deliverables are a 4-to-7-minute short film and a 30-second trailer. In addition to the cash grant, selected directors receive mentorship from established filmmakers (inaugural cycle mentors included Barbara Kopple, two-time Academy Award-winning documentarian; Taylor Rees, documentary filmmaker and photojournalist; and Eloise King, award-winning director and former global executive producer at VICE), access to The North Face's equipment and resources, distribution through The North Face's digital platforms, invitation to attend and network at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, and opportunity to present their work at partner film festivals.

What Makes an Application Competitive

Competitive applications demonstrate a clear connection to outdoor exploration, adventure, and the natural world in a way that reflects The North Face's brand identity. The program is open to women directors based in the United States, with experience in adventure, outdoor, or documentary filmmaking preferred. The application requires a short bio, a director's treatment, an itemized budget, a production/post-production schedule, a plan for the film's mood and style imagery, and samples of past work. The thematic scope centers on exploration broadly defined: examining what makes art important, discovering the backcountry of the Rocky Mountains, or telling personal stories about returning to a place of origin. Both documentary and narrative approaches are eligible, though the program's history leans toward documentary and adventure storytelling. Filmmakers should be comfortable working within a branded content framework and producing to a specific deliverable specification (4-to-7-minute film plus 30-second trailer).

Watch

See Also

For understanding how branded content and short film production connect to a broader directorial career, see Film Grants and the Development Pathway. For planning a short film production timeline, use the Post Production Timeline Calculator. For estimating production costs for a short film, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.