TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund
Grants of $150,000 with mentorship for scripted fiction films and series that feature compelling science, mathematics, or technology themes, awarded by the Tribeca Film Institute with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Overview
The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund was a joint program of the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, awarding grants of $150,000 with professional mentorship to scripted fiction films and series that place science, mathematics, or technology at the center of their storytelling. The fund was one of the most financially substantial grants available to independent fiction filmmakers in the United States, and its combination of major production funding with the institutional credibility of both TFI and the Sloan Foundation made it among the most sought-after awards in its category.
The fund championed fiction films and series that offer a fresh take on scientific, mathematical, and technological themes -- not educational or didactic content, but genuine dramatic storytelling in which a scientific subject gives rise to compelling character and plot. Winners of the TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund have included projects that went on to theatrical release, major festival premieres, and streaming distribution.
What It Funds
The fund awarded grants of $150,000 to selected scripted fiction projects at the development and production stages. In addition to the financial support, selected filmmakers received professional mentorship and access to TFI's network of producers, sales agents, and industry professionals. The science or technology subject was required to be central to the narrative -- not background texture, but the primary dramatic engine of the story.
Both feature films and scripted series were eligible. The fund supported projects from early development through to production readiness, with the $150,000 grant intended to take a project meaningfully through a key stage of its journey toward completion.
Eligibility
The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund was open to US-based fiction filmmakers and writer-directors working on projects in which science, technology, or mathematics was central to the story. Both emerging and established filmmakers were eligible. Projects were submitted through TFI's application process.
The Tribeca Film Institute ceased operations in 2019. Filmmakers seeking equivalent science-focused fiction film funding should explore other Sloan Foundation partner programs, including the Sundance Institute Sloan Fellowship and science-focused programs at SFFILM and other partner organizations. The Sloan Foundation continues to fund science in storytelling through its network of institutional partners.
Who Should Apply
Fiction filmmakers and writer-directors developing scripted feature films or series in which science, technology, or mathematics drives the plot and characters -- not as background, but as the central dramatic subject. For current Sloan Foundation-supported programs, filmmakers should consult the Sloan Foundation website for active partnerships at film schools, festivals, and development organizations.
See Also
For the broader Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Program supporting science-focused films across multiple partner organizations, see the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Film Program directory entry. For building a fiction film financing strategy, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack.
