Film Fatales Programs and Grants

Overview

Film Fatales is a nonprofit arts organization advocating for equity in entertainment by supporting filmmakers of all marginalized genders. Founded in 2013 by filmmaker Leah Meyerhoff in her Brooklyn apartment with a dinner for six women directors, the organization has grown to over 2,000 members in more than 100 cities worldwide. The organization is headquartered in Los Angeles.

Film Fatales operates through a two-tier membership model, a career development pipeline connecting members to industry decision-makers, and targeted fellowship programs for specific communities within its membership. The organization's programming team maintains relationships with over 200 film festival programmers, production companies, funding organizations, agencies, and distributors to connect members with career opportunities.

The organization runs three primary programs: the Parity Pipeline (an industry connector for Pro members), Fatales Forward (a mentorship fellowship for trans and non-binary filmmakers of color), and a partnership with Stowe Story Labs (a narrative lab fellowship for women, trans, and non-binary writer-directors). Film Fatales also hosts regular events including panels, workshops, screenings, and networking sessions.

What It Covers

Membership Tiers

Creator Membership: $60/year

• Professional director portfolio on the Film Fatales website
• Access to discounted and free member events
• Subscription to the Film Fatales newsletter
• Community access to the global network of 2,000+ members

Pro Membership: $120/year

• All Creator-level benefits
• Ability to add up to three projects to the Parity Pipeline initiative at no additional cost
• Direct connection to 200+ film festival programmers, production companies, funders, and distributors
• Automatic qualification for dozens of festival submission waivers and discounts
• Strategic career consultation including creative feedback on screenplays or pitch materials, business consultations, and festival/distribution strategy

Parity Pipeline

The Parity Pipeline is Film Fatales' results-driven industry connector. It functions as both a career development program for filmmakers from marginalized backgrounds and a content discovery platform for industry allies. The programming team connects Pro members' projects to production companies, funding organizations, labs, incubators, agencies, festival programmers, and distributors.

Current pipeline statistics:

• 370+ filmmakers of color with active projects
• 50+ filmmakers with disabilities with active projects
• 200+ queer filmmakers with active projects
• Close to 1,000 projects supported since inception

Recent pipeline success stories include six projects receiving $50,000 in finishing grants from the MOME TV + Film Finance Forum, three filmmakers awarded $10,000 from the Ida B. Wells Fund, and pipeline projects premiering at Berlinale, SXSW, Tribeca, Toronto, and Venice. Distribution deals have included acquisitions by Oscilloscope, Gravitas Ventures, PBS, and HBO Max.

Fatales Forward Fellowship

Fatales Forward is a three-month mentorship fellowship for trans, gender nonconforming, and/or non-binary filmmakers of color based in the United States who are in active development on their first or second feature-length film. The program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The fellowship includes:

• Three one-on-one mentorship sessions with an established trans filmmaker
• One online weekend intensive (Career Advancement Intensive)
• Creative peer-to-peer workshops
• An online showcase
• Ongoing artist development support

Fatales Forward is by invitation only. Filmmakers are nominated by a network of trusted filmmakers, collaborators, peers, programmers, mentors, and partner organizations. Nominated filmmakers answer a brief series of questions about themselves and their work. There is no application fee.

Stowe Story Labs Fellowship

Film Fatales partners with Stowe Story Labs to award an annual fellowship to a woman, trans, or non-binary writer-director presenting a compelling story with historically underrepresented characters. The fellowship covers tuition for the Stowe Narrative Lab, valued at over $3,000. Filmmakers of color, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and other marginalized voices are specifically encouraged to apply.

Eligibility

Membership

Membership is open to filmmakers of all marginalized genders, including women, trans, non-binary, and gender nonconforming directors. Both emerging and established filmmakers can join. US-based filmmakers have the most access to in-person programming, though the organization has expanded its virtual offerings. The membership is annual and auto-renews through Stripe. Members can upgrade, downgrade, or pause at any time.

Fatales Forward

• Must self-identify as trans, nonbinary, and/or gender diverse
• Must be a filmmaker of color
• Must be based in the United States
• Must be in active development on a first or second feature-length film (scripted or unscripted)
• Must have enough initial experience to be dedicated to a career directing long-form content, but early enough that mentorship will significantly impact development
• By nomination only, not open application

Stowe Story Labs Fellowship

• Open to women, trans, or non-binary writer-directors
• Must present a compelling, fresh story with historically underrepresented characters
• Filmmakers of color, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, and other marginalized voices are especially encouraged to apply

How to Join or Apply

Membership

1. Visit the Film Fatales join page at filmfatales.org/join.
2. Choose Creator ($60/year) or Pro ($120/year) membership.
3. Complete your profile and portfolio on the Film Fatales website.
4. Annual dues auto-renew. You can upgrade, downgrade, or pause at any time.

Fatales Forward

1. This program is by invitation only. You cannot apply directly.
2. Filmmakers are nominated by peers, collaborators, programmers, mentors, and partner organizations.
3. If nominated, you will be asked to answer three brief essay questions: About You, About Your Project, and About Your Intent.
4. You may share past creative work (websites, reels, trailers, clips, pitch decks) but are not required to do so.
5. There is no application fee.

Stowe Story Labs Fellowship

1. Apply through the Stowe Story Labs website during their annual application window.
2. Submit your screenplay or project materials according to the Stowe Story Labs guidelines.
3. Indicate your interest in the Film Fatales Fellowship.

Who Should Join

Women, trans, and non-binary directors at all career stages who want community, mentorship, and industry access. Emerging directors benefit most from the networking and mentorship programming. Mid-career directors with active projects should consider Pro membership to access the Parity Pipeline, which provides direct connections to festival programmers, funders, and distributors.

If you are a trans or non-binary filmmaker of color working on your first or second feature, the Fatales Forward fellowship provides three months of structured mentorship. However, you must be nominated. If you are not yet connected to the Film Fatales network, joining as a Creator member and participating in events is the most reliable path to being noticed and nominated.

If you are a writer-director with a completed screenplay, the Stowe Story Labs partnership provides lab tuition and narrative development support. This is an open application, unlike Fatales Forward.

See Also

For independent filmmaking strategies, see Independent Filmmaking. For information on another diversity-focused fellowship program, see Film Independent Project Involve. For documentary filmmaker support, see Firelight Media Documentary Lab. To plan your production, use the Production Budget Calculator.