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Yi Zhou
Into the Sun Entertainment / Owen Kolasinski
Director-producer Zhou Yi and Into the Sun Entertainment are teaming up to set up a first-time director’s fund to support emerging filmmakers, with an official launch at next week’s Cannes Film Festival.
The latest venture from the multilingual artist, fashion designer and budding director is aimed at supporting and nurturing other directors entering the industry and, more specifically, looking to make their first feature films.
The fund is particularly dedicated to helping those from historically underrepresented communities and those who would not normally have access to film industry support or funding. This includes people of color and people with disabilities. Zhou said the decision to focus on emerging talent offered greater potential to change the status quo and bring fresh ideas to the forefront of filmmaking.
“Making a first feature film is a major challenge for any new director,” Zhou said in a statement. “The First-Time Director Fund is designed to help ease the financial burden so talented filmmakers can focus on bringing their unique stories and visions to life.”
Inspired by her own experience as a first-time feature filmmaker and an understanding of the enormous effort required to make a film, the effort will focus on increasing funding for new directors, providing full financial security for their films.
To be considered for the fund, filmmakers must not own any feature films.Applicants are invited to submit treatment and materials online for consideration Enter the Sun Investment website. A subsidiary of Into the Sun Entertainment, the firm focuses on investments in the entertainment, fashion and lifestyle industries.
The best treatments will be selected and the respective filmmakers will be asked to submit scripts before a winning project is selected. The winner will receive funding for the entire film, with funding amounts varying according to the size, scope and need of the selected project. Into the Sun Entertainment — a women-led company that brings stories of diversity and empowerment to the forefront of the industry while celebrating walks of life and pushing boundaries — will also provide support in all aspects of the filmmaking process, from From development to production to distribution.
Filmmakers have until July to apply, with a winner selected in the fall. In future, the fund will be held in the spring as an annual event, with winners announced each July.
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