The Points North Fellowship invites up to six teams of early- and mid-career filmmakers to Maine to accelerate the development of their feature documentary, culminating in the public presentation of works-in-progress at the Points North Pitch. The Points North Fellowship aims to strengthen filmmakers’ artistic voices and propel their careers forward by facilitating new relationships with mentors, collaborators and funders. We believe that a strong community of support is vital for independent filmmakers who are taking bold creative risks and expanding the possibilities of documentary cinema. The Points North Fellowship is presented by the deNovo Initiative.

The Fellowship begins during the week leading up to the annual Camden International Film Festival. In private workshops, Fellows receive rigorous feedback from mentors and peers as they practice their pitches, hone their vision for their film, and develop their funding and distribution strategies. These workshops culminate at the Points North Pitch, where each team pitches their project to leading funders, broadcasters, producers and distributors before a live audience – both in-person and streaming online.

Since 2010, the program has championed 74 creative documentary features and has become recognized industry-wide as one of the most vital platforms for new artistic voices in the documentary field. Many alumni have gone on to receive support from major funders like the Ford Foundation, Macarthur Foundation and ITVS, premiered at festivals like Sundance, Berlin and Tribeca, and secured distribution from major platforms like Netflix, CNN Films, Magnolia Films and POV.

The Points North Fellowship will take place in person in Maine in conjunction with the Camden International Film Festival, September 12-15, 2024. The exact dates of the Fellowship will be announced soon. 

ELIGIBILITY

• The Points North Fellowship is open to all filmmakers worldwide, regardless of nationality or citizenship status.
• Submitted projects must be feature-length, with an intended runtime of 60 minutes or more.
• Projects in all stages of production and post-production are accepted. Typically, films in early development and those about to submit to festivals are not an ideal match for the program.
• Applicants must be able to convey a clear vision for the completed film, including story and artistic approach, in the written proposal and in an edited work sample at least 5 minutes in length. (Selected projects will be required to show a 3-4 minute trailer at the Points North Pitch.)
• The Points North Fellowship does NOT support short films, fiction films, educational/advocacy films, or films commissioned by NGOs or brands.
• Projects that have not secured access to characters or subjects, and those that aren’t yet ready to articulate a story, structure and themes, are discouraged.