The Rainin Foundation’s unique partnership with SFFILM began in 2009 with the SFFILM Rainin Grant program, which is the largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the United States. The following grants and programs offer assistance and opportunities to champion filmmakers. Learn more on SFFILM’s website and contact SFFILM directly with questions.
Narrative Film Grants
SFFILM Rainin Grants support narrative feature film projects internationally that address social justice issues and benefit and uplift the Bay Area filmmaking community in a professional and economic capacity. Narrative film is a powerful medium that has the potential to inspire social change. Awards are made to 15-20 projects once a year in the fall for screenwriting, development or post-production.
The SFFILM Rainin Grant program has awarded over $6 million to more than 175 projects since its inception in 2009, including Channing Godfrey Peoples’ Miss Juneteenth, Joe Talbot’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Boots Riley’s indie phenomenon Sorry to Bother You, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s Monsters and Men, Ryan Coogler’s debut feature Fruitvale Station, and Ben Zeitlin’s debut phenomenon Beasts of the Southern Wild. We are incredibly proud to be associated with these films and grateful to SFFILM for their partnership.
Filmmakers With Disabilities Grants
At the core of the Rainin Foundation’s partnership with SFFILM is ensuring that historically excluded communities have access to financial and artistic support to create a more inclusive film landscape. The SFFILM Rainin Filmmakers with Disabilities Grant, introduced in 2020, supports filmmakers whose films specifically address stories from the disability community. Awards are made to 1-3 projects per year in the fall for feature and short films, both narratives and documentaries, in all stages of production (screenwriting, development or post-production). This grant program is by invitation only.
Projects supported through this initiative include Alison O’Daniel’s The Tuba Thieves (2023 Sundance premiere) and Reid Davenport’s I Didn’t See You There (2022 Sundance premiere).
SFFILM FilmHouse Residency
SFFILM’s FilmHouse Residency is the only year-round, mentor-driven residency program in the United States. It supports emerging Bay Area-based documentary and narrative filmmakers with artistic guidance, office space, a vibrant creative community and support from established film industry professionals.
