Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Too Much Chocolate + Kodak Film Grant

Jake Stangel (founder/editor of Too Much Chocolate) e-mailed me today in an effort to spread the word about an exciting new grant opportunity that he's collaborating on with the good people over at Kodak. The grant aims to nurture and realize prospective projects from talented emerging photographers by supplying them with support and, perhaps more excitingly, FILM!




Too much chocolate is excited to partner with Kodak in offering its first-ever film grant program, with submissions opening September 1st, 2009. The grant aims to recognize strong project ideas from talented and emerging photographers, and allow them to fully realize and create a body of work they might not have been able to entirely finance themselves. This grant will provide 10 non-represented photographers with the film they need to fully execute a new or ongoing personal project, to be completed throughout 2010. At the start of 2011, the recipients’ final projects will be brought together and exhibited through a variety of online, magazine, and gallery showcases.

In the spirit of assistance and approachability, and to guarantee that no photographer is priced out of applying for this film grant, the submission fee is $10. However, the judging panel for the film grant will consist of

- Marcel Saba, Director of Redux Pictures
- Clinton Cargill, Associate Picture Editor of the New York Times Magazine
- Conor Risch, Features Editor of PDN
- Andy Adams, Editor / Publisher of Flak Photo
- Alison Morley, Chair of ICP’s Documentary Photography and Photojournalism Program
- Audrey Jonckeer, Director of Worldwide Pro Photographer Relations at Kodak
- Jake Stangel, Founder / Editor of too much chocolate.

Kodak thrives on supporting as well as promoting talented photographers, and looks forward to developing meaningful and sustainable relationships with the recipients of the too much chocolate + Kodak film grant. Kodak pledges to keep in touch with all 10 grant recipients, and will work to promote the photographers’ work on websites, blogs as well as by photography trades. Additionally, a selection of each grant recipient’s work will be exhibited on Kodak’s LCD billboard in Times Square.

In return for providing film, Kodak asks grant recipients to mention Kodak for contributing the film in any media interviews, blogs, gallery shows, books and on their websites with a Kodak logo and a link to Kodak.com. In addition, Kodak will have the option to use 2-3 project images at no cost for a 2-year period for display at trade shows and maybe on the Kodak.com website.

Film grant timeline:
- Sept. 1st - Nov. 1st, 2009: Submission process
- Jan. 1st, 2010: Ten grant recipients announced
- Jan - Dec. 2010: Recipients have one year to shoot and culminate projects
- Early 2011: Completion and showcase of projects

Additional details:
- The photographers can choose the Kodak film and format they would like to receive, pending availability.
- Grant recipients must to use the film exclusively for the project described, and provide 3 progress updates throughout 2010.
- Photographers may live anywhere in the world, but cannot have gallery or agency representation.
- The entire submission process will be done online, and will open Sept. 1st, 2009.
- Only digital submissions will be allowed, and images will be viewed by judges on screen only. No prints may be mailed.