Lynn Shelton Of a Certain Age Grant 2025

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The Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant is a project-based award that provides $25,000 to an individual woman, non-binary, and/or transgender U.S. filmmaker, age 39 or older, who is working on their first narrative feature (65 minutes or over) as a director. This grant seeks to recognize a film director for their distinct vision, storytelling, and singularity.

In 2020, The Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant was established by Northwest Film Forum alongside Duplass Brothers Productions, with major support from COLOR and Eliza Flug, to honor Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton, who passed away on May 16th, 2020. Lynn Shelton often spoke of feeling inspired after seeing filmmaker Claire Denis speak at Northwest Film Forum and learning that Denis did not make her first feature until age 40. Shelton went on to make her own first feature film (We Go Way Back) at the age of 39. In the years since, she built a prolific canon of feature and television work and made an indelible mark on the landscape of American cinema.


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, GUIDELINES, & CRITERIA

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
 

  • Eligible filmmakers must have “director” credit on at least one short film or feature documentary and have a desire to work in the narrative space. Filmmakers with “director” credit on a feature-length (70+ min) narrative film will not be considered.
  • Filmmaker should be a woman, non-binary, and/or transgender individual, and be 39 years or older at the time of their application.
  • Filmmaker must be able to receive income in the U.S.
  • Filmmaker should be at a point in their career where such recognition would be meaningful and provide needed support.
  • We strongly encourage filmmakers to apply who identify as either disabled, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color), LGBTQ2IA+, or who live in rural areas.

INELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Ineligible applicants for this grant are:
 

  • Members of the NWFF Board of Trustees, their business partners, or family members
  • Northwest Film Forum staff members, interns, their business partners, or family members
  • Members of the current year Award Selection Committee
  • Past recipient of the Lynn Shelton “Of a Certain Age” Grant
  • Individuals who have received a Northwest Film Forum grant in the same calendar year
  • Filmmakers with “director” credit on a feature-length (65+ min) narrative film


PROJECT CRITERIA
 

  • Applicant must be the director of the proposed project
  • Projects must be in pre-production or in development by the time of application
  • Proposed film project must be a narrative feature NOT a documentary, short film, or episodic series
  • Proposed project may not be work for hire
  • Applicant must have creative control and rights of the proposed project
  • Film must be consistent with Northwest Film Forum’s mission and values
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