Fiscal Sponsorship

How Does Fiscal Sponsorship Work?

As your fiscal sponsor, the Woodstock Film Festival serves as a non-profit tax-exempt umbrella organization, accepting and managing donations and grants made to your project. We are legally responsible for the funds received on behalf of fiscally sponsored projects, ensuring they are used exclusively for the agreed-upon activities and that donor reporting requirements are fulfilled promptly.

It’s important to note that fiscal sponsorship does not make us your producers or fundraisers, nor are we involved in the vision, content, or production of your project be it film or anything else.. All proprietary rights, titles, and interests in the completed project remain solely with you. 

Fiscal sponsorship does not provide grants or assist in researching funding opportunities for individual projects. 

Additionally, for film projects: partnering with the Woodstock Film Festival through fiscal sponsorship does not guarantee your film’s inclusion in the festival or our year-round programming.

NOTE:

The Woodstock Film Festival not only sponsors film projects, but any other kind of projects as well that need fiscal sponsorship.

Please contact fiscal@woodstockfilmfestival.org for more information.

Fees

Application Fee: $50

  • Minimum Fundraising Goal within the Fiscal Sponsorship Program: $25,000
    However, there are no penalties if your project does not reach this amount.

The Woodstock Film Festival will serve as your project’s exclusive fiscal sponsor throughout its production, providing support across all phases of your project’s lifecycle.

Administrative Fees

  • Regular Contributions and Grants: 5%

  • Credit Card Donations: 5% regular fee + 3% credit card processing fee

Annual Membership Fees

Once accepted into the Fiscal Sponsorship Program, you will be required to become a member of the Woodstock Film Festival. Membership is flexible and can be at any level of your choosing.

Benefits of the Woodstock Film Festival Fiscal Sponsorship Program

  • Personalized Support:
    Receive individualized fundraising guidance and ongoing consultations for your project.

  • Online Presence:
    Your project will be listed within a unique page on our website providing donors with the option to make secure online donations directly through our platform.

  • Networking Opportunities:
    Connect with filmmakers and industry professionals at Woodstock Film Festival events throughout the year.

  • Professional Feedback:
    Gain invaluable insights on grant proposals and rough cuts to strengthen your project.

Eligibility Requirements

Projects are accepted into the Fiscal Sponsorship Program only after successfully completing an application and review process. 

To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

  • No Other Fiscal Sponsorship:
    Your project must not currently be fiscally sponsored by another organization.

  • Project Type:
    The project can be a film or multimedia project. OR it can be something else entirely.

  • Demonstrated Capability:
    Your proposal should showcase your ability to develop a high-quality project and demonstrate expertise in identifying potential funding sources.

  • Alignment with Values:
    While your film may explore any topic, it must not promote values that are racist, sexist, or otherwise contradict the mission of the Woodstock Film Festival.

The Woodstock Film Festival evaluates applications based on these essential criteria to ensure only high-quality and viable projects are selected:

  1. Likelihood of Project Completion

    • Projects must show a very high probability of being successfully completed.

  2. Budget

    • A well-developed and realistic budget for the scope of the project is essential.

  3. Fundraising Ability

    • Evidence of secured funds or a clear strategy to secure funds is required.

    • The director must identify and pursue appropriate funding sources that align with the project.

  4. Demonstrated Ability of Key Personnel

    • The applicant and team must prove their capability to successfully complete the project, showcasing relevant experience and skills.

For Film projects only:

  1. Strength of Storytelling

    • The quality of storytelling should be clearly defined, demonstrating a deep understanding of the subject matter.

    • The treatment must creatively and concretely reflect the subject.

  2. Distribution Potential

    • A realistic and appropriate distribution and outreach plan for the finished project is crucial.

  3. Quality of the Sample (optional but recommended)

    • The visual sample must effectively support the project.

    • It should demonstrate the director's capability to fully execute the project vision.

By adhering to these comprehensive criteria, the Woodstock Film Festival ensures a high standard of creativity, feasibility, and professionalism in its selected projects.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, meaning projects can be submitted at any time without specific deadlines. This allows for flexibility and ensures that filmmakers have ample opportunity to prepare and submit their work when ready.

What is Fiscal Sponsorship?

Fiscal sponsorship is a partnership designed for persons actively fundraising for their projects and in need of 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt status. It establishes a relationship between your project and us—a 501(c)(3) organization—aligning your work with the Woodstock Film Festival’s mission.

This tax-exempt status is often required by foundations, corporations, and government agencies to qualify for funding, as many do not accept applications from individuals. Additionally, 501(c)(3) status enables you to receive tax-deductible contributions from individual donors, providing a significant incentive for supporters to contribute to your project.

APPLY

For more information, please send us an email at fiscal@woodstockfilmfestival.org.

Fiscally Sponsored Projects

  • THE CHOICE

    When her son is killed by the IDF, Iris Haim’s search for meaning leads her to Dr. Edith Eger, an Auschwitz survivor whose story reshapes Iris’s path to healing. THE CHOICE, directed by John David Coles, is a life-affirming documentary about trauma, survival, and the radical power of choice.

    Credits

    Director:  John David Coles

    Producers: John David Coles, Jason Orans, Pamela Ryan, Tamar Yoffe

    Executive Producers: Veronica Leff, Miguel Leff, Rick Itzkowich, Marianne Engle, Rob Engle, Laurie M. Tisch, Cliff Chenfeld

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • CHRONOVISOR

    In 1950s Italy, a Vatican Priest built a device allegedly capable of displaying images from the past on a TV screen. Seventy years later in New York City, an austere academic becomes fascinated by the machine. Her obsessive research takes her to the edge of a scientific and personal upheaval.

    Credits

    Writer/Directors: Kevin Walker and Jack Auen

    Producer: Jason Zuriff

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • DAVID GRAEBER: LIVING FREE

    David Graeber, world-renowned anthropologist and activist, changed how people think about work, debt, and democracy. Ideas like "We are the 99%" – the rallying cry of Occupy Wall Street – continue to resonate around the world. David Graeber: Living Free inspires audiences to live, as he did, as if they are already free.

    Credits

    Director:  Marisa Holmes

    Producer: David Becker, Megan Sperry

    Executive Producer: Barbara Kopple

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • FOOL

    After getting dropped by his agent, William Direshore, a desperate young actor, has a chance encounter with a sorceress who offers him a soul-binding deal.

    Credits

    Writer/Director: Kai-Lilly Karpman

    Producer: James Nash

    Co-producer: Jack Lynch

    Cast: Henry Hunter Hall as William Direshore, Joe Bell as Adam Andé

    Director of Photography: Skyla Page

    Creative Advisor: Kasi Lemmons

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • HOTSPOT

    A city couple and their teenage son move upstate to finalize their Airbnb rental, obliviously stirring up tensions with their next-door neighbor, a notorious arsonist.

    Credits

    Director:  Hudson Price

    Producer: Ethan Choi

    Writer: Hudson Price

    Associate Producer: Gili-Jo Froman, Sebastian Kim

    Editor: Hudson Price

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • THE PEOPLE'S CAMP

    Camp Woodland (1938–1962) was a progressive summer camp in New York’s Catskill Mountains, dedicated to folklore, music, and social justice. Known for its racial inclusivity and activism, it preserved Black history and inspired artists like Pete Seeger, Bruce Langhorne, Bill McAdoo, and Janis Ian. Though it closed in 1962, its legacy lives on through former campers turned activists, and a documentary highlights its enduring relevance in today’s fight for justice.

    Credits

    Costa Boutsikaris, Director, Editor, Cinematographer

    Bill Horne, Advisor

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • PIDVISKA (SUSPENSION)

    In 1990, in a small Soviet Ukrainian town, a rebellious teenage boy fights against his oppressive environment and his seemingly complacent father. The totalitarian State and the rampant antisemitism threaten the very fabric of his family and their dream of a better life in America.

    Credits

    Director: Gleb Osatinski

    Producer: Gleb Osatinski, J. Dixon Byrne

    Executive Producer: Ira Sachs

    Writer: Gleb Osatinski, Marina Petrova

    Co-Producer: SMART CASUAL

    Cinematographer: Vytautas Katkus

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • RIBS

    Moscow 1963. When a Soviet doctor is suddenly brutalized and taken away by the KGB, his young assistant Anya must make a difficult decision - risk her life to provide a clandestine service to a mysterious patient, or walk away from those in need.

    Credits

    Director: Christopher Hills Eaton

    Producers: Matthew Rachamkin

    Executive Producers: David Zucker

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • SOUTHWOOD HOLOGRAPHICS AIR

    Southwood Holographics is a holography center located in the Hudson Valley. We are focused on the production of holograms, education in holography, and the pursuit of new holographic technologies. We produce large and small scale holograms for artists and offer educational opportunities for individuals and groups through online, and hybrid, in-person workshops. We will also be relaunching our Artist In Residence program.

    Southwood Holographics is one of the few fully operating holography studios (optics & darkroom) in the world that has been designed for creating all types of holographic images. The beautiful rural setting is optimal for the vibration free environment required for the process of creating both analogue and digital holograms as well.

    Team

    HART PERRY, Founder & Director

    M MELISSA CRENSHAW, Lead Holographic Consultant

    DAVE BATTIN, Lead Holographic Technician

    CHRISSY STUART, Executive Director

    DONATE / LEARN MORE

  • WILD, WILD EAST

    Romania contains 70% of Europe’s last primary forests, but IKEA, the largest consumer of wood in the world, is logging these forests close to extinction. Wild, Wild East follows activist Gabi Paun, who risks his life to stop them. This film will challenge audiences to reflect on how a global corporation can implicate us all.

    Credits

    Director:  Maia Wikler

    Producer: Cecilia Brown

    Writer: Maia Wikler, Cecilia Brown

    Co-Producer: Audrey Popa, Maia Wikler

    Donate / learn more