Applications are now open! Click here to apply!

We strongly recommend you prepare your answers in advance (in a word processing program) before pasting them into the form fields. You may move forward and backwards through the form without adding information (to see what questions may be upcoming and to prepare your materials). We have also created a PDF containing all the application questions to help you work on your application offline. You can find that document on our website.

 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM >>

You may save a partial application and resume completing it later. To do so, click “Save and Resume Later” at the bottom of any form page. This will show a screen with a link that you can use to return to your partially-completed application. You can email that link to yourself at that time for safe keeping. Until your application is complete, we do not receive any record of your saved work. Applications must be completed by the deadline, so be sure to remember to return and complete your application in time!

Once you’ve completed the required fields of the application and clicked “submit” you will receive an email containing all your application data just as you submitted it. This email serves as your receipt that your application has been received.

The Focus Finder Accelerator program was built to elevate underrepresented voices across the film industry and bridge the pipeline between emerging and established independent film creators. Eligible applicants must: 

• Be an individual filmmaker from an underrepresented community* (as defined by the filmmaker).
• Be in the emerging phase of their filmmaking career. 
• Have experience or work history that demonstrates their commitment to independent film, including but not limited to documentary, fiction, web series, or experimental work. 
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Not be enrolled in a full-time academic program.
• Have a film project in development or pre-production/early stages of production or an industry-specific business plan that they intend to accelerate within 24-36 months (with a strong link to Milwaukee/the region).
• Demonstrate a commitment to making a career in the film industry. 
• Be able to commit to the full 24-month program and attend weekly cohort meetings. Preference will be given to Wisconsin-based filmmakers.

*Underrepresented communities may include - but are not limited to - race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, social class, physical ability or attributes, mental abilities or attributes, religious or ethical values system, national origin, etc. 

Here’s the fine print in layman’s terms:

• One application per applicant. 
• No team applications can be accepted at this time. If it would be useful for more than one team member, we encourage all eligible team members to apply as separate individuals. 
• Current full-time, year-round Milwaukee Film employees, Board members, major funders and the immediate families of such folks are ineligible.
• And, finally, student films and currently enrolled students in Film Production-related programs are not eligible to apply.

Projects and applications will be evaluated on the basis of:

• Artistic merit, strength, originality, and vision of the applicant
• Storytelling and technical skills as demonstrated in the application and work samples
• Aspirations of the applicant and the value of the program components to propel their career forward
• Impact of program on their project at this stage in production

The accelerator cohort will be selected by an independent, external jury of nationally-recognized film industry members (e.g. no staff or Board members of Milwaukee Film and, indeed, no one from the Milwaukee area). As the accelerator is built to elevate underrepresented voices, we aim to have the jury represent and reflect that goal as well. The jury will review applications in August, hold final deliberations starting in early September, and conduct finalist interviews in mid-September.

As a reminder, the 2024-2026 cohort application window will close on Friday, July 26 at 11:59 PM. During jury deliberations, finalists may be invited to meet the jury for a brief (30-45 min) interview to expand upon this application and their candidacy. Interview invitations will be sent via email during the week of September 9 and all applicants should hold time on September 12, 13 and 14 for possible interviews. Following interviews, all applicants will be notified by email on or before September 16 as to if they have been selected for the cohort. Announcement of the new cohort is expected to occur via press release the week of September 23.

Great question! This is the most exciting part! Each cohort is made up of 4-6 individual filmmakers who will meet 3-4 times a month (on average, depending) in person in Milwaukee (or occasionally virtually, as schedules require). In addition to peer-to-peer skill shares and outside industry experts, a wellness mentor will meet with the cohort as a group and as individuals throughout your first year in the program. 

The first year of the program revolves around the creation of a small project related to your larger project. This may be a proof-of-concept for your feature length project, a trailer, the short version of your film, a final script, a draft of a business plan, or something else entirely. Throughout the first year, the cohort will not only meet with each other, collectively with the second year cohort, and their wellness mentor, but they will have the opportunity to meet with national industry experts who will be brought into Milwaukee (or hosted virtually) to connect with, mentor, and discuss practical topics.

The second year of the program has each cohort participant work on their larger project, building off those initial – and new – industry relationships. There will be travel assistance to attend festivals, network and meet industry representatives, and hold meetings. In the second year, we also aim to have the initial cohort skill share with the new first years and build a larger cohort, accountability, and additional working relationships.

Our Artist Services Manager, Brighid Wheeler, is here to help! She can be reached via email at brighid@mkefilm.org.