Fellowship applications are closed.
Fellows will be announced in late May!
Small discussion group during the 2023 Flaherty Film Seminar in Skidmore College. Photo by Bleue Liverpool.
The Flaherty Fellowship
Each year, the Flaherty offers fellowships to enable emerging and mid-career filmmakers, media professionals, and community members to attend the Flaherty Film Seminar. The Fellowship program is an expanded experience of the seminar designed to further understanding of cinema through participation in an array of unique activities designed exclusively for the fellows.
The Fellowship strives to provide more intimate opportunities to engage with and reflect on the screened work in conversation with the filmmakers, programmers, fellows, and other seminar participants. Fellows will have the opportunity to share details of their creative, community, or curatorial practice with one another and self-organize spaces for further conversation. Attending the weeklong Flaherty Seminar through the fellowship program offers Fellows an opportunity to form new and potentially long-lasting relationships, ensconced in rich creative inspiration and conversations.
The fellows are selected either through partner organizations or the Fellowship open call application. In 2021 The Flaherty Film Seminar introduced an online fellowship program that runs simultaneously with the Seminar and the in-person Fellowship program to provide access and broaden the possibility of participating in the Fellowship program and the Flaherty Seminar.
To Commune Flaherty Fellowship
Applications for 2024 Flaherty Fellowship closed at midnight (EST) on Friday, March 29, 2024.
The Flaherty will welcome a cohort of 20 Fellows onsite in Salaya or online. The fellowship program will begin with online pre-Seminar onboarding sessions led by Fellowship Coordinator(s). Fellows will convene at the Thai Film Archive in Salaya or online on June 26, one day before the Seminar officially begins. Fellows will learn about the history of the Seminar, take part in workshops with Seminar artists, discuss pre-assigned readings relating to this year’s theme, and participate in the Fellows' screenings and presentations alongside Seminar programmers and artists. Flaherty Fellows will take part in one-on-one meetings and discussions with featured artists, programmers, and other special guests. Fellows are invited to assist with various tasks throughout the Seminar, including moderating small group conversations.
Fellowship spots are highly competitive. If your school or institution may be able to sponsor your Fellowship for the 2024 Seminar, please contact Anisa Hosseinnezhad.
Eligibility & Selection
We welcome Fellows who demonstrate a yearning for community engagement in their profession, practice, or field of study. While there are no academic requirements for the fellowship, applicants should:
be active in the field through research, filmmaking, or related organizational or project-based work
be over 18 years old or be selected to attend by a partner institution
have not received a Seminar Fellowship in the last 5 years
The Flaherty encourages and prioritizes the participation of BIPOC and Indigenous applicants as part of our ongoing efforts to welcome participants who bring varied and diverse experiences and perspectives to the program.
The Flaherty brings together a group of staff and board members with professionals and artists to select Seminar Fellows each year.
Both online and in-person Fellows are required to be available for the duration of the program (June 26–July 2, 2024). If you are planning to apply for the in-person Fellowship program, please review the Travel Requirements section below.
Travel Requirements
We are thrilled that all the in-person Flaherty Fellowships in the open call include a travel stipend. Please note that travel stipend amounts may vary. All applicants should be prepared to arrange for their travel to and from Salaya with the stipend they receive if awarded a Fellowship. The travel stipend is meant to offset the cost of travel and may not cover all the travel expenses.
If you are applying for an in-person fellowship, please note that each accepted Fellow is responsible for obtaining the appropriate travel documents. This includes a valid passport and for some, a visa. Please check the travel requirements for your country well in advance. Additionally, visit your country’s government websites for the most up-to-date information.
Fellows accepted from regions with a 6-hour+ time difference with Salaya must be available to depart on June 22 or 23 (depending on their location) to arrive in Salaya on June 24 and adjust to the time difference. Fellows accepted from Europe or within the Southeast Asia region must be able to arrive by June 25, the day before the Fellowship program begins.
Hotel accommodations are covered for all in-person Fellows June 25–July 3, and will be arranged by the Flaherty team. All fellows will depart Salaya on July 3, or can remain in the region at their own expense.
2024 Fellowships
The following fellowships are being offered in 2024:
George Stoney Memorial Fund | ONSITE ONLY
The George Stoney Memorial Fellowship is designed for an emerging or mid-career filmmaker, programmer, writer, scholar, archivist, and media professional, from the U.S. and abroad. The George Stoney Memorial Fellow demonstrates excellence in their craft and practice. The Flaherty will select one George Stoney Memorial Fellow. Includes a travel stipend of $1,750 US dollars.
LEF New England | ONSITE ONLY
LEF New England, of the LEF Foundation, supports the participation of two New England-area documentary filmmakers to attend the Seminar in person. To apply, you must be living and working in one of six New England states including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island. The mission of LEF New England is to fund the work of independent film and video artists in the region and broaden recognition and support for their work locally and nationally. If you have received a Flaherty Fellowship to attend the Seminar in the past, or if you are enrolled in an undergraduate or master’s degree program at the time of application, you are not eligible to apply for the LEF New England Fellowship. The Flaherty will select two LEF New England Fellows. Include a travel stipend of $1,750 US dollars.
Waterman II Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation | ONSITE & ONLINE
The Philadelphia Foundation supports the participation of Philadelphia-based film professionals and students to attend the in-person Seminar. Applicants must live in Philadelphia to be eligible to apply. If you have received a Philadelphia Fellowship in the past five years, you are not eligible to apply. Preference will be given to first-time Fellows. The Flaherty will select three onsite and two online Philadelphia Foundation Fellows. Onsite fellowships include a travel stipend of $1,750 US dollars.
Flaherty Curatorial | ONSITE & ONLINE
The Flaherty Curatorial Fellowships are open to emerging or early-career curators with the intention to create a pathway for more diverse film/media curators to advance in the field. The Flaherty will select one onsite and one online Curatorial Fellow. Onsite fellowships include a travel stipend of $1500 US dollars.
Flaherty Professional Development | ONLINE ONLY
The Flaherty Professional Development Online Fellowship is designed for emerging or mid-career filmmakers, programmers, writers, scholars, archivists, and media professionals. The Flaherty will select one Flaherty Professional Development Fellow.
Corrientes Fellowship | ONLINE ONLY
The Corrientes Fellowship is open to emerging to mid-level career filmmakers, artists, and film programmers from, or based in, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Flaherty will select two Corrientes Fellows.