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DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT FUND GUIDELINES

DEADLINE: FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2007

SUPPORTING MINORITY ARTISTS
ITVS seeks talented minority producers to develop single programs for public television. We want to support minority artists in the research and development phase of their project to tell their stories, inspire multicultural dialogue, and reach audiences often overlooked by conventional programming.

WHAT IS THE DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT FUND (DDF)?
The Diversity Development Fund (DDF) provides up to $15,000 in research and development funding to both seasoned and emerging producers of color to develop single public television programs in any genre that will resound in multicultural communities. The Diversity Development Fund is an opportunity for producers to enter into a Development/Option Agreement as explained below. It is not a grant.

ITVS MISSION
ITVS was established by Congress to fund and present innovative public television programs. Projects should speak to the ITVS mission to serve underserved audiences with programs that take creative risks, explore complex issues and express points of view seldom seen on commercial or public television.

FOR THE DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT FUND, ITVS IS LOOKING FOR

• Projects that have not yet begun production.
• Programs that will bring new audiences, topics and voices to public television.
• Television programs in any genre, including drama, documentary, docudrama, animation, experimental works or innovative combinations.
• Single programs of standard broadcast length (56:40 or 26:40). In rare cases when a maker's skills, subject and story structure warrant it, ITVS will consider programs at feature length.
• Programs that can become eligible for submission to our LINCS or Open Call funding initiative. After producers complete the program development phase, they may apply to Open Call or LINCS.

APPLYING TO ITVS
Please read the following guidelines carefully and complete the application thoroughly. Incomplete applications will not be processed. You may submit only one application (one program) for the Diversity Development Fund. You may only have one proposal under consideration at ITVS at any time.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
All materials must arrive in the ITVS office by Friday, March 30, 2007 at 5:00 PM. This is NOT a postmark deadline. Notification is as follows:

• All applicants will be notified of their status by mail within 8 weeks.
• A small group of finalists will be asked to submit additional information.
• Finalists will be notified of their status by June 29, 2007.

The entire proposal review process takes up to three months.

NOTE: Due to limited staff resources, we can only provide feedback to DDF finalists.

PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE to inquire about the status of your application.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY
Applicants must:

• Be an "independent producer." This means that the individual applicants a) own the copyright of their production; b) have artistic, budgetary and editorial control of their project, and; c) are not regularly employed by a public or commercial broadcast entity or film studio, including public access stations.
• Be at least 18 years old.
• Be a citizen or legal resident of the U.S. or its external properties.
• Have some previous film or television production experience in a principal role (producer, co-producer, director or co-director) as demonstrated by submitting a sample tape of previously completed work.
• Identify themselves as minority producers, belonging to one or more of the following communities:
  1. African American
  2. Latino/Latina
  3. Asian American
  4. Pacific Islander
  5. Native American/Native Alaskan
  6. Arab American

WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY

• Individuals who do not meet ITVS' definition of an independent producer
• Students
• Current signatories of ITVS production contracts who have not completed delivery
• Producers representing foreign-based production entities
• Producers regularly employed by a public or commercial broadcast entity, including public access stations
• Organizations such as universities, foundations and non-profit media organizations

FOR DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT, ITVS IS NOT LOOKING FOR PROGRAMS THAT ARE

• solely for distribution
• series proposals
• intended solely for theatrical release

HOW MUCH FUNDING CAN I REQUEST?
ITVS will allocate 6-8 awards of up to a maximum of $15,000 each to minority producers for project research and development. Funded activities may include travel, research, preliminary production for fundraising/work-in-progress reels, or other early phase activities.

For dramas, funds may be provided to write or re-write a script.

DEVELOPMENT/OPTION AGREEMENT CONDITIONS AND PROVISIONS
Any offer of funding is considered firm only after a contract, the ITVS Development/Option Agreement, has been executed. This is not a grant. ITVS contracts include the following provisions, among others.

THE INDEPENDENT PRODUCER WILL:

• Maintain creative, editorial and financial control of the project and own the copyright to the program.
• Adhere to the approved program proposal, budget, schedule, deliverable requirements and dates.
• Complete all obligations under the contract (“Development/Option Agreement”) including delivery of all elements within 6 months of the date of the contract.
• Agree not to sell, license, restrict, or otherwise encumber any of the rights in the program, including the U.S. television broadcast rights, during the option period.

ITVS WILL:

• Provide development funds as specified in the contract.
• Retain the right to consult with the producer regarding creative, editorial and financial matters.
• Have an exclusive option to acquire the U.S. public television broadcast rights and other rights, up to 60 days after the receipt of all deliverables required under the contract.

The Diversity Development Initiative is supported in part by the Ford Foundation's New Works Program. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

PART I: APPLICATION FORM
Fill out the online form (available January 2007) or request that a printed copy be mailed to you.

PART II: PROGRAM DESCRIPTION (THREE (3) PAGES TOTAL)

Separately attach 3 pages that address the following program information. Use 12-point font only.

PAGES 1 and 2

• Treatment of your program
  • A. Non-fiction projects:
    Submit a two-page treatment that includes a synopsis of your program and how you will translate your story from the page to the screen.
  • B. Drama and Animation projects:
    For writing initial script, submit a two-page treatment that includes a brief description of the entire storyline.
    For script rewrite, submit a rough draft (double-sided pages).
    
    Standard PBS lengths are half-hour and one-hour. Producers may apply for funding for feature-length dramas and documentaries but the producer should make a case for how the material warrants feature length in a television environment.

PAGE 3

• Audience (Up to 150 words)
  List the specific communities (defined by geography, ethnicity, class or generation) who are the target audience for this program. Address the following questions: In what way is this audience not being currently served by public television? How have you addressed the needs and interests of this audience? What is your relationship and access to this community?
• How the Development Funds will be used (Up to 150 words)
• Research and Development already completed for this project (Up to 150 words)
• Relevance of previously completed work sample (Up to 50 words)
  VHS-NTSC tape OR a DVD-R of the applicant’s previously completed work must accompany all proposals. Please describe the relevance of the completed work sample to the proposed program and the applicant's role, as credited.
  
  Applicants must have had a principal role (i.e., producer, co-producer, director or co-director). Work must be submitted in its entirety. Demo reels will not be accepted. If a DVD is sent, only DVD-R format can be accepted.

PART III: PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED WORK: SAMPLE TAPE AND FULL RÉSUMÉ

• Mail sample tape (VHS-NTSC or DVD-R) along with your proposal.
• Attach applicant’s full résumé.

NOTE: APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED WITHOUT RÉSUMÉS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

REQUIRED MATERIALS CHECKLIST
Submit four (4) sets of all written materials. Each set should be collated and stapled in the following order:

• Part I: Signed Application Form (use this as your cover page)
• Part II: Program description
• Part III: Previously completed work
• Full résumé
• Sample VHS-NTSC or DVD-R (send one (1) copy only)

MAIL ALL WRITTEN MATERIALS AND TAPE/DVD IN ONE PACKAGE TO:

ITVS
DIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT FUND
651 Brannan Street, Suite 410
San Francisco, CA 94107

ALL MATERIALS MUST BE RECEIVED AT THE ITVS OFFICE BY 5 PM MARCH 30, 2007

Note: Materials will not be returned.

ITVS will NOT accept applications that are faxed, late, incomplete or not prepared according to guideline specifications.

ITVS is not responsible for loss of or damage to application materials due to shipping, storage or presentation.

Notify ITVS of changes to your mailing address, telephone and email address ASAP.