About Us

The CFC was founded in 2012 by Joe Gressis, a filmmaker based in Los Angeles. An idea came to him one afternoon as he spoke with a friend about a string of local seminars designed to inspire young filmmakers. As they discussed ways to foster industry relationships, he proposed a hypothesis: The best way to get filmmakers to work together… is to have them actually work together. It’s an admittedly simple idea, but one that seemed conspicuously absent from the filmmaking landscape. She countered with an idea of her own: “Come up with a good plan and I’ll help you get it off the ground.” Joe went straight to work and so began the creative experiment of the Collaboration Filmmakers Challenge.

Now, the thing that everyone want's to know, about those development deals. Here it goes, we are giving away three this year. The winning filmmakers will be given a stipend to write or develop a concept or pitch with a Hollywood Production company. This is your opportunity, to get your foot in the door.

Rules
  • Films must be 3:00 - 6:30 minutes in length.
  • The collaboration rule: In order to be eligible for prizes, contestants entered as “Filmmakers” must assist at least one other filmmaker on his or her film, and receive assistance from at least one other contestant – not including the filmmaker he or she assisted – on his or her own film. Each “Filmmaker” must work with at least two people in total. Each “Collaborator” entrant must work with at least one person in total. Otherwise, filmmakers may work with anyone they choose, inside or outside of the competition. We recommend using our forum at collaborationchallenge.com/forum to help you find collaborators. If you are having difficulty, contact the CFC organizers.
  • Talent, venue, and crew release forms, and the 2022 Collaboration Form, are available at collaborationchallenge.com/forms. You must submit a Collaboration Form with your film to be eligible for prizes. On the Collaboration Form, indicate which other contestant contributed the most to your film in the Key Collaborator space. That filmmaker will receive a bonus to their Collaboration Point total, and, should your film win the Jury Award, $1,000 in prize money.