Dodge College is grateful for the generous donors and sponsors who provide awards and grants funding for student productions. These include:
Jim Deck Memorial Award
Eligible: Producer-initiated Undergrad Thesis Projects
Funds applied to: Thesis production
Applications open: Monday, Sept. 21, 2026 (2026-27 academic year)
Applications close: 5:00 p.m., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026
The Jim Deck Memorial Award is a need and merit-based award available to undergraduate students to be used towards production costs related to their producer-initiated narrative senior thesis project.
Submit your application using the Jim Deck Memorial Application form.
Leo Freedman First Cut Fellowship in Film Grant
Eligible: Graduate and Undergraduate filmmakers (Narrative and Documentary)
Funds applied to: Thesis production
Applications open: Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 (2026-27 academic year)
Applications close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026
This grant provides funding for unusual or special production-specific expenses incurred
in the making of a Graduate Thesis or Senior Thesis (Narrative and Documentary) production.
A special expense is defined as an expense that is out of the ordinary in relation
to usual production costs. In the past, grants have been awarded to offset the cost of an unusual location, construction/set
costs, accommodations and per diem for a distant location shoot, a studio teacher
for minors, and the cost of a stunt coordinator, among others.
Grants range from $500-$3,000 and will be awarded to a limited number of projects. Projects can submit retroactively for funds, but will be considered alongside all project submissions at that time.
Though the deadlines below list a specific cycle number, this is just a recommendation for each cycle. Projects can also submit retroactively for funds, but will be considered alongside all project submissions at that time.
Awarded funds will be disbursed in Spring 2026.
Submit your application using the Leo Freedman Application Form.
Senior Thesis Producer Initiated Award
Eligible: Undergraduate Filmmakers
Funds applied to: Senior thesis production
Applications open: 2025-26 applications are now closed. Applications open annually
during the Spring semester as part of the Senior Thesis Script Submission Process.
Prospective Seniors should monitor their student email accounts for detailed notices
of submission deadlines in Spring.
The Senior Thesis Producer Initiated Award provides funds for senior thesis projects originated by a producer. Producers must be Creative Producing majors with junior standing who are eligible to enroll in Senior Thesis the following fall. The final story idea submitted must have originated from the producer, whether it be an original concept/script or an underlying property discovered by/originated with the producer. The script cannot be written by the director. The producer maintains creative control of the project, has final cut, and is financially responsible for the project. At the time of submission the producer must have a senior thesis eligible director attached to the project in order to be considered. Directors attached to a producer initiated project will not be permitted to direct a second senior thesis project. This award submission process is administrated by Production Management as part of the yearly spring semester senior thesis script submission process for the following academic year. Award funds are tied to the specific project submitted, and should the project be abandoned, access to the funds will be surrendered. In the past awards of up to $7,500 were awarded to projects.
Women of Chapman Endowed Student Filmmaker Award
Eligible: Undergraduate Narrative filmmakers
Funds applied to: Thesis production
Application open: Wednesday, July 15, 2026 (2026-27 academic year)
Application close: 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21, 2026
The Women of Chapman Endowed Student Filmmaker Award is a need and merit-based award available to undergraduate students to be used towards production costs related to their upcoming senior thesis project. This award provides the valuable resources necessary for productions that have a unique concept and/or distinctive opportunity intrinsic to the development of the story. Selection process requires an application, an in-person pitch to the donors, and attendance to their early Fall luncheon.
Submit your application using the Women of Chapman Application Form.
Zonta Awards
Eligible: All student filmmakers
Funds applied to: Thesis production
Applications open: Monday, Nov. 9, 2026 (2026-27 academic year)
Applications close: 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4, 2026
The Zonta Awards are open to all graduate and undergraduate students including narrative
and documentary filmmakers. Awards will be directed towards supporting films that
are created for, by, or about women. Two awards will be given — one to the thesis
film or films that exemplify this description and a second award to an individual
or individuals who show the most potential to succeed in the entertainment industry.
This second award is for individual use and does not have to be applied to a specific
production.
Zonta Awards are retroactive to the beginning of the fall semester. The Zonta Awards
are handed out during the annual Zonta Film Festival, usually in the Spring.
Submit your application using the Zonta Awards Form.