Creative Excellence Grant

Creative Excellence Grant

Overview: A competitive project-based award created to support the next generation of storytellers and creative professionals emerging from the Trilith Institute. This grant provides financial support, industry mentorship, and executive-level guidance to help selected students bring high-quality creative projects to life while experiencing a real-world studio development process.

Status: Submissions open April 1, 2026 to April 30, 2026

Geographic Scope: Georgia-based (Trilith Institute location)

Focus Areas: Film, television, and digital media projects (scripts, short films)

Eligibility

The Creative Excellence Grant is exclusively available to:

Students currently enrolled in Trilith Institute Professional Education programs who have taken 2 or more courses

Former students who have taken 2 or more Trilith Institute Professional Education programs since 2025

Current Change Maker level participants enrolled in the Writers' Room of Georgia

Applicants must be in good standing with their respective program

Ineligible: Individuals directly or indirectly associated with the Trilith Institute — including employees, officers, directors, independent contractors, review board members, or their immediate family members — are not eligible.

Award Benefits

Each award is customized based on the needs of the project:

Financial Support:

Grants of up to $10,000 of matching funds, depending on project scope and Trilith Institute's discretion

Not all funds are guaranteed to be distributed

All awards are granted at the sole discretion of the Trilith Institute

Selected participants will be required to crowdfund for their projects; grant funds will match up to the maximum awarded benefit

Structured disbursement to ensure funds are used for project creation

Industry Partnerships & Resources:

Casting support and table reads

Equipment partnerships (camera, G&E)

Post-production resources

VFX or gaming collaborators

Discounted production services

Mentorship & Career Development:

One-on-one mentorship from industry professionals

Script development and executive feedback

Career strategy conversations

Introductions to Georgia-based showrunners, writers, producers, directors, animators, and designers

Potential meetings with high-level industry leaders

Key Responsibilities

Selected filmmakers must:

Participate in crowdfunding (via Seed&Spark, Indiegogo, or similar platform)

Maintain accurate financial records and provide final actualized budget

Participate in regular status update meetings

Implement notes and recommendations from the Grantor

Meet delivery deadlines and project timeline expectations:

- June 2 – July 15: Development, Crowdfunding, & Pre-Production
- July 13 – August 15: Production Phase
- August 16 – November 13: Post-Production Phase
- Final cut delivery: November 13, 2026
- Final cost reporting and grant allocation reporting: by November 30, 2026

Contact: creative.excellence@trilithinstitute.org