Documentary filmmakers with films about American history have until June 1 to apply for the inaugural Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, a new annual award to recognize exemplary accomplishment in historical documentaries. The winner will receive a $200,000 finishing grant to help with the final production of the film.
To be eligible, the project must be a late stage documentary film about American history with a running time of 60 minutes or more. The applicant must have previously produced or directed at least one long-form documentary for broadcast or online distribution. The applicant must submit 20 minutes of a rough or fine cut and a script of a full-length rough or fine cut at time of submission. Upon request, the applicant will need to be able to provide a full-length rough or fine cut for review. Industrial, promotional, branded content or instructional films are not eligible.
Carla Hayden, librarian of Congress, said that “piecing together historic photographs, manuscripts, music, oral histories and other primary source materials into a narrative moving image can capture our hearts and minds like nothing else. The library is a treasure trove of these materials, and I hope this new prize elevates awareness of the library as an inspirational national resource among documentary filmmakers of the present and the future.”
The award, which will be presented each fall at a gala at the Library of Congress, is sponsored by the Better Angels Society, the Library of Congress, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation. More information about the award and requirements for submission can be found at: www.thebetterangelssociety.org.
