Watrfall Opens $275,000 Creator Fund With November Deadline
A $275,000 fund for new films and television is now open to creators through Watrfall, the platform backed by actor Ron Perlman.
Submissions for its first slate, meaning its first line-up of backed projects, are due on 15 November, Deadline reported exclusively on 12 October.
The money is split three ways. One feature film will receive $150,000. One TV pilot, meaning a test episode used to sell a full series, will receive $75,000. Ten early-stage projects in development will receive $5,000 each.
The clock is tight. Watrfall executives will review every entry and respond to applicants within six weeks.
Eligible projects will then go to the Watrfall Community for a vote. The top selections receive funding.
Watrfall was co-founded by Perlman, Michael Donovan, Dana Landry and Willie Morris. The company says creators keep significant ownership of their intellectual property, meaning the rights to their stories and characters, and creative control, with Watrfall and its Community holding the rest and sharing in revenues.
The Watrfall Community is a planned free-to-join collective that gives audiences a voice in the creative process. Founding members will receive numbered membership cards and early access to projects.
For creators, this means a direct pitch without a studio gatekeeper in between. The audience vote decides which ideas get cash.
Watrfall was earlier described as a financing and development platform for film and television fuelled by fan input and investment, according to Variety.
