Following the success of its pilot Accelerator last year, Dogfish announced today the launch of the second cycle of Dogfish Accelerator, a comprehensive development financing program that offers funding, mentorship and partnership opportunities, and has expanded its applicant pool to a new generation of content creators.
Dogfish Accelerator is seeking smart, savvy entrepreneurs who are looking to turn their dream project into a reality – no matter how big or small, be it a groundbreaking feature film or an in-your-face Vine series. The program will provide $10,000 to each candidate or team to establish initial financing and will offer business development and networking support over a nine-week period, from September 22 to November 19, 2014, at the company’s headquarters in New York City.
Last year’s inaugural cycle selected eight teams of cutting-edge content creators out of nearly 500 applications from around the world. Selected candidates developed such exciting projects as a digital comedy brand with viral web content (Auralnauts), a 3D transmedia children’s film and tablet video game (MAX & CHARLIE), and a feature film that will incorporate an event tour, live music, shareable GIFs and experimental media (LIKE ME).
This year, Dogfish Accelerator is taking a much more radical approach to content, extending the applicant pool to all types of media – from narrative and documentary feature films, to shorts, multimedia, television series, webisodes, animation, graphic novels, comic books, video games, music videos, visual art, design and social media applications like Vine, Instagram, and Tumblr.
"Content is content, no matter what form it takes,” said James Belfer, CEO of Dogfish. “We're looking for the next generation of creators who want to make an explosion with their art. Creators who will stop at nothing to make cool shit. Creators who want to show the world that content is a sustainable industry and are ready to work with us to prove it.”
In addition to financing, Dogfish will host weekly sessions of speakers, workshops and one-on-one mentorship opportunities led by top industry professionals, including producers, investors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, distributors, sales agents and marketers. At the end of the program, Dogfish will host an investor Demo Day where each venture will be showcased to potential investors.
Applications for Dogfish Accelerator are now available online at: https://www.f6s.com/dogfishaccelerator2014#/apply.
The deadline for submissions is August 8th.
For more information, please visit http://dogfish.ventures.
About Dogfish
Dogfish curates and launches the next generation of creative rockstars across all media – producers, directors, screenwriters and entrepreneurs – who are changing the way stories are told and experienced. We started with a production company and angel fund in 2009 that produced and/or financed independent feature films, which have seen extensive festival play, worldwide distribution, and critical acclaim and awards. Our six films have been to Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Berlinale, Tribeca Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Deauville Film Festival, and BAMcinemaFest. They are being distributed by Paramount, Magnolia, IFC, Sony, and Anchor Bay, and have won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Best Director at Berlinale, and named as Top Ten Independent Films of 2012 by National Board of Review.
In 2013, we ran the first pilot accelerator program modeled after TechStars with 8 teams of cutting edge producers. Dogfish Accelerator aims to support and guide the next wave of content creators and artists with seed funding, mentorship and future investment opportunities.
Today, Dogfish has created a comprehensive studio model for indie content including Originals projects, the ongoing accelerator, a school to educate others on new content practices, and a consulting arm that provides per-client guidance in navigating and reshaping the industry. This studio is based on the Dogfish model which offers a combination of principles, processes and practices for bringing an indie film or content-based project to life through disciplined, data-driven decisions and a startup approach. We are young, we are daring, we are experimental, we are constantly on the edge of change and new ideas, and we are involved in content that will make your head explode and come back hungry for more.
