Hot on the heels of CineCoup in Vancouver, Dogfish Pictures in New York has announced the Dogfish Accelerator.
Both groups plan to use the successful tech business accelerator model to attract, mentor and launch indie film teams (and their projects). Whereas CineCoup will do this publicly using social media, the Dogfish Accelerator will stick to the tech model more closely.
Scheduled for this summer in Brooklyn, the Dogfish Accelerator will seed each company with $18,000, give them office space and mentor them for three months. They say:
“We will choose great producers who are proposing innovative opportunities and business ideas that support a highly creative and artistic idea. It’s about the team.”
C’mon, what’s the catch?
“For once, there is no catch. We want a healthier industry for indie film and this is our way to do it. Dogfish Accelerator and its mentors, service providers, and partners are all people who enjoy helping indie film. We recognize how important support is for one another and are willing to give our time and effort to you.”
My take: if you’re developing a film project and you’ve got a place to crash in New York for three months this summer, you should go for this!