2023 Community Builders Grant: Pitch Event & Screening

Founded in 2014 by Erica Duffy, Camera Ambassador is one of only three equipment rental houses nationwide owned and operated by a woman. Her vision was to create a vibrant community of artists by providing high-quality film equipment and top-notch service paired with genuine support of their productions.Camera Ambassador is a one-stop shop, carrying everything from cameras and lenses to grip trucks and production supplies. Their equipment roster includes high-end brands such as Arri, Red, Canon, Cooke, Zeiss, O’Connor, Small HD, Teradek, and more. They’ve also got you covered with specialty items such as anamorphic lenses, gimbals, and grip trucks.While supporting clients through equipment rentals is their main focus, Camera Ambassador is much more than that. They offer monthly workshops & feedback sessions, host screenings, promote filmmakers, provide internships, and fund the annual Community Builders Grant.When walking into the shop, you can often be greeted by the shop dog, met with a warm smile, and take a moment to kick back at our snack bar before prepping your rental. They love getting to know their clients and supporting them in all areas of development and creation.

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Watch the 2023 Community Builders Grant finalists' pitches and vote for your favorites, after a screening of previous grant winners' films!

Claudia Cassidy Theater, Chicago Cultural Center

Welcome to the 2023 Community Builders Grant Pitch Event! 🥳🎉This event is presented in partnership with the Chicago Film Office.In celebration of our FIFTH ANNIVERSARY of the grant, we'll be hosting a screening of our previous winners' films. Our 2023 finalists will then present their project pitches, followed by an exclusively in-person community vote for this year's winner.<h3>Event Schedule</h3>6:00 PM	Doors Open (Be sure to arrive at 6 PM. At 6:15 PM, all reserved tickets will be released to walk-up waitlist attendees)6:30 PM	Screening Starts7:30 PM	Livestream Starts7:45 PM	Pitches Start8:50 AM	Closing Remarks9:00 PM	In-Person Voting9:30 PM	Event Ends9:45 PM	After Party at Bar Pendry Chicago (81 E Wacker Pl Chicago, IL 60601)<h3>Screening Program</h3>Below, you'll find more information on the films that have won the Community Builders Grant in previous years.2022 - Video FuneralWritten and Directed by Linh Tran. Produced by Hannah Schierbeek.Lam, a Vietnamese international student, welcomes her younger sister, Phuong, to her Chicago apartment. Phuong brings a DVD of their father’s funeral, which Lam could not attend.2021 - Zero Mile MarkWritten and Directed by Link Wolfe. Produced by Jody Bailet.Zero Mile Mark follows Andre, an at-risk teen whose parents enroll him in a wilderness therapy program without his knowledge.2020 - A NicknameWritten and Directed by Sean Sankalp Raju.A Nickname is a comedic short film centered on the childhood story of how Sean Raju got his nickname, "Sean", as an Indian American immigrant.2019 - PatoisWritten and Directed by Andre Muir &amp; Danielle Alston. Produced by Zachary Moore.Patois is a film that speaks on the importance of identity and self-worth through the coming of age story of a young first generation American girl Khenya.<h3>Finalist Projects</h3>Below, you'll find more information on this year's finalist projects, which will be pitched in front of a live audience for prizes.Young Claude Written, Co-Directed, and Executive Produced by Adithi ChandrashekarDuring an otherwise uneventful trip to a local grocery store, Claude takes an abrupt and unanticipated trip down memory lane. While strolling the produce section, they suddenly find themselves reliving a childhood memory involving their recently deceased father, Lee Wayne.Killing TimeWritten and Directed by Caroline KoonceKilling Time is a horror-comedy short in the vein of ‘Barry’ and ‘Spree’ about a theatre teacher targeted for murder by a wannabe serial killer with dreams of acting.First CheckWritten and Directed by Christian MejíaWhen 16-year-old Chava gets his first job, he must find ways to balance the demands of working life with the first summer spent without his sister, which is quickly slipping through his fingers.<h3>Accessibility</h3>We are excited to welcome you to our upcoming event at the Claudia Cassidy Theater (in the Chicago Cultural Center)! Our goal is to make the event accessible and enjoyable for everyone. To achieve this, we offer a variety of accessibility options.For those who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, the theater provides assistive listening devices featuring FM headsets and over-the-head headphones, and induction loops for those who use a hearing aid or cochlear implant with a T-Coil. To request any of these devices, please contact Camera Ambassador prior to the event so we can support you to the best of our ability. For films playing at the event, open captions will be included. Finally, a live captioner will be on-site, providing CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) services for the introduction and pitches.The venue also offers several mobility access options. The wheelchair-accessible entrance is located at street level at Garland Court and Randolph Street, leading to the westernmost Randolph Square entry doors with a power-assisted opening. Wheelchairs are available upon request on a first-come, first-served basis and may be used in the building and returned to the security desk when finished. There are also wheelchair-accessible seats and seats accessible without stairs in the back rows of the Claudia Cassidy Theater. An accessibility lift and assisted seating are also available in the Claudia Cassidy Theater.All restrooms and elevators in the Chicago Cultural Center are wheelchair accessible. The Randolph Street Lobby has an elevator connected to the underground Pedway. Another is located outside the building on the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street, providing access to the Chicago Cultural Center, the Metra Train Station, and the Grant Park Underground Garage.We are delighted to support our community, and if you need any special assistance, please shoot us an email at accessibility@cameraambassador.com prior to the event or find one of our staff at the event if you need assistance. We look forward to seeing you there!<h3>About the Grant</h3>The Community Builders Grant is a short-form film fund and production resources grant sponsored by Camera Ambassador. Our mission is to elevate local productions by arming filmmakers with the necessary tools to create. This grant supports individuals with varying levels of experience, both to recognize accomplished artists, as well as to provide opportunities for young and emerging creatives. This grant aims to build bridges amongst our community by activating local filmmakers to apply, engaging community leaders who act as judges, and pitch session attendees who determine the final grant rankings.This grant is designed for filmmakers with a developed script, budget, and production plan that need support to bring their project into the principal photography phase and then to film completion.The in-person community vote will determine each finalist's final ranking. This year's prizes include:<ul><li>GRAND PRIZE: $6,000 cash &amp; $6,000 gear credit</li></ul><ul><li>SECOND PLACE: $3,000 cash &amp; $3,000 gear credit</li></ul><ul><li>THIRD PLACE: $1,000 cash &amp; $1,000 gear credit</li></ul><h3>Can't Make It?</h3>Stream our Pitch Event virtually - the livestream will begin at 7:30pm CT! Follow the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cameraambassador/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Camera Ambassador Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Cameraambassador/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Camera Ambassador Facebook</a> for more details.

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2023 Community Builders Grant: Pitch Event & Screening

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2023 Community Builders Grant: Pitch Event & Screening

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