The Longhorn Creators Foundation (LCF) is a Texas non-profit focused on providing seed-capital in the form of grants to student content creators, artists and storytellers.
The Foundation launched in the fall of 2016 out of the Radio-Television-Film (RTF) department at The University of Texas at Austin. It was clear that there was a tremendous number of talented students on campus with fantastic creative ideas but little ability to translate their dreams into reality. There was often no avenue for getting student content made, and commonly students needed capital in order to 'green light' the most basic of projects. As technology was dramatically driving down the costs of content production, The Longhorn Creators Foundation was born, a non-profit dedicated to funding student creativity via a fun and supportive - yet competitive - process.
Many RTF classes have a final project, presentation or pitch on the syllabus for the end of each semester. The Foundation discovered that offering students access to capital would not only elevate the quality of the final in-class pitches, but more importantly would empower, encourage and excite students with the possibility of merit-based grants designed to help bring their ideas to life. Since 2016, the Foundation has sponsored pitch competitions every semester in Script to Screen, an extraordinary RTF course at The University of Texas taught by Scott Rice and Matthew McConaughey which offers students the opportunity to study under master-storytellers like Jeff Nichols, Yann Demange, Harmony Karine, Guy Ritchie, Gary Ross and more. At the end of each semester, students vote on each other's pitches and the top projects are awarded funding for production.
To date, The Foundation has awarded more than $100,000 to over 120 students, each of whom has been presented with the Foundation's Excellence in Producing Award or the Excellence in Creativity Award. The Foundation aims to keep pace with the latest in what broadly defines 'creativity and entertainment', whether it be digital content, movies, video games, stage productions, and other artistic endeavors of numerous types.
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Script to Screen is an extraordinary film production class taught by Oscar-winning Actor and Department of Radio-Television-Film alumnus Matthew McConaughey (BS 93') and Professor Scott Rice. McConaughey developed the course curriculum, which provides a unique, behind-the-scenes view of each stage of a film's production. This special class has helped transform how media production is approached and taught.
"It's the class I wish I would have had when I was in film school. Working in the classroom with these students gives me a chance to prepare them," McConaughey said. "Making movies, turning words on paper into film, is both a science and art - no matter the time or generation. The elements of truth and genuine joy for the process are timeless. That will always be our classroom focus."
Just send us a message, and we will get back to you with more info on how you can enter to win funding for your project.