Karen Schmeer, A.C.E.'s impressive editing career ended far too soon when she was struck and killed by a car in 2010, three weeks before her 40th birthday. The longtime Errol Morris collaborator edited Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control and Oscar-winning The Fog of War, as well as several others, like Lucia Small's My Father the Genius. Fortunately, the Karen Schmeer Editing Fellowship lets you carry her torch while expanding your skills, cachet, and industry network.

To apply, you don't need to be a U.S. citizen but you should be based in and reside stateside from March 2017 to March 2018. To be considered an "emerging editor" for the purposes of the grant, you must have edited at least one feature-length documentary (60+ minutes), but no more than three feature-length films (fiction or documentary).


In addition to a year-long mentorship with a seasoned editor and a $1,000 cash prize, the fellowship's awards package includes passes to basically every cool American film and editing event of 2017 (and the organization will even pay for transportation and accommodation to two of them):

  • SXSW (Austin, TX), March 10-15, 2017
  • Independent Film Festival Boston (Boston, MA), Late April – Early May 2017
  • Manhattan Edit Workshop’s “Inside the Cutting Room: Sight, Sound & Story” event, June 2017
  • ACE Edit Fest LA (Los Angeles, CA), August 2017
  • IDA’s Getting Real Conference (Los Angeles, CA) 
  • Contemplating the Cut (New York, NY) 
  • Sundance Film Festival (Park City, UT), January 2017
  • Rooftop Films (NY, NY), Summer 2017
  • Stranger Than Fiction (NY, NY)

There is no fee to apply for this amazing opportunity. Submissions are due on September 30, 2016. Read the full application guidelines and FAQ, and then go ahead and apply here.