• Alumni of the Graduate & Undergraduate film programs who graduated between May 2015*-May 2020. If you graduated between January 2015 - May 2015, please email emma.aarnes@nyu.edu to determine your eligibility.
• Current Graduate Thesis students. For the purposes of this award, we consider "Grad Thesis Students" to be anyone who has completed their first two years of course work by May 2020 with the university (matriculated). If you are currently on a leave of absence, you are not eligible.

Eligible Alumni and Grad Thesis Students* who have not previously directed a feature length film, but who have a project that is close to production ready. The goal of the RVPF is to help first time directors complete their films within 24 months of receiving an award.

*For the purposes of this award, we consider "Grad Thesis Students" to be anyone who has completed their first two years of course work by May 2019 and is working on their Thesis film. You must be in good standing with the university (matriculated). If you are currently on a leave of absence, you are not eligible.

The 2020 RVPF Application will go live in summer 2020.

August 2020

If you graduated between May 2015 and January 2016 this is your last year to apply. Thus, for the 2021 award, alumni who graduated between May 2016 and May 2021 will be eligible.

No.

This varies by department, but a select group of faculty members determine the finalists.

You will be given the opportunity to pitch your film to the Chairs of the Film Departments, Assoc. Dean Michael Burke, and Richard Vague himself.

You will be notified if you are a finalist in Fall 2019.

That is up to the judges.

Yes. For the purposes of this award, we consider "Grad Thesis Students" to be anyone who has completed their first two years of course work by May 2019 and is working on their Thesis film. You must be in good standing with the university (matriculated). If you are currently on a leave of absence, you are not eligible.

Winners will be announced in December 2019.

You will work very closely with the chair of your department throughout the production process. Please be aware that receiving an award does not mean you will receive the entire amount instantly. Your chair has to approve any and all use of the funds. Details for how to requests funds and document your use of them will be provided when you receive an award.

Past winners are listed here.

Please contact Emma Aarnes with any questions regarding the Richard Vague Production Fund.  You may reach her at emma.aarnes@nyu.edu or 212.998.1696. Her office is #918 at 721 Broadway.

No. You may only submit one project per year you are eligible.

You are eligible to apply each year of your eligibility, but cannot apply with the same project more than twice. Should you choose to submit the same project a second time, you will need to indicate that you are doing so in the section of the application marked “Previous Application History.” Failure to accurately disclose your past application history may cause your application to be disqualified.

The Richard Vague Production Fund and its predecessor, the Columbus/Vague Award, are awarded to first time feature directors for specific projects, following a rigorous application process in which the directors pitch a specific project to Mr. Vague and the committee. Awards are intended explicitly for the projects awarded and are not simply awards provided to directors for general use. As a result, the award funds are not transferable to new projects.