1 Potato

supporting filmmakers AND FILM PRODUCTION IN the state of Idaho

The 1 Potato is developed to support emerging filmmakers and incentivize filmmaking in the state of Idaho. The winning storyteller gets a prize of $5,000 to bring their story to life, filming on location in Idaho.

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THE 1 POTATO SHORT FILM GRANT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION FROM FELICITAS FUNKE

1 POTATO SHORT FILM PRODUCTION GRANT Finalists

FINALISTS

BABICKA by Jessica Nebeker, Jaime Nebeker, Chaz Gentry, narrative

featherCOVER by Collin Insley, narrative

Feathers by Irish Johnston and Karen Toronjo, narrative

ICEBREAKER by Laurens Garcia, narrative

Little Angel by Jack Hessler, narrative

Moths by Annie Rhodes Kane, narrative

Neighborhood Watch by Justin Cordua, narrative

Stealing Happiness: The Role of Baseball in Idaho’s History by Gwen K Adams, documentary

Stray by Noah Lang, Blake Hoss, narrative

The Stork by Caleb Morgan, narrative

 

HONORABLE MENTION

Apples by Brooklyn Browne, narrative

The Dark Days of Cassidy Krystian by Emily Troedson, narrative

The Genesis Project by Caden T Butera, narrative

The Weight of Words by Greg Wilson, narrative

1 POTATO SHORT FILM PRODUCTION GRANT

The 1 Potato accepts production grant submissions from all US filmmakers for documentary or narrative short films (live-action).

 

The winning script or documentary pitch will receive $5,000  in funds towards shooting their film on location in Idaho. The winner will have SVFF support from development to finished product. All narrative projects must be filmed in Idaho.  All documentaries must be filmed in Idaho.

 

As a partner on the film, SVFF will connect the winner with seasoned filmmaker participants and help build a presence for the film as it begins its festival journey.

 

The winning 1 Potato short script/documentary pitch will be announced at the 2025 Sun Valley Film Festival and the winner will have one year to complete the film and have its world premiere at the 2026 Sun Valley Film Festival.

“We are excited to bring back the 1 Potato production grant, new and improved to support filmmaking in the state of Idaho.” – Teddy Grennan, Executive Director

previous PARTICIPANTS

1 Potato impact

2016 Winner

EVA KONSTANTOPOULOS

RE/COLLECTION

“Winning the competition kicked the production of the script into high gear and gave us the resources and connections to the bring the film to life. We worked with an enthusiastic crew and the sweeping Boise landscape provided scenic locations and colorful characters for the project. At the Sun Valley Film Festival premiere, the programmers connected us to other passionate filmmakers and industry insiders and invited to the jam-packed days of panels and meet and greets. (Oh, and Sun Valley is just beautiful, GO!)

2019 Winner

SCOTT BURKHARDT

GIRLS ARE STRONG HERE

“The 1 Potato Award was the catalyst for me to make Girls Are Strong Here. The film went on to play a dozen festivals and won the Grand Jury Prize at IFF Boston and the 2022 Humanitas Prize for Best Short Film. I could not have done it without the support of the Sun Valley Film Festival and the amazing Idaho crew they connected me with"

2025 Judges

nabi-web

Naby Dakhli

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Sarah-Mastersonweb

Sarah Masterson

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MJMcCue headshot

Matthew McCue

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S.-Norrellweb

Stephani Norell

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JazzHeadshotCloseUpweb

Jazz Pitcairn

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Tiger_LorenWaters_Headshotweb

Loren Waters

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Submission Details

submissions now open
WHAT TO SUBMIT
Narrative: Submit a screenplay written in English and a pitch deck for the film.
Documentary: Submit a pitch deck for the film.
 
HOW TO UPLOAD DOCUMENTS
Submit using the Files & Attachments section of the submitted project page.
Create a “Script Project” to upload a script file as the main project file.
Then in the “Files & Attachments” section upload a pitch deck document. 
 
RULES & TERMS
• The Sun Valley Film Festival reserves the right to determine eligibility of any project submitted.
• Narrative scripts must be 8 pages or less.
• Final films must be 10 minutes or less.
• All projects must have a story filmed in Idaho.
• Participants must be at least 18 years of age.
• Without exception, the winning script MUST BE FILMED IN IDAHO; do not submit your project unless you are able to commit to filming in Idaho.
• The winning film team will work with the Sun Valley Film Festival to establish goals and deadlines to ensure the completion of the project. 
• While additional fundraising is encouraged, the script must be feasible to film on a limited budget.
• The Sun Valley Film Festival will receive a Made In Association With credit, as well as end credit scroll logo placement. 
• The finalized film must have its world premiere at the Sun Valley Film Festival the following year.
* All submitted screenplays must be the writer’s original work. If a writing team enters, both/all writers must consent. Documentary pitches must ensure the appropriate permissions/access to the the story where required.
* The decision of SVFF is final. By applying to the Sun Valley Film Festival 1 Potato Short Film Production Grant each participant agrees to hold SVFF, our judges, and sponsors immune from any competition disputes, claims, liabilities, and expenses.
Picture of Justin Buss

Justin Buss

2019 Winner

“Not only does participation in film festivals greatly help students get into film programs in college, but there are plenty of other good reasons to do so! For students, having an event to travel to and attend is exciting, especially if they will get to see their film on the big screen. This was absolutely the case for the SVJFC! Any kind of award from a film festival, cash or trophy, looks incredibly good on a resume and it has allowed me to secure gigs in the past, and help me stand out as an applicant even to regular jobs! And it certainly helps out on a college application.”

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past events

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Naby Dakhli

Born in Paris to North African parents, Naby Dakhli is a versatile actor and producer who’s worked over the past decade across borders, languages, and artistic disciplines.

As a producer, he has worked on numerous short film projects such as NBA commissioned “Campos de Oro”, directed by Damiana Acuña and Isaac Ravishankara’s “But I’m Letting Go” (Prime).

His international acting career spans both stage and screen, with appearances at world renowned venues such as New York’s Park Avenue Armory and Berlin’s Schaubühne. Naby is also known for his performances in House of David (Prime) and Messiah (Netflix). 

Eager to expand his creative horizons, Naby is always on the lookout for emerging voices to nurture.

Sarah Masterson

Sarah Masterson is a Senior Copywriter with over 12 years of experience across film production and creative advertising, fluent in chaos and calm. She thrives in the land of big ideas, scrappy shoots, and absolutely wild deadlines.

These days, she’s not just writing—she’s guiding teams through the creative wilderness. Whether it’s mapping strategy, pitching the big idea in full costume, or shaping a story that started in someone’s garage and ended with a website, she’s enjoying every minute.

Matthew McCue

Matthew J. McCue is a writer and producer from New York. He is a Fulbright and Bavarian State Scholar who earned his MFA in screenwriting from Columbia University. His first produced screenplay THE TRACK premiered at Dances with Films and won Best First Feature at the Las Vegas Festival. Matthew was a two-time screenwriting fellow to Puglia, Italy where he was mentored by James V. Hart (Hook), David Magee (Life of Pi), Chris Vogler (The Writer’s Journey), and Nicole Yorkin & Dawn Prestwich (“The Killing). He was then the writers assistant on Yorkin & Prestwich’s Netflix series “Hit & Run.” Matthew then went on to the first season of Soo Hugh’s “Pachinko” at Apple TV+, where he and Hugh co-wrote episode 102. Matthew went on to be the staff writer on Michael Chabon & Ayelet Waldman’s adaptation of Chabon’s Pulitzer winning novel “Kavalier & Clay.” Matthew is a creative executive and executive producer on the romantic comedy “cinematic universe” adaptation endeavor launched by Harlequin publishing this past year, with six completed films in the first year. Matthew teaches creative writing at Mercy University and television writing at Hofstra University and NYU. When not writing, Matthew rows, boxes, draws, reads tarot, and listens to a lot of David Bowie.

Stephani Norell

Stephani Norell loves dogs. And film! For over twenty years, Steph has been teaming up with filmmakers, directors, DP’s, and crew from every corner of the Northwestern creative ecosystem to produce commercial campaigns and narrative documentaries from concept to completion. As Co-Owner and Executive Producer at Visionkit Studio, she absolutely crushes (with grace and beauty) complex commercial broadcast, social, and streaming projects for local, national, and international agencies and brands. And as an avid dog lover, she readily sheds a tear for any precious pup willing to pause for pets. 

Community leadership and development in the local film industry is of paramount importance to Steph. Most recently, she was voted president of Idaho Film Society which has allowed her to develop educational opportunities and community building initiatives aimed at bringing filmmakers together from all over Idaho.

Jazz Pitcairn

Jazz Pitcairn is an award-winning writer, director, and producer from the Cayman Islands. At 23, she became the first Caymanian to write for an American network television show with HBO’s Emmy-winning A Black Lady Sketch Show. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, she was first recognized at 17 with a Best Local Filmmaker nomination at the Cayman International Film Festival. In 2024, Jazz received the Cayman Islands’ highest arts honor, the Making Waves Award for Arts, Culture & Heritage, presented by the Governor. Also an activist, she has represented Cayman at international climate conferences and champions diversity and women’s empowerment initiatives. Her directorial debut short film, Ivan, inspired by her experience in Hurricane Ivan and starring Sasha Lane, premiered to critical acclaim and is now being developed into a feature. Across all her work, Jazz is committed to amplifying Afro-Caribbean stories on the global stage.

Loren Waters

Loren Waters (Cherokee/Kiowa) is an award-winning filmmaker whose creative work spans directing, producing, and casting through her production company, Waters Media. Named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list, her work has been showcased at esteemed festivals like Sundance, SXSW, and Hot Docs. Her short documentary film, Tiger, received the Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, along with 5 other awards on the festival circuit. She has contributed to renowned films and television series, including The Lowdown, Reservation Dogs, and Fancy Dance.