Interested candidates must apply by July 1 to create a project for HUDSY's forthcoming digital TV platform

ULSTER COUNTY - HUDSY, a local video production company and soon-to-be digital streaming app, is putting out a call for Hudson Valley content creators to apply for grants of up to $5,000, supported by HUDSY's Community Content Fund.

In addition to offering this exciting grant funding opportunity out to the public, HUDSY is currently in production on several in-house HUDSY Originals, and is working on licensing community content from creatives in the region.

“It has always been a goal at HUDSY to provide direct access to capital for filmmakers to bring local stories to life,” said HUDSY co-founder Jesse Brown. “As filmmakers ourselves, we know how hard it is to get passion projects off the ground, and we want to help provide a supportive way forward. The Community Content Fund is HUDSY's first step in that direction, and we are eager to see what applicants come up with.”

HUDSY believes that the media production industry can be more accountable on the local level, and looks forward to helping bring the most meaningful stories from Hudson Valley communities to life while also restructuring the income inequalities that currently exist in the field. The HUDSY Community Content Fund being announced this week, first to HUDSY's newsletter subscribers, is just one of many capital-injection initiatives that the platform cooperative hopes to offer to local content creators in the future.

Set to launch at the end of 2021, the HUDSY app will be a free, centralized destination to showcase high-quality local video content—content shot in the Hudson Valley, celebrating the region and the talented creatives who call it home. Using the HUDSY app will mean getting free, instant access to informative local stories, short films, regional performances, and binge-worthy shows that testify to the talent in the region.

“From the shows we create and the artistic momentum we build, to whomever we hire along the way, HUDSY is fully committed to seeing our diverse local communities thrive,” said HUDSY co-founder Laura Kandel.

Applications for HUDSY's Community Content Fund are due by July 1, 2021, and can be accessed at hudsy.tv. Once selected by the HUDSY Content Committee, content creators must be prepared to present the completed project by November 1.

Applicants must be from one of the Hudson Valley's 11 counties (Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, or Westchester), and / or the project must have been shot in the Hudson Valley or be about the Hudson Valley. Submissions must include a one-page synopsis of the project and a projected budget. A list of community members who comprise the HUDSY Content Committee will be announced in the coming weeks, and photos are available upon request.