Saul Zaentz Fund Application Platform v2.0

The Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund Platform is a fellowship application and evaluation system that helps the fund identify and support underrepresented filmmakers. It enables applicants to submit multi-section proposals, evaluators to review projects fairly, and staff to manage StoryLab cohorts with clarity and confidence.

Client

Saul Zaentz Innovation Fund. Nonprofit arts fund.

Audience and Topics

General audience, filmmakers, fellows, evaluators, and program administrators. Film | Arts | Equity | Talent Development | Fellowship Programs.

Core Technology

React, React Router, Node.js, Express, Prisma ORM, relational database, Tailwind CSS, charting, transactional email integration.

Features

• The platform guides applicants through a structured, multi-section submission that can be saved and resumed, making long applications more approachable. The technical approach focused on durable partial saves and section-based validation.
• Evaluators receive a streamlined review interface that surfaces only approved information, reinforcing fairness and privacy. The challenge was mapping evaluation views to specific, allowed fields while keeping the experience fast.
• Administrators manage cohorts, application stages, and assignments from a centralized dashboard with status indicators and progress summaries. The technical approach prioritized role-aware routing and consistent status decoration.
• Built-in exports and printable views make committee review and reporting simple, even outside the platform. The challenge was balancing presentation clarity with data completeness.
• Activity logs and searchable records give staff end-to-end visibility across applications and evaluations. The implementation required centralized logging across multiple workflows.