These opportunities support the scholarly production of documentaries and films.
January Deadline
Southern Documentary Fund Fiscal Sponsorship
The Southern Documentary Fund offers fiscal sponsorship for documentary projects made in or about the American South. Sponsored projects range from broadcast-quality feature-length documentaries with budgets close to one million dollars, to relatively modest projects with budgets in the thousands.
February Deadline
BAVC Mediamaker Fellowship
The MediaMaker Fellowship is devoted to supporting documentary filmmakers grappling with critical issues of our time through the use of bold cinematic language and innovative impact strategies.
April Deadline
Southern Documentary Fund Fiscal Sponsorship
The Southern Documentary Fund offers fiscal sponsorship for documentary projects made in or about the American South. Sponsored projects range from broadcast-quality feature-length documentaries with budgets close to one million dollars, to relatively modest projects with budgets in the thousands.
May Deadline
Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography
The W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography is presented annually to a photographer whose past work and proposed project, as judged by a panel of experts, follows the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s concerned photography and dedicated compassion evidenced during his 45-year career as a photographic essayist. This Grant is designed to help a photographer begin a photographic project or help complete an ongoing photographic project.
Eugene Smith Grant for Student Photographers
The W. Eugene Smith Grant for Student Photographers is designed to encourage and support students whose photographic work renews the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s humanistic and compassionate photography. Special consideration will be given to work that promotes social change and that embraces new technologies and image distribution, and that seeks to integrate the tradition of photography and social change with contemporary practice.
June Deadline
Latino Public Broadcasting Public Media Content Fund
The Public Media Content Fund (PMCF) is an open invitation to independent producers to submit proposals for documentaries and limited series that meet LPB’s Content Priorities and are appropriate for public television and/or one of its platforms.Deadline June 28.
July Deadline
Southern Documentary Fund Fiscal Sponsorship
The Southern Documentary Fund offers fiscal sponsorship for documentary projects made in or about the American South. Sponsored projects range from broadcast-quality feature-length documentaries with budgets close to one million dollars, to relatively modest projects with budgets in the thousands.
August Deadline
BAVC Bridges Fellowship
The Bridges Fellowship is designed to help a diverse cohort of transitional-age youth (18-24 years old) learn strategies to successfully prepare for, challenge, and ultimately surmount the barriers to entering and staying in the media industry. Bridges Fellows will receive an immersive 12-week training in workplace literacy, career readiness, and communication skills while gaining experience in video pre-production, production, and post-production.
NEH Short Documentaries Grants
The Short Documentaries program supports the production and distribution of documentary films up to 30 minutes that engage audiences with humanities ideas in appealing ways. The program aims to extend the humanities to new audiences through the medium of short documentary films.
NEH Media Projects Production Grants
The Media Projects: Development Grants program supports the collaboration of media producers and scholars to develop humanities content and to prepare documentary film, television, radio, and podcast projects that engage public audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Awards should result in a script (for documentary film or television programs) or a detailed treatment (for radio programs or podcasts) and may also yield a plan for outreach and public engagement.
September Deadline
Graham Foundation Grants to Individuals for Projects on Architecture and Designed Environment
Assist with the production and presentation of significant programs about architecture and the designed environment in order to promote dialogue, raise awareness, and develop new and wider audiences.
October Deadline
Southern Documentary Fund Fiscal Sponsorship
The Southern Documentary Fund offers fiscal sponsorship for documentary projects made in or about the American South. Sponsored projects range from broadcast-quality feature-length documentaries with budgets close to one million dollars, to relatively modest projects with budgets in the thousands.
November
Tournées Film Festival Grants
The grant is designed to enable an American college or university to organize a festival consisting of a minimum of six films. The screenings must take place within a six-week period. The films may be presented as part of a larger film festival.
Choose five films from among the Featured Films or the Alternative Choice lists, plus one Classic film, and prepare a tentative schedule for the screenings. Films are in French with English subtitles (unless otherwise noted). Films must be acquired through their official distributors and must be shown in either 35mm or digital.
Open Calls
Sundance Institute Artist Opportunities
The Sundance Institute offers a range of opportunities for filmmakers.
Catapult Film Fund
Catapult gives early support to propel projects forward that hold the promise of a story that should be uniquely told in film. Catapult provides development funding, up to $20,000, to documentary filmmakers who have a strong story to tell, have secured access, and are ready to create a fundraising piece to help unlock critical production funding.
Center for Asian American Media’s Documentary Fund
With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), CAAM provides production funding to independent producers who make engaging Asian American works for public television. This is an open call submission.
Pragda Spanish Film Club Grant
To be eligible for a grant (offered in the form of a discounted screening fees), applicants must be affiliated to a high school, college, or university. Applicants must plan to screen a minimum of five films, which must be shown as part of a film festival. The films may be presented as a stand-alone festival or as part of a larger festival. The screenings must take place within an eight-week period. Films can also be included as part of the curriculum of one or more classes, but applicants need to make sure to maintain the films’ unity as part of Spanish Film Club.