The Shut up and Shoot

Documentary Grant Resources

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: http://www.oscars.org Sponsors grants and fellowships to encourage developing filmmakers, including:
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation — College Television Awards: http://www.emmys.org/foundation/education.php The College Television Awards is a major Academy competition which recognizes excellence in college student film/video productions. It is national in scope, accepting entries each year from scores of colleges and universities. The entire program, including $24,500 in cash prizes, is sponsored by the Academy Foundation. First place winners receive $2,000, second place winners receive $1,000, and third place winners receive $500.
Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Society Foundation: http://www.gottliebfoundation.org Provides funding for visual artists who incorporate video and film into their work.
Arts Resource Network — Funding Opportunities for Individuals in Film, Video, and Media: http://www.artsresourcenetwork.org/opportunities/?competitions_funding/film_video_media.asp Courtesy of the City of Seattle, Office of Arts +&+ Cultural Affairs.
Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers: http://www.aivf.org Offers a list of funders for its members, an open forum about fundraising, and links to other financial resources. Need to join association for full access.
Chez Jim: Financing Films: http://www.jimcheval.com/film/filmfin.html Reviews a wide variety of funding and other kinds of assistance available to film producers. Courtesy of Jim Chevallier, North Hollywood, California.
Creative Capital: http://www.creative-capital.org Creative Capital is a new, national organization supporting visual artists who are pursuing innovative approaches to form and/or content in the visual, performing, and media arts. Creative Capital will work closely with its funded artists to provide audience development, marketing and other forms of assistance tailored to individual projects. Artists will, in return, share a portion of their proceeds with Creative Capital, enabling the fund to support more artists in the future. Creative Capital funds artist projects in four disciplines: visual arts (includes installation art, painting, fiber art, mixed media works, public art, etc.), film/video arts, performing arts (includes music, dance, theater, puppetry, performance art, etc.), and emerging art fields (includes all forms of digital work, and experimental literature). Projects that transcend traditional discipline boundaries are highly encouraged. Creative Capital operates on a two-year grant cycle, funding alternative disciplines each year. The first year of each cycle, Creative Capital grants in visual and film/video arts; the second year, performing and emerging arts. For the 2004–05 grant round, Creative Capital will be awarding grants to individual artists in the fields of Visual Arts and Film/Video.?Also listed under Arts and Music.(Last checked 08/26/05)
Dance Films Association Grants for Post-Production Expenses: http://www.dancefilmsassn.org/
Dean Grants Help Struggling Filmmakers (Roy W.): stage.i2net.com/fromtheheart/public_html/grantguidelines.html Application deadline: Sept. 30?The Roy W. Dean Grants support film and video projects that are unique and benefit society. The grants primarily provide goods and services donated by companies in the film and video industry. These grants are available for shorts and low budget independents as well as documentary filmmakers.
Echo Lake Productions: Production Company and Film Fund for Independents: http://www.echolakeproductions.com/
Experimental Television Center: http://www.experimentaltvcenter.org Provides grants and residencies to New York residents.
Film Arts Foundation: http://www.fva.com Founded in 1968, Film/Video Arts is the largest nonprofit media arts center in the New York region. Film/Video Arts provides a fertile environment where emerging and established film, video and digital media producers of diverse backgrounds can take courses, receive fiscal sponsorship for their projects and edit their projects affordably. Film/Video Arts' programs encourage interaction between these producers — - whether working on narrative features, documentaries, nontraditional work, shorts, industrials, cable programs, music videos or student projects – by offering them affordable services essential to the creation of their work and the development of their careers. (Last checked 08/26/05)
Film Arts Foundation Grants: http://www.filmarts.org/grants/index.php The goal of the Film Arts Foundation Grants Program is to encourage new and diverse works by film and video artists who have little likelihood of being supported through traditional funding sources. In 2000, Film Arts Foundation gave 16 cash awards valued at $68,500 and 12 awards in materials and access valued at over $52,000. These awards are targeted for film and videomakers in categories that are among the most difficult areas in which to raise money for media projects.?(Last checked 08/26/05)
Flintridge Foundation: http://www.flintridgefoundation.org/home/home.html Supporting experimental and interdisciplinary mediamakers for over 15 years. Focuses on California, Oregon, and Washington.?(Last checked 08/26/05)
Foundation Center?User Aid for Film and Videomakers: http://www.fdncenter.org/learn/useraids/film.html If you are an individual looking for financial support to make a film or to work on a video project, this user aid will help you in your search. Here you will find a few of the most important print and electronic resources for you to begin your search.
The Fund for Women Artists — Funding Lists: http://www.womenarts.org/fund/fundlists.html Choices include film/video projects, international projects, and visual arts projects.
Funding Exchange/Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media: http://www.fex.org/grantmaking.shtml The Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media, named to honor this singer, actor and civil rights activist, supports independent film, video, and radio projects made by organizations and independent media producers on critical social issues. The Robeson Fund supports pre-production and distribution of film and video, and all stages of radio productions that: combine intellectual clarity with creative use of the medium, will reach a broad audience with an organizing component, demonstrate how the production will be used for social change organizing.
George Mason University?Institute for Humane Studies?Young Communicators: http://www.theihs.org/subcategory.php/25.html Must be a college junior or senior, a graduate student, or a recent graduate. Must have a clearly demonstrated interest in the "classical liberal" tradition or individual rights and market economics. Must be intent on pursuing a career in journalism, film, writing (fiction or nonfiction), publishing, or market-oriented public policy, and have arranged or applied for an internship, training program, or other short-term opportunity related to applicant's intended career.
Horizons/Frameline Film +&+ Video Completion Fund: http://www.frameline.org/fund/ Grants in a range of $2,000 to $3,000 are available for projects in the final stages of production. Submissions are being accepted for documentary, educational, narrative, animated or experimental projects about or of interest to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their communities. The fund also seeks to bring new work to underserved audiences; with this in mind, we especially encourage applications by women and people of color. To date, more than 64 productions have been completed with assistance from the Fund.
How to Raise Money: http://www.aivf.org/resources/tips/coefunding.html Hints for embarking on the fundraising journey by Michelle Coe. Courtesy of the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers.
Independent Film and Video Monthly: http://www.aivf.org/independent/index.html Each issue of The Independent Film +&+ Video Monthly contains a Funder FAQ: an in-depth profile of a media funder. The Independent also publishes an extensive list of funding opportunities in each issue. (Note: access limited to subscribers.)
Independent Television Service (ITVS): http://www.itvs.org Each year ITVS funds, distributes and promotes new programs produced by independent producers primarily for public television and beyond. ITVS is looking for proposals which increase diversity on public television and present a range of subjects, viewpoints and forms that complement and challenge existing public television offerings. All production funding requests must be submitted in accordance with ITVS guidelines.
IndieFilms: http://www.indiefilms.com Requires paid membership, but promises to help independent filmmakers find investment funds, grants, etc.
International Documentary Association — Funding Opportunities: http://www.documentary.org/resources/ Includes information about funding by deadline and information about fiscal sponsorship.
Latino Public Broadcasting: http://www.lpbp.org More than 100 projects were submitted and genres varied from documentaries, dramas, experimental and animation.
Midwest Media Artists Access Center (MMAAC) Grant Opportunities: http://www.mtn.org/mmaac/grant.html Currently describes two grant programs: "Women Filmmakers Access Grant Program" and "Media Artist Grant Program.
Morrie Warshawski's Home Page: http://www.warshawski.com Morrie Warshawski, author of "Shaking the Money Tree: How to Get Grants and Donations for Film and Video" recently announced the launch of a new Web site with an extensive bibliography on fundraising for independent film and video projects. The site also includes a RealAudio clip on "How to Throw a Fundraising House Party" taken from an appearance on NPR's Marketplace Radio.
Moxie Film Grants: http://www.moxie-films.com Moxie Films was founded in 1992 to support the careers of emerging filmmakers as well as the spirit of the independent film, documentary and short. Explore this web page to learn more about the MoxieDocs Co-production Award and a new Century Writer Award.
National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA): http://www.naatanet.org Distributes funds with the goal of increasing visibility of Asian American programs on public television and impacting the way in which Asian Americans are perceived and understood. Open Door Completion Funds are available up to $20,000 and Production Funds, $20,000 to $50,000 on average.
National Endowment for the Humanities — Grant Programs and Deadlines: http://www.neh.gov/grants/grants.html Have provided funding for documentaries.
National Foundation for Jewish Culture — Grant Programs: http://www.jewishculture.org/docs/media_arts.html Provides financial support for theater, music, dance, filmmaking, fiction, and Jewish Studies scholarship.
Native American Public Telecommunications: http://www.nativetelecom.org/ The NAPT Public Television Program Fund supports program ideas that bring new perspectives on Native American cultures to public television audiences, increasing the quality and quantity of Native American television programming on a national and international scale.
New York Foundation for the Arts — Opportunities for Artists: http://www.nyfa.org/level1.asp?id=1 NYFA's mission starts with individual artists in the visual, media, performing and literary arts. This site offers access to the most comprehensive list of opportunities for artists in the nation, opening doors to the widest range of financial, educational, technological, and institutional resources and information. Provides information on fellowships and fiscal sponsorship in support of the production of independent films. Also see NYFA Source
NYFA Source: http://www.nyfa.org/source A database of some 6,000 grant, award, publication, and other opportunities for artists in all disciplines nationwide. These listings are supplemented by weekly jobs and opportunity listings that are part of NYFA Current. New postings appear every Sunday. NYFA's grants and other programs for New York State residents are also described on the site.
Oppenheimer Camera New Filmmaker Equipment Grant Program: http://www.oppenheimercamera.com/grant2.html Supports new filmmakers in producing their first serious film project. The grant awards the use of their Grant Program Arriflex 16SR camera package to senior and graduate thesis students and to independent filmmakers for a scheduled period of time. Proposed projects may be of any non-commercial nature: dramatic, narrative, documentary, experimental, etc.
Pacific Islanders in Communication (PIC): http://www.piccom.org The mission of Pacific Islanders in Communications is to support, advance, and develop Pacific Island media content and talent that results in a deeper understanding of Pacific Island history, culture, and contemporary challenges. Media Fund open call is seeking public television projects at the research +&+ development, production, or completion stage. PIC funds up to $15,000 for Research +&+ Development. Production and Completion funding ranges from $20,000 to $50,000. Independent producers or independent entities producing television, film, or video programming are encouraged to apply.
Pacific Pioneer Fund Awards Grants to Filmmakers in California, Oregon, and Washington: http://www.pacificpioneerfund.com Deadlines: February 1, May 15, October 1, annually. The Pacific Pioneer Fund awards grants to support emerging documentary filmmakers in California, Oregon, and Washington. Grants are limited to public charities that agree to supervise any project for which an individual receives funds. The Fund does not provide support for endowments, building campaigns, accumulated deficits, or operating budgets, nor does it support instructional or performance documentaries, student film projects, or make grants to individuals. In addition, filmmakers are eligible for only one grant from the Fund during their careers. Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000. Applications available online.
Playboy Foundation: http://www.playboyenterprises.com The Playboy Foundation is the charitable giving program of Playboy Enterprises that provides funding for documentary film and video projects in the postproduction stage.
Princess Grace Awards for Aspiring Young Theater, Dance, and Film Artists in America: http://www.pgfusa.com/index.html
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Postdoctoral Awards in Media Communications: http://scholarships.fatomei.com/scholar12.html A compilation of resources by Francisco Alberto Tomei Torres, Ph.D. Covers Advertising, Communications, Filmmaking, Journalism, Marketing, Motion Pictures, Print, Radio, Television, Writing.
University Film and Video Association (UFVA): http://www.ufva.org Offers a variety of grant programs.
Video Contest for College Students: http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html College students are invited to interpret the Christopher belief that each of us has the ability and opportunity to shape our world! Whether acting alone or with others, one person can make a difference. Using any style or format, express this theme in up to five minutes. Entries must be submitted in NTSC format on standard, full-sized VHS tape. Entries that run over five minutes cannot be considered. The winning entries will be aired nationwide via the Christopher Closeup television series. In addition, winners will receive the following cash awards: First Prize — $3,000; Second Prize — $2,000; Third Prize — $1,000; 5 Honorable Mention Prizes of $100 each.
Women in Film Foundation: http://www.wif.org WIF's purpose is to empower, promote, nurture, and mentor women in the industry through a network of valuable contacts, events, and programs including the Women In Film Mentor Program, the award-winning Public Service Announcement Production Program, and the Internship Program in association with the Fulfillment Fund. Additionally, WIF provide film finishing funds, scholarships, grants, advocacy, community outreach programs, monthly networking breakfasts, seminars, workshops, and a screening series with filmmakers.
Women Make Movies Production Assistance: http://www.wmm.com Major distributor of film and videos by women. Also offers a fiscal sponsorship program with accompanying services, such as lists of funding sources, one individualized fundraising consultation, fundraising or proposal writing workshops, networking opportunities with other women media makers, and discounts at labs and equipment facilities.
Worldstudio Foundation Scholarships: http://www.worldstudio.org/schol/ Worldstudio Foundation scholarships allow young people from minority and economically disadvantaged backgrounds not only to realize their artistic dreams, but also to give back to their communities. Areas of study include: architecture, cartooning, crafts, environmental graphics, fashion design, film/theater design (costume, set, lighting), film/video, fine arts, furniture design, graphic design, illustration, industrial/product design, interior design, landscape architecture, new media, photography, surface/Textile design, and urban planning. Also listed under Grants for Individuals — - Arts, Film, Landscape Architecture, Photography, Minorities. (Last checked 08/26/05) Many state arts councils also provide grants for film/video and/or fellowships for individual media artists. Likewise, state humanities councils provide support for public programming that interprets the arts and humanities.

(*These listings are reprinted courtesy of Jon Harris / Michigan State University Library.)