OPEN SUBMISSION – NYSCA
NYSCA believes in artistic excellence without boundaries and an evaluation process that embraces the widest variety of cultural and artistic expression being offered to the public in a broad array of settings and contexts from classrooms and community centers…to parks and open spaces…to more traditional venues.

OPEN SUBMISSION – Impact Partners

At Impact Partners, we look to finance powerful films that address contemporary social issues. We welcome unsolicited submissions.

OPEN SUBMISSION – Just Films, The Ford Foundation
Beginning in 2011, we are investing $10 million a year over five years in documentary projects that address urgent social issues and help us understand our past, explore our present and build our future. Our goal is to expand the community of emerging and established filmmakers who often lack funding, and help them to realize their visions and reach audiences.

OPEN AUGUST 22: The Fledgling Fund
The Fledgling Fund considers requests for creative media projects in two funding cycles each year. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the mission of our creative media initiative as well as its application process prior to submitting this online form. The Fledgling Fund application process is currently closed and will re-open August 22nd, 2011.

OPEN: AUGUST 8th – TFI/HBO
In its inaugural year, the TFI Documentary Fund, presented by HBO, is providing $100,000 in fellowships and grants for engaging, character-driven documentaries. The TFI Documentary Fund was created to further the development of character-driven documentaries. The fund will arrange one-on-one meetings with key HBO Documentary Film executives in addition to providing financial support, supervision and guidance from TFI and HBO, to select filmmakers developing artistically significant and engaging feature-length documentaries that emphasize character. 

OPEN FALL 2011 – Frameline Film & Video Completion Fund Filmmaker Support
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.

DUE SEPT 1: IDFA – FORUM
You can submit your project in various stages of financing, development and production. 
We accept projects that run the gamut from no financing in place at all to those in the rough-cut phase. Apart from traditional linear documentaries, the FORUM also provides a platform for documentary series and cross media projects. In the Round Table category, we program according to genre with a special focus on (but not limited to) arts & culture projects and cross media projects.

DUE SEPT 1st – Funding Exchange/Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media
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.

DUE SEPT 30: Roy Dean Editing Grant

DUE DEC 15th – The Gottlieb Foundation
The Foundation wishes to encourage artists who have dedicated their lives to developing their art, regardless of their level of commercial success. This program was conceived in order to recognize and support the serious, fully-committed artist, and we hope these individuals will consider applying.

DUE JANUARY 15, 2012: THE GLOBAL FILM INITIATIVE
In its continuing effort to promote original filmmaking by individuals from around the world, the Global Film Initiative is pleased to announce the Winter 2012 cycle of its feature-film Production Grants program. Applications will be accepted from October 31, 2011 to January 15, 2012. 

Global Film Initiative production grants are awarded twice a year, in winter and summer, to filmmakers whose work exhibits artistic excellence, authentic self-representation and accomplished storytelling. The granting program furthers the Initiative’s mission of contributing to the development of local film industries while offering audiences a variety of cultural perspectives on daily life around the world. Monies received through the Initiative’s granting program are used to support completion of film production, and to subsidize post-production costs, such as laboratory and sound mixing fees and access to modern editing systems.


cinereach
Cinereach supports feature-length nonfiction and fiction films that are at the intersection of engaging storytelling, visual artistry, and vital subject matter.
Grant amounts can range from $5,000 – $50,000 per project and can be awarded to support any stage of production, including research and development, production and post-production. There are two grant cycles per year (Summer and Winter). Within each cycle, between five and fifteen projects are selected to receive support.

Catapult Film Fund
Catapult Film Fund provides early development funding to documentary filmmakers who have a compelling story to tell. We support powerful stories, and moving storytelling, across a broad spectrum of issues and perspectives.