Sayla U’ilani Whalen, one of two recipients of Women in Media’s Developing Filmmaker Fellowships, funded by a grant from the California Arts Council, that I wrote.
Hi jobseekers,
Today’s blog is a resource round up of film grants. A couple of my favorite sites are below but I’ve also put together even more as a PDF for you. Sign up and grab it here.
I’ve included links to some sites with multiple further links, like Film Independent, and some specific grant programs like Chicken and Egg Pictures. Plus, there are a couple of sites that include general information about grants, fellowships and labs.
It’s not exhaustive – there are always new grant opportunities happening – but it is a start for your film grant research.
Best practices for grant finding:
- Join the mailing lists on the grant makers’ websites to learn when grant cycles open.
- Register and attend any and all instructional webinars that are offered.
- Attend office hours which give you the chance to ask questions and ensure that you are eligible. If you can make an appointment for one-on-one questions, do so.
- If you ever have an opportunity to gain direct feedback from the grant maker, grab it!
- Caution – not all grants are equal. Check the amount being offered – will it make a difference? Is it worth the time you spend writing the application?
Look at State arts councils and State humanities organizations – many have programs for local filmmakers. Usually there is a residency requirement.
Stay up to date with non-profit organizations that work in your subject matter area (or impact area). This applies to both documentary and narrative filmmakers. You’d be surprised how nonprofits will suddenly choose to fund film or media to support their missions.
Tip: The International Documentary Association has a core application that forms the basis of many grant application forms. It is absolutely worth doing if you are a documentary production. BUT the questions almost equally apply to narrative filmmaking! Give them a try to help you crystallize and clarify your grant applications.
Here’s a taste from the resource list:
No Film School page with a bunch of grants – not in any particular order – https://nofilmschool.com/list-of-fall-2024-grants-labs-and-fellowships
Women in Media periodically offers its pro-members finishing funds and fellowships. https://womennmedia.com/join/
Upcoming Catapult grant – https://catapultfilmfund.org/rough-cut-retreat/ will open in February
California Humanities Documentary Grants – https://calhum.org/grant-deadlines-overview/california-documentary-project/
The Ford Foundation Just Films program funds films that deal with social justice – https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/justfilms/