GENERAL | DOCUMENTARY-SPECIFIC | INTERSECTIONALITIES | REGIONAL

GENERAL

AT&T Untold Stories (Visit funder website): a collaboration between AT&T and Tribeca Festival that awards $1-million dollars, comprehensive mentorship and distribution support to the next generation of filmmakers looking to bring their films to the big screen.
Academy Foundation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Visit funder website): Supports filmmakers and film-related initiatives.
Borealis Philanthropy (Disability Inclusion Fund) (Visit funder website): Resources grassroots leaders dismantling ableism through policy advocacy, community organizing, art, and narrative change, including work that celebrates, creates, and uplifts the representation of people with disabilities in the arts, media, education, literature, and popular culture.
Creative Capital (Visit funder website): Funds adventurous and imaginative artists across various disciplines. Inclusive of disability-centered themes and creators, offering up to $50,000 in direct funding and advisory support.
Disability Futures Initiative (Visit funder website): Led by the Ford Foundation & Mellon Foundation (administered via United States Artists), it provides $50,000 unrestricted awards to disabled creatives across disciplines, including film.
Filmmakers Without Borders (Visit funder website): Supports independent filmmakers globally with grants for narrative films, documentaries, and new media projects aligning with social justice, empowerment, and cultural exchange themes. While not exclusively for disability, it encourages diverse communities.
Independent Television Service (ITVS) (Visit funder website): Funds and presents independent documentaries and series for public television.
Inevitable Foundation (The Visionary Fellowship) (Visit funder website): A year-long program investing in disabled filmmakers with funding, mentorship, and community support to create a short film and leverage it into their first feature film.
Mellon Foundation (Visit funder website): Supports the humanities and arts, including film and media.
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) (Visit funder website): Provides project-based grants for media arts.
National Film Preservation Foundation (Visit funder website): Provides grants for film preservation projects.
Sundance Institute (Visit funder website): Supports independent filmmakers through labs, grants, and the Sundance Film Festival.
Tribeca Film Institute (Visit funder website): Champions storytelling artists and supports film projects that inspire change.

DOCUMENTARY-SPECIFIC

INTERSECTIONALITY

Black Public Media (BPM) (Visit funder website): Focuses on Black stories for public media, offering the 360 Incubator+ Program, pitch forums, and production funding.
Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) (Visit funder website): Supports documentary funds, fellowships, and public media programs.

Chicken & Egg Pictures (Visit funder website): Supports nonfiction films by women and nonbinary filmmakers, providing production grants and mentorship.

Firelight Media (Visit funder website): Focuses on documentary filmmakers of color, offering the Documentary Lab and Impact Campaign Fund.
National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) (Visit funder website): Programs include 360 Incubator+ and the Black Media Story Summit.
Nia Tero Storytelling Fellowship (Visit funder website): Focuses on Indigenous filmmakers globally (including U.S.).
Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) (Visit funder website): Focuses on media by and about Pacific Islanders.
Re-Focus Fund by Inside Out Film Festival (Visit funder website): Inside Out's RE:Focus Fund provides direct financial support to women, non-binary, and/or trans filmmakers telling 2SLGBTQ+ stories, with a focus on post-production grants for short and feature films. Established in 2018, it aims to address industry inequities and prioritize projects centering QTBIPOC stories.
WAVE (Visit funder website) - Wavelength Productions' WAVE (Women At the Very Edge) Grant supports emerging filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives in making their debut short film

REGIONAL

Austin Film Society (AFS) Grant (Visit funder website): Focuses on Texas-based filmmakers.
The Jerome Foundation (Visit funder website): Focuses on emerging independent filmmakers in Minnesota and New York City.
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) New Narratives (Visit funder website): Awards five $5000 grants to emerging filmmakers, particularly those focusing on climate justice and environmental themes.
New Orleans Film Society - South Pitch (Visit funder website): The New Orleans Film Society's South Pitch is a premier platform for emerging Southern artists to showcase their documentary and narrative works-in-progress to funders and distributors. This program offers pitch training, cash awards, and networking opportunities during the New Orleans Film Festival.
SFFILM Rainin Filmmaker with Disabilities Grant (Visit funder website): Supports Bay Area-based filmmakers whose films specifically address stories from the disability community, ensuring access to artistic and financial support for historically excluded communities.
San Francisco Foundation (Visit funder website): Provides grants to strengthen communities in the Bay Area.
Silicon Valley Community Foundation (Visit funder website): Focuses on philanthropic initiatives in the Silicon Valley region.

RESOURCES