Film & Media Funding
Many Emerson School of the Arts and VMA faculty have expressed interest in finding funding for narrative and documentary film, and media projects. ORCS has prepared a list of film and media funders to get you started.
Some of these funders make awards to individual artists; some may require a fiscal sponsor. Emerson can serve as a fiscal sponsor many of those cases. Please contact us at orcs@emerson.edu for more details.
Funder Name
Film Type/Topic
Next Deadline
narrative fiction feature film related to science, technology or economics in distribution phase
Application open: rolling deadline
long form, shorts or episodic documentaries, podcasts, radio documentaries engaging in climate conversation
February 1, 2023
narrative feature films that address social justice issues: screenwriting, development, or post-production
March 24, 2023
public media film & television projects representing culture & experience of Native Americans
March 31, 2023
2023 call for new Visual Arts & Film/Moving Image projects that push boundaries
April 1, 2023
non-fiction projects, priority to raising underrepresented voices
April 17, 2023
feature-length documentaries addressing social issues: advanced development, production & post-production
May 15, 2023 November 15, 2023
short films, feature films, new media projects: development, production, post-production
June 1, 2023
documentaries & limited series on the Latino experience: production & post-production, limited research & development funds
June, 2023 (expected)
documentary producers with deep roots in southern states: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV. Projects in production only.
July, 2023 (expected)
documentary films, radio programs, podcasts that engage with humanities: development, production & distribution
August 9, 2023
documentary film, new works by New England filmmakers: all stages of production
August 31, 2023: Development/Pre-Production
January, 2024 (expected): Production/Post-production
Applicants of color working on standard-length non-fiction projects that have not begun production
September, 2023 (expected)
documentaries for public televison about Asian Americans: production or post-production
October, 2023 (expected)
social issue documentary films highlighting Asian American narratives: research & development and early production
November, 2023 (expected)
documentary films related to California: Research & Development, Production
November 1, 2023
small grants to individuals for independent film/media projects
December, 2023 (expected)