Film & Media Funding: AY25–26
Many School of Film, Television, and Media Arts faculty have expressed interest in finding funding for narrative and documentary film, as well as 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, while others may require a fiscal sponsor. Emerson can serve as a fiscal sponsor many of those cases. For more details, please contact ORCS.
Funder Name
Film Type/Topic
Narrative fiction feature film related to science, technology or economics in distribution phase
Next Deadline
Applications open on a rolling basis
Documentaries for public television about Asian Americans: production or post-production
October 20, 2025 (expected)
Grants for Creative Individuals are unrestricted grants of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners to equitably advance creative expression throughout our diverse communities.
October 28, 2025
Fiction short; fiction feature; documentary short; documentary feature; TV, web, or new media series.
October 31, 2025
supports artists in financial need who are creating in the visual arts
November 4, 2025
Non-fiction projects, priority to raising underrepresented voices
Early 2026 (expected)
supports artists in financial need who are creating in the visual arts
January 6, 2026
Documentary films, radio programs, podcasts that engage with humanities: development, production & distribution
January 15, 2026
Documentary film, new works by New England filmmakers: Production or Post-Production only
January 16, 2026 (expected)
Long form, shorts or episodic documentaries, podcasts, radio documentaries engaging in climate conversation
March 9, 2026 (expected)
Fiction short; fiction feature; documentary short; documentary feature; TV, web, or new media series.
March 31, 2026
Narrative feature films that address social justice issues: screenwriting, development, or post-production
May 16, 2026 (expected)
Designed to provide support for individuals or groups with expenditures associated with research, scholarly activity, or creative projects in the field of animation
May 23, 2026 (expected)
Documentaries & limited series on the Latino experience: production & post-production, limited research & development funds
June 2026 (expected)
Fiction short; fiction feature; documentary short; documentary feature; TV, web, or new media series.
June 30, 2026
Applicants of color working on standard-length non-fiction projects that have not begun production
August 2026 (expected)
Documentary film, new works by New England filmmakers: Early Development/Pre-production only
August 8, 2026 (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.
August 15, 2026 (expected)