GENERAL  |  DOCUMENTARY-SPECIFIC  |  INTERSECTIONALITIES  |  REGIONAL

GENERAL

 

• AT&T Untold Stories (Link): 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 (Link): Supports filmmakers and film-related initiatives.
  
  

• Borealis Philanthropy (Disability Inclusion Fund) (Link): 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 (Link): 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 (Link): 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 (Link): 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) (Link): Funds and presents independent documentaries and series for public television.
  
  

• Inevitable Foundation (The Visionary Fellowship) (Link): 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 (Link): Supports the humanities and arts, including film and media.
  
  

• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) (Link): Provides project-based grants for media arts.
  
  

• National Film Preservation Foundation (Link): Provides grants for film preservation projects.
  
  

• Sundance Institute (Link): Supports independent filmmakers through labs, grants, and the Sundance Film Festival.
  
  

• Tribeca Film Institute (Link): Champions storytelling artists and supports film projects that inspire change.
  
  
  

DOCUMENTARY-SPECIFIC

• AXS Film Fund (Link): Provides grants of up to $10,000 for documentary filmmakers and nonfiction new media creators who identify as living with a disability, with a focus on creators of color from underserved communities.
  
  

• Catapult Film Fund (Link): Provides documentary development grants, typically up to $20,000.
  
  

• Doc Society (formerly Britdoc) (Link): U.S.-based projects are eligible, with a focus on social impact documentaries.
  
  

• Ford Foundation’s JustFilms Program (Link): Supports documentary filmmaking that addresses urgent social issues and promotes justice.
  
  

• International Documentary Association (IDA) (Link): Programs include the Enterprise Documentary Fund and Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund, offering development and production grants.
  
  

• NAI Direct Access Fund | International Documentary Association (Link): Supports independent documentary filmmakers.
  
  

• PBS / ITVS (Independent Television Service) (Link): Programs include Open Call and Diversity Development Fund, providing production funding for public TV documentaries.
  
  

• Tribeca Film Institute (now part of The Gotham) (Link): Legacy programs include the TFI Documentary Fund and TFI New Media Fund, providing development and post-production support.

INTERSECTIONALITY

• Black Public Media (BPM) (Link): Focuses on Black stories for public media, offering the 360 Incubator+ Program, pitch forums, and production funding.
  
  

• Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) (Link): Supports documentary funds, fellowships, and public media programs.

 

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

 

• Firelight Media (Link): Focuses on documentary filmmakers of color, offering the Documentary Lab and Impact Campaign Fund.
  
  

• National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) (Link): Programs include 360 Incubator+ and the Black Media Story Summit.
  
  

• Nia Tero Storytelling Fellowship (Link): Focuses on Indigenous filmmakers globally (including U.S.).
  
  

• Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) (Link): Focuses on media by and about Pacific Islanders.
  
  

• Re-Focus Fund by Inside Out Film Festival (Link): 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.

 

REGIONAL

 

• Austin Film Society (AFS) Grant (Link): Focuses on Texas-based filmmakers.
  
  

• The Jerome Foundation (Link): Focuses on emerging independent filmmakers in Minnesota and New York City.
  
  

• NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) New Narratives (Link): Awards five $5000 grants to emerging filmmakers, particularly those focusing on climate justice and environmental themes.
  
  

• New Orleans Film Society - South Pitch (Link): 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 (Link): 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 (Link): Provides grants to strengthen communities in the Bay Area.
  
  

• Silicon Valley Community Foundation (Link): Focuses on philanthropic initiatives in the Silicon Valley region.