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Chris Cullari is a writer/director based out of Los Angeles. His most recent film, THE AVIARY, is available for streaming on Paramount Plus and Showtime. You can find him tweeting about monsters, pro-wrestling, and horror movies.
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Making a film is a trying endeavor for all filmmakers, but the degree of difficulty ramps up for people of color. Without as many opportunities available in the historically white film industry, putting together the financing for a movie can be especially frustrating. That’s why film grants for people of color are so important.
These financial gifts offer filmmakers who are people of color the chance to pursue their vision by supporting their vision with cash that financiers aren’t going to demand to see back.
Some of these grants for people of color offer broad support, while others cater to more specific filmmakers and subject matter. The good news is that there are so many filmmaking grants for people of color that we’ve put together a list to help you sort through them.
To help you on your search, we’ve arranged these grants into alphabetical order. Please check the website of each grant to determine its current status, as grants open and close for applications throughout the year.
This film fund’s mission is to:
“... Support independent documentary filmmakers and nonfiction new media creators of color living with disabilities in their endeavors to tell stories, make films, and create content.”
Each year they award five creators up to $10,000 towards completing their film in any stage of production. Something to note is that in addition to one of the project’s key creatives being a person of color, they must also identify as disabled.
The AXS film grants for people of color also focus on non-fiction and documentary filmmaking, so fictional feature filmmakers need not apply.
According to the BCC’s website:
“Black Cinema Collective (BCC) is a group of multicultural artists and scholars who examine and celebrate works of African and Afro-diasporic filmmakers through programmed screenings and community discussions.”
They have been active in Seattle since 2019 and their foray into film grants for Black filmmakers is made in conjunction with co-sponsor Northwest Film Forum (NWFF). This grant provides funding for four Black filmmakers to the tune of $2,500 in unrestricted funds towards their first film.
More than just funding for Black filmmakers, this incubator is an intensive three-month program that provides filmmakers with networking opportunities, skill-building workshops, tools for a successful pitch, and one on-one mentoring with accomplished media makers.
The goal is to prepare chosen teams to pitch for up to $150,000 in grants at Black Public Media’s PitchBLACK event. The 2023 cohort has already been chosen, but stay tuned for 2024’s applications to open up!
Black Experience on Xfinity is a collection of content available through Comcast that showcases the breadth of Black culture.
Their programming is endorsed by African American Film Critics Association (AAFC) and features the largest curated collection of Black Independent Films On Demand. In celebration of their second year of programming, they awarded $1 million in grants to a selection of 10 Black filmmakers.
There isn’t much information about how to be considered for future grants or how much each grantee received individually as of the time of publication. However, it’s clear that Comcast is committed to funding Black filmmaker grants now and in the future.
Film Independent takes film grants for people of color seriously. They’ve created multiple grants to support underrepresented communities, beginning with this film grant for Black filmmakers, specifically.
Their Amplifier Fellowship (sponsored by Netflix) supports:
“Six emerging and mid-career Black American filmmakers working as writers, directors and/or producers. The program takes place over a period of nine months each year, during which Fellows will receive creative and strategic support that furthers their professional ambitions and propels a selected project forward.”
Fellows receive a $30,000 unrestricted grant and are paired with advisors, including Netflix executives and Film Independent board members, to provide tailored mentorship. In many ways, these mentorships can be as valuable as the money.
Film Independent’s Project Involve is another program designed to support filmmakers of color. Each year, 30 Fellows from diverse backgrounds are chosen and paired with industry mentors who represent the top of their field.
Each Fellow creates a short film - from pitch to final product - and receives personalized guidance from their mentors along the way.
Through a variety of corporate sponsorships, Project Involve also offers multiple grants for people of color - though you must already be a participant in Project Involve to take advantage of them.
These grants include:
The Amazon Studios Film Fellowship provides a $10,000 grant to a visionary filmmaker in Project Involve.
The LAIKA Animation Track in Project Involve provides a production grant to five filmmakers to create a stop-motion animated short film during a two-year period. Additionally, each of the five LAIKA Animation Fellows will receive a cash stipend in recognition of their commitment to the program.
The Los Angeles Media Fund Fellowship provides a $10,000 grant to a remarkable Project Involve Fellow.
The Panavision Fellowship provides an outstanding cinematographer in Project Involve with a camera rental package valued at $60,000 for use on a future project produced in the US.
The Participant Fellowship endows an exceptional filmmaker in Project Involve with a $10,000 grant.
Now in its 10th year, the Sony Pictures Entertainment Fellowship provides a $10,000 grant to an outstanding filmmaker in Project Involve.
Based out of San Francisco, iTVS, or “Independent Television Service,” is public media’s leading incubator and presenter of independent media. For over 30 years, iTVS has been creating films that are reflective of society’s diversity. Two-thirds of their filmmakers and more than half of their staff are people of color.
Offering film grants for people of color further cements their dedication to diversity.
Their Diversity Development Fund gives directors of color up to $35,000 to develop a documentary for public media. Because these funds are primarily for research and development, the film must be in development or pre-production.
Films further along in production are not eligible to apply.
Note that the average applicant spends about two weeks completing their application, so if this opportunity interests you, get started now!
The Jacquie Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund (JJMSF) is a $300,000 scholarship fund established to provide support for emerging and diverse content producers of non-fiction shorts, feature-length programs, web series, 360-VR, or podcasts.
The life and work of Jacquie Jones, the Peabody Award-winning director and former executive director of Black Public Media inspires this grant for people of color. Jacquie dedicated herself to championing diverse content creators and supporting the kinds of projects that serve the needs of all communities.
As one of the country’s leading queer film festivals since 1988, NewFest has always been a supporter of minority voices. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement they decided to take things one step further and provide Black film grants specifically.
They launched the Black Filmmakers Initiative in recognition of the need to remove structural barriers and create more opportunities for queer Black artists.
This initiative takes a unique four-pronged approach to assisting filmmakers at each step of the filmmaking process by:
The cash tied to these film grants for Black filmmakers varies between $1,000 and $2,000. Assistance covering submission fees comes in the form of a waiver available at the Initiative’s website.
An extension of the Sidewalk Film Center and Fest, SFC has partnered with the Law Firm of Stacey A. Davis to launch the Black Lens Filmmaker Grant. This film grant for Black filmmakers seeks to amplify Black voices through the art of storytelling and is open to all Black filmmakers working in any genre.
Each grant recipient will be awarded a $1,000 cash grant and a Director’s Membership to the Sidewalk Film Center - a $2,000 value. Heads up: this film grant for Black filmmakers is specifically for residents of Alabama where the SFC is based.
Film grants for people of color are an important part of the filmmaking ecosystem. While we can all do our part to support minority voices and underrepresented stories, these organizations and grants are putting their money where their mouth is.
For more information on the world of film grants, be sure to check out our Producer’s Guide to Securing Film Grants or our list of Best Film Grants for Women!
