Documentary Film Grants
for Independent Filmmakers
Find funding for your film!

Do you need funding for your documentary?

Documentary film grants are available for almost every topic imaginable including health care, human rights, environmental issues and education.

Grants can be an excellent source of funding for your documentary project.

Each film grant has its own requirements and application process, so make sure you fully understand the purpose and mission of each grant.

Grants are just one of many ways to get money for your film.

Recommended --> Documentary Fundraising Tool Kit

Benefits of a documentary film grant:

This money is a “gift”, so you do not have the burden of paying the money back.

Grants often come in larger amounts of money, so it eliminates fundraising in small increments

Provides a boost of publicity when the grant is announced

Provides credibility for your project.

The Foundation Center

One of the best places to begin your search for grant funding is Candid (formerly the Foundation Center).

Candid, a 501©3 non-profit, has six learning centers across the United States and they maintain a database on nearly 100,000 foundations, corporate donors, and grantmaking public charities in the U.S. You can find out who is receiving funding and why. You can do some basic research for free, but there’s a modest fee to access their online database and they have tons of free training and webinars.

Film Grants Database

Scan the list below for a sampling of documentary film grants. Do you have a film grant or know of other funding sources for documentaries? Please create your own grant page here as part of our complimentary online database listing service or browse through all the grants below.

Another terrific resource is the International Documentary Association's Documentary Grants Directory.

Post Your Documentary Film Grant

Tell us about your film grant and get it posted here on Desktop Documentaries. This is not a place to request funds. For grants only please.

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Documentary Film Grants Available

Click below to see more documentary film grants..

ITVS Diversity Film Fund For Filmmakers Of Color
Funding Amount : $25,000 The ITVS Diversity Development Fund has one funding round per year, with a deadline in September. We’re looking for exceptional …

Whicker's World Film and TV Funding Award | Documentary Film Grant
Grant Amount: £80,000 and £15,000 The Film and TV Funding Award is awarded annually to an emerging filmmaker from anywhere in the world with the most …

BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship | Documentary Film Grant
Grant Amount: $8,000 Since 1991, BAVC's MediaMaker Fellowship has provided in-kind training and support for independent artists at work on social-issue …

The IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund
Grant amount: Up to $15,000 Phase of Production: Development/Pre-Production The IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund provides development funds to documentary …

Chicken and Egg Pictures: The (Egg)celerator Lab Open Call
Announcement: Now Accepting Applications for the 2020 (Egg)celerator Lab Open Call. The (Egg)celerator Lab (formerly the Accelerator Lab) is focused …

THE 2020 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LAVINE/KEN BURNS PRIZE FOR FILM
Application Deadline: May 1, 2020 Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is a $200,000 cash award to be presented annually to an independent …

JDC Archives Documentary Film Grant
2020 JDC Archives Documentary Film Grant The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is pleased to announce the 2020 JDC Archives Documentary …

SIFF and True Productions $100,000 Documentary Grant
For the second consecutive year, SIFF and True Productions have partnered to underwrite two $50,000 documentary grants for filmmakers. The sole purpose …

The Rogovy Foundation⎪The Miller / Packan Fund⎪Documentary Film Grant
The Miller / Packan Documentary Film Fund provides grants to feature-length non-fiction projects that address social issues and inspire others. The Fund …

Catapult Film Fund | Documentary Film Grant
The Catapult Film Fund provides documentary film grants of up to $20,000 to support powerful, artful storytelling across a broad spectrum of issues and …

Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund (For African Filmmakers)
Toronto, ON Canada - The Hot Docs-Blue Ice Group Documentary Fund is a grant program providing financial support to African documentary filmmakers for …

BCF Film Fund | Documentary Film Grant
The Blueprint for Communities Foundation Film Fund (bcfFILMfund) is providing assistance to filmmakers who have identified a compelling injustice that …

International Journalist's Network | Documentary Funding Grants
The International Journalist's Network provides a wide variety of opportunities for full-time, freelance, professional, semi-professional and citizen …

Fledgling Fund | Documentary Film Grant
"The Fledgling Fund seeks to improve the lives of vulnerable individuals, families, and communities by supporting innovative media projects that target …

Roy W. Dean Film and Video Grants | Documentary Film Grant
The Roy W. Dean Film and Video Grants is managed by Carol Dean and From The Heart Productions. "I want great stories with compelling characters. We fund …

Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation | Documentary Film Grants
The Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation is a UK-based non-profit dedicated to reinventing funding and distribution models for documentary filmmakers. The mission …

Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund | Documentary Film Grant
The Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund is now accepting applications! Total Grant Fund: $195,000 Individual filmmaker grants: $15,000-$25,000 March …

Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media | Documentary Film Grant
Named to honor singer, actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson, the Funding Exchange supports media activism and grassroots organizing by funding …

Southern Documentary Fund | Documentary Film Grant Funding
Stories are at the heart of the work of the Southern Documentary Fund. Stories that come from the varied landscapes of the American South -- its people, …

Humane Society | ACE Documentary Film Grant
The Humane Society of the United States is once again presenting the Animal Content in Entertainment (ACE) Documentary Film Grant. Launched in 2006, the …

TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund
The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund seeks exceptional narrative features at any stage from treatment to completed film that are scientifically relevant, accurate, …

Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund
The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund provides finishing funds to feature-length documentaries which highlight and humanize issues of social importance from …

Tribeca Film Institute Documentary Fund
The TFI Documentary Fund, Presented by HBO, provides grants and guidance to exceptional filmmakers developing engaging feature-length documentaries which …

Sundance Institute | Documentary Fund Grant
The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund provides support for U.S. and international documentary films that focus on current human rights issues, freedom …

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Austin Film Society Film Grants
Once a year, the Austin Film Society (AFS) awards grants to emerging film and video artists in the state of Texas through our Texas Filmmakers' Production …

Women In Film | Film Finishing Fund Grant (WIFF FFF)
The Women In Film Foundation's Film Finishing Fund (WIFF FFF) supports films by, for or about women by providing cash grants of up to $15,000 and in-kind …

MacArthur Foundation | Documentary Grant
MacArthur's goal in media grantmaking is to provide the public with high-quality, professionally-produced documentary films, deep and analytical journalism, …

Pacific Pioneer Fund | Documentary Film Grant
The mission of this film grant is to support emerging documentary filmmakers. The term "emerging" is intended to denote a person committed to the craft …

The Independent Television Service (ITVS) | Documentary and Television Funding
ITVS funds, distributes, and promotes new programs primarily for public television. We work with independent producers to create and present programs that …

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