IFP HBO New True Stories Funding

Submissions for this initiative are now closed. There are no plans for its continuation. Final grants will be distributed in January/February 2020.

NEW! Documentary Business Plan & Documentary Pitch Deck

FilmPropoals is thrilled to offer help to documentary producers looking for investors, by enhancing our Film Fundraising toolkits to address the specific needs of documentarians. The highlight is a unique Documentary Business Plan Template included in all of our Film Financing Toolkits and Bundles. Much of the Documentary Business Plan is just like that of our narrative Film Business Plan Template, however, we've also done some major custom work to specifically highlight why documentaries are a great investment and how to best showcase your documentary to investors:

• Documentary Business Plan Template - this new template is completely redone to focus only on documentary films. Recent successes, emerging documentary trends, streaming and studio deals, distribution patterns, audience statistics, revenue generated for sample films and much more. When did Docs become profitable and start selling for $5M or $10M at festivals? We lay it all out for you...
• Documentary Pitch Deck - while our pitch deck template can be used for any type of film, you will use your business plan research to ensure the deck showcases your documentary as a worthy investment opportunity
• Financial Projections/ Comparable Films - our custom database and custom financial projections flow seamlessly for both documentaries and narrative films

The new Documentary Business Plan Template is included in ALL of our Film Financing Toolkits and Bundles, so you can purchase any of them and be well on your way to funding any part of your documentary with private investments.

NETFLIX 2021: Selling Your Documentary To Netflix

Netflix is in constant need of fresh content and their buyers are seeking outstanding independent filmmakers and documentary creatives who can deliver the stories that Netflix wants. Learn the ins and outs of getting your doc or doc series onto Netflix with SELLING YOUR DOCUMENTARY TO NETFLIX.

Desktop Documentaries offers the Documentary Fundraising Toolkit, which includes a 190-page full-color documentary fundraising guide, a 25-page documentary proposal template with instructions, two budget templates with budgeting guide, list of the top 100 documentary film grants, e-book with 25 specific fundraising ideas to start raising your first $10,000 and a fundraising check-list. All the best fundraising tools, templates and resources, including 20+ years of experience, combined into one comprehensive packet.

List of Film Grants

Do you have a Film Grant to share with our readers? Please post your Film Grant here.

Documentary Film Grants

Short Film Grants

Women in Film Grants

Feature Film Grants

Emerging Filmmaker Grants

Screenwriting Film Grants

Television Grants

Canada Film Grants

More Film Grants

See All: Full List of Film Grants

Film Grant Deadlines Rolling/Various Application Deadlines

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Festival Grants
• Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) Film Grant
• British Film Institute Film Grants
• Canada Council for the Arts
• Conservation Media Group Film Grant
• Film Independent Filmmaker Grants and Awards
• Independent Production Fund Canadian Film Grant
• Independent Television Service (ITVS) Film Grant, TV and Documentary Funding
• Michigan Council for Arts, Culture And Film Affairs
• New York Foundation for the Arts Film Grant
• New York State Council of Arts Film Grants
• Rooftop Films Filmmaker Grants NYC
• Roy Dean Film Grant Awarded by From the Heart Productions
• San Francisco Film Society Film Grant
• Screencraft Film Grant (Jan/March/June)
• Film in Singapore Film Grant (FSC)
• Sundance Film Grants
• Tribeca Film Institute Grants
• Women In Film | Film Finishing Fund Grant (WIFF FFF)

Film Grant Deadlines Spring

• Austin Film Society Film Grants
• Chicago Digital Media Production Fund (April)
• Derek Freese Documentary Fund (April)
• Filmmakers Without Borders Filmmaking Grants (June)
• Intercept Documentary Film Grant (June)
• Jerome Foundation Film Grants (April)
• Shore Scripts Short Film Fund (May)
• Princess Grace Film Awards (May)
• Miller Packan Documentary Film Fund (May)
• Women In Film | Film Finishing Fund Grant (WIFF FFF) (May/June/July)

Film Grant Deadlines Summer

• Filmmakers Without Borders Filmmaking Grants (Aug 1)

Film Grant Deadlines Fall

• Frameline LGBTQ+ Film Grant Completion Fund (Oct)
• NYC Womens Fund for Media, Music and Theatre (Oct)
• Miller Packan Documentary Film Fund (Nov)

Film Grant Deadlines Winter

• Filmmakers Without Borders Filmmaking Grants (Jan 1)
• JDC Archives Documentary Film Grant (Feb)
• Creative Capital Film Video Grant (Feb)
• UK Jewish Film Grants (Jan)

The IFP/HBO New True Stories Funding Initiative supports multi-format non-fiction storytellers in the early stages of development of new work, or who are bringing new work from non-traditional formats, such as print, audio/podcast, and digital, to a visual format. Initial grants will most often be used for research, treatment and narrative development, securing access, initial shooting and the production of work samples, trailers, etc. A grant from the fund is usually the “first money in” from an outside source, though in some cases it could be a supplement to another initial small grant.

The Initiative supports a wide range of genres from emerging and experienced makers seeking to bring inspired non-fiction work visually, to life via short form, feature length and serialized content. Grants typically range from $10,000 - $30,000, depending on the scale and scope of the project.

Projects and submissions are considered on a rolling basis.

The Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) fosters the development, production and promotion of thousands of international projects in film, media and beyond. Funding for this grant is sponsored by HBO Documentary Films.

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