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.

Documentary Funding Tips

Documentary funding is tough work, but here's the good news...You CAN raise documentary capital and it may not be as hard as you think. Get the best fundraising advice, from the Emmy-winning creator of Desktop Documentaries, at Documentary Funding Tips.

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

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 1)
Intercept Documentary Film Grant (June 1)
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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