
For filmmakers around the world, the documentary grants directory guides you to opportunities on how to fund your documentary.
Funding for Documentary Filmmakers
Hot Docs-Slaight Family Fund
This documentary fund is dedicated to filmmakers telling engaging, high-quality stories that embrace music artists in all its forms and that demonstrate Canadian music’s role in the world.
Vision Maker Public Media Fund
Vision Maker Media funds Native American and Alaska Native media at all stages of development.
Catapult Film Fund
We provide development funding up to $20,000 to documentary filmmakers who have a strong story to tell, have secured access, and are ready to create a fundraising piece to help unlock critical production funding.
Sundance Institute Sandbox Fund
Grants are offered to independent artists who are working at the intersection of science and nonfiction storytelling.
Library of Congress Lavine | Ken Burns Prize for Film
The Library of Congress Lavine Ken Burns Prize for Film is a $200,000 cash award for a late-stage documentary film with a running time of 50 minutes or more.
Points North Fellowship
The Points North Fellowship early- and mid-career filmmakers to Maine to accelerate the development of their feature documentary.
Sloan Distribution Grant
The Sloan Distribution Grant is a $50,000 grant awarded by Film Independent to a film that is entering its distribution phase.
Redford Center Grants
Redford Center Grants supports environmental filmmakers and frontline stories that drive solutions for people and the planet, providing the hope necessary for audiences to feel ready to engage in addressing our environmental crises.
Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists
The IWMF’s Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists supports the production of ambitious projects and underreported, globally important stories.
NEH Media Production Grant
The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution documentary film that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways.