Deadline: 1 July 2024
The faculty in the Department of History and College of Law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Vision Maker Media and the Institute for Policy, Politics, Law and History are leading the Law and Race Initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation.
Together, they are seeking producers interested in making a short documentary about Indigenous legal history.
Funding Information
- Mellon Foundation funds support the production of two short documentaries produced by Native filmmakers. Production costs for each film may be granted by VMM in amounts up to $25,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Native filmmakers must maintain artistic, budgetary and editorial control over their proposed documentaries and own the copyright in and to the finished film.
- The proposed project must be a documentary of 40 minutes or less.
- Accepted topics for the Law and Race Initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation are topics about Indigenous history and legacy of Law & Race.
- The proposed documentary must be ready for production immediately upon award of the grant (funding supports production to completion).
- Production timeline must result in completion of the documentary and all supplementary materials within 12 months of receiving the 1st payment of the awarded funding.
- All applicants must be over 21 years of age, and a U.S. citizen or legal U.S. resident.
- Proposals must show significant Native American involvement in production, whether Above the Line, Below the Line or both.
- Eligible proposals should meet Vision Maker Media’s mission of empowering and engaging Native people to share stories.
Criteria
- Vision Maker Media and the UNL Department of History and College of Law will select proposals for two documentaries that are 40 minutes or less in length. Producers should have documentary filmmaking experience and be comfortable working collaboratively with academic experts and/or advisors in the making of the films. UNL Department of History and College of Law researchers will aid in conducting research for both productions free of charge. Proposed documentaries should be completed within 12 months of the execution of an agreement with Vision Maker Media.
Ineligible
- Commercial Programs.
- Industrial or promotional films and videos.
- Student productions of any sort, such as thesis films.
- Programs intended solely for theatrical release.
- Filmmakers or production entities that are foreign-based, owned or controlled.
- Programs funded in part by a government entity or group featured in the content of the program.
For more information, visit Vision Maker Media.
