2024 Global Media Makers Program – United States

 U.S. public and private non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit proposals to conduct a professional development program for film and television content creators from participating countries to enhance their skills and to support local creative economies.

This program, like other ECA film program models, seeks to elevate influential voices that are building resilient civil societies by using film and television content to address critical local issues including, but not limited to, the climate crisis, democratic governance, freedom of expression, pluralism, tolerance, women’s and youth empowerment.

Purpose

• The U.S. Department of State’s Office of Citizen Exchanges of ECA proposes a professional mentoring program with leading U.S. entertainment film and television professionals (“Mentors”) to enhance the capacity and creative reach of film and television professionals (“Fellows”) from select countries. The program also seeks to support local creative economies and wider creative professional networks.
• The GMM program seeks to elevate creative voices, crucial to building strong civil societies, by utilizing film and television to amplify issues such as, but not limited to, freedom of expression, pluralism, tolerance, women’s and youth empowerment. With an L.A.-based residency and additional follow-on engagement activities, GMM seeks to create a holistic creative and professional experience through a robust exchange of ideas and training by utilizing, when relevant and required, both in-person and virtual approaches. This program will provide Fellows with creative and technical support needed to develop story concepts and works-in-progress through specially tailored mentorships, masterclasses, workshops, and other enhancement opportunities. GMM will provide substantial creative, technical, and business insight for Fellows and includes ongoing counsel and support by Mentors after Fellows return to their home countries. Additionally, GMM will provide opportunities for alumni support and engagement.
• The goals and outcomes of GMM are to:
  • enable participants to more effectively harness the power of visual storytelling to explore the critical issues confronting their communities;
  • connect participants with a range of U.S. creative, business, and technical leaders through mentorships and other engagement opportunities;
  • help visual storytellers acquire the necessary skills, enabling them to create compelling content for multi-media platforms;
  • establish professional networks by linking participants with each other and with professional leaders in the U.S. entertainment industry;
  • develop business skills and connections necessary to secure film financing and increase market distribution;
  • expose filmmakers to community-based organizations that either provide media-focused training for youth and underserved populations or use film as a tool to promote critical thinking and mutual understanding;
  • showcase films and episodic content and to organize industry panel discussions to promote the exchange of ideas and to create a professional dialogue;
  • continue to support GMM alumni and professional network building; and
  • help support the development of the local creative economy.

Program Specific Guidelines

• Residency Program: The GMM residency will be the core programmatic activity. It will primarily take place in L.A. with possible activities taking place in other areas of the United States with a significant film and television industry presence. The applicant will design a mentoring and hands-on training program that takes full advantage of the talent range, technical skills, and business expertise found throughout the entertainment industry in L.A., from individual experts, and from small, niche companies to independent studios, mid-sized production companies, and larger entertainment studios and streaming platforms.
• GMM Fellows and Overseas Participants: Individuals accepted to be part of the L.A. residency will be known as “Fellows”. Fellows will be mid-career film, television, and online content creators, specifically who are writers, directors, and producers. “Filmmaking” should be interpreted broadly to include – but not be limited to – storytelling across traditional and digital media platforms and to include the fields of writing, producing, and directing film, television, and streamed content.
• Prior to being accepted into the L.A. residency, individuals will be known as “candidates.” Candidates applying for the L.A. residency must have an established track record within their respective media markets, submit work for review, submit professional letters of support, and come with works in progress that incorporate a creative narrative that explores issues and themes of local importance.
• Additional Activities: Following the L.A. residency, U.S. Mentors can reconnect with Fellows either through in-person activities in their home countries or virtually. For each visit Mentors will work with Fellows on their projects and lead discussions, workshops, masterclasses, and other activities for local audiences and emerging filmmakers.
• In their proposals, the applicant should include additional follow-on activity ideas to further connections between Mentors, Fellows, and alumni. For example, the applicant could propose a microgrant program for the Fellows to enable continued support of their work and professional development.
• GMM can also support participants in addition to the L.A. residency. In their proposal, applicants should outline ideas for additional activities, which can include, but are not limited to, attending film festivals, industry platforms, creative labs, both in-person and virtual screenings, and activities that support local creative economies. Selection of these participants will also be done in consultation with ECA and relevant U.S. Embassies and Consulates. These activities can be in-person and/or virtual.
• Communications and Program Materials: The production and publication of print and online program materials should be designed and arranged in collaboration with ECA and the relevant U.S. Embassies and Consulates. Relevant materials should include those to advertise and promote the program (both in the U.S. and overseas), orientation materials, mentoring guidelines, and materials for activities conducted in the participants’ home countries. Materials and website designs must be approved by ECA prior to publication and/or distribution (allowing ECA a minimum of three weeks for this review process).
• Program Tracking: The applicant should create and provide ECA with a living document, such as a Google or Airtable document, to communicate and track all L.A. residency components, follow-on programs, and other related GMM activities. This document should provide program details, such as, but not limited to, dates, progress, status, and outcomes.

Funding Information

• Approximate Total Funding: $1,550,000, pending the availability of funds Approximate
• Minimum “Floor” of Award: $1,550,000, pending the availability of funds
• Maximum “Ceiling” of Award: $1,550,000, pending the availability of funds
• Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2024
• Anticipated Project Completion Date: December 21, 2026

Recipient Responsibilities

• The responsibilities of the recipient organization are as follows:
  • Design a responsive program for participants to include individual mentoring, workshops/labs/masterclasses, and follow-on activities to meet individual and group needs. The program will take place primarily in L.A., when possible, include program activities in other parts of the U.S.
  • Design additional program activities that will contribute and support local creative economies. Activities could include, but are not limited to, equipment grants, masterclasses, mentoring, networking, other micro-grants, workshops, and virtual engagements.
  • Develop a timeline and design an inclusive selection process for participants. Obtain ECA approval of the selection process.
  • Identify qualified and established partner organizations overseas to identify and nominate applicants to GMM, in consultation with ECA and relevant U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

Eligibility Criteria

• U.S. public and private academic and cultural institutions, exchange-of-persons, and other not-for-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3) may submit applications for this competition. Applicants must have nonprofit status with the IRS at the time of application. Please see the Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) for additional information.
• The following additional eligibility requirements apply to this NOFO announcement:
  • ECA’s grant guidelines require that organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges be limited to $130,000 in ECA funding. ECA anticipates making cooperative agreement, in an amount of $1,550,000 to support all costs required to implement this exchange program. Therefore, organizations with less than four years of experience in conducting international exchanges are ineligible to apply under this competition.
  • All proposals must comply with the requirements stated in the NOFO, POGI (if applicable), and the PSI; non-compliance will result in your proposal being declared technically ineligible and given no further consideration in the review process.
  • In order to be eligible to receive an award, all organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number as well as a valid registration.
  • Only one proposal will be considered by ECA from each applicant organization. In cases where more than one submission from an applicant appears in grants.gov, ECA will only consider the submission made closest in time to the NOFO deadline; that submission would constitute the one and only proposal ECA would review from that applicant.
• Please note: Applicant organizations are defined by their legal name, and EIN number as stated on their completed SF-424 and additional supporting documentation outlined in the PSI document.

For more information, visit Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).