LPB Public Media Content Fund (United States)

Content Priorities

• Projects applying to the PMCF can be in the genres of the arts, history, science, biography, health, personal storytelling, current events, social issues, and mixed genre. This year they are particularly interested in arts and cultural documentaries. Projects should present a range of subjects, issues and viewpoints that complement and challenge existing public media offerings. Projects should integrate strong storytelling techniques that give voice and provide a lens to the diverse Latino experience. While projects can take creative risks and reflect personal or individual experience, they must resonate and appeal to a national U.S. audience.

Funding Categories

• LPB is primarily interested in funding projects at the production and post-production stage. Requests for research and development (R&D) are not a priority. LPB funding ranges for each category as follows:
  • Research and Development $10,000 – $20,000
    • Research and Development: Funding to fully develop storylines, identify engaging characters, talent and complete a production proposal and budget. Eligible activities include: (i) research; (ii) clearance of life story rights or other rights necessary to initiate production; (iii) development of a script or treatment, including the hiring of writers; (iv) preliminary filming, if necessary, prior to the commencement of principal photography; (v) completion of a production proposal, budget and sample reel.
  • Production $40,000 – $100,000
    • Production: Funding to film and produce a program. Eligible activities include: (i) principal photography (including all production activities, hiring of crew, talent, clearance of rights for public media use; (ii) post-production.
  • Post-Production $25,000 – $100,000
    • Post-Production: Funding to complete a program already in progress. Eligible activities include: (i) post-production (including editing and completion); (ii) clearance of rights required for public media distribution.

Eligibility Criteria

• An independent filmmaker or a production entity (i.e., a partnership or organization owned by the individual filmmaker or filmmakers), operating independently from a film studio, commercial broadcast or cable entity.
• Applicants must have knowledge, experience, and/or significant connection to the specific Latino issues(s) and/or community on which the film is based.
• Applicants must retain the copyright, artistic, budgetary and editorial control over the proposed project.
• Applicants applying to the PMCF are not eligible to apply to the Digital Media Fund with the same or different project.
• Applicants must agree to create only one version of the documentary. A re-edited version of the LPB-funded program cannot be re-packaged for another network.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, be citizens or legal residents of the United States or its territories, and have previous film or television experience demonstrated by detailed personnel bios or resumes.
• Applicants are only allowed to submit one application for a project per review period.
• Applicants must shoot and deliver films in HD format.

Ineligible

• Programs/films previously submitted and declined by LPB with no substantial change to the proposal;
• Thesis projects or student films;
• Public television stations;
• Filmmakers or production entities that are foreign-based, owned or controlled;
• Industrial, promotional or advocacy projects;
• Projects for which the exclusive domestic television broadcast rights are not available;
• Projects with a primarily commercial interest;
• Projects whose content or ideas are substantially similar to previously LPB-funded programs currently in production or distribution;
• Current signatories of LPB contracts who have not completed delivery;
• Current signatories re-applying for the same type of funding originally awarded; and
• Employees of CPB, PBS, APT, NETA, ITVS and the NMCA.

For more information, visit LPB.