Media Fund for Single Non-fiction Projects in the US

Projects applying to the Media Fund must be intended for national public television broadcast, and therefore must be able to enter into a production agreement – this is not your typical grant.

Topics

• They are especially interested in projects that address the following topics.
  • Social issues (e.g. physical and mental health, immigration, housing, education, food security, civil rights, race relations, etc.).
  • Economic issues.
  • Environment and sustainability.
  • Community portraits (e.g. LGBTQIA+, rural, families, immigration, underserved and underrepresented, etc.).
  • Travel, lifestyle, personal stories, identity, sports, etc.
  • Impact and solutions to COVID-19.

Funding Information

• They’re pleased to announce that they’ve increased the maximum amount of funding applicants can request from $50,000 to $65,000.

Eligible Projects

• Additionally, they look for:
  • Stories that are untold, little known, have an innovative approach and/or fresh perspectives of the indigenous Pacific Islander experience.
  • Fully realized stories with completed treatments that are engaging, compelling and fitting for public television.
  • Projects that adhere to PBS Funding and Editorial Standards and Practices.
  • Projects that is timely and relevant to Pacific Islander communities with universal themes that have a strong potential to appeal to a wide and diverse audience.
  • Experienced creative and production teams that can complete the project within budget and on schedule.
  • Projects that provoke thoughtful dialogue about the subject matter and include a robust outreach, engagement and social impact plan with the intention of social change to encourage a more informed, equitable and inclusive society.
  • Projects in which Pacific Islanders hold key creative and production positions.
  • Strong training plans that strive to provide meaningful training and mentorship for emerging indigenous Pacific Islander media makers.

Eligibility Criteria

• You are eligible to apply if you are:
  • An independent producer who holds artistic, budgetary, and editorial control and owns the copyright to the proposed project.
  • A citizen or legal resident of the United States or its territories.  If you are not a U.S. citizen or legal resident, you can still apply, but you will be required to have a fiscal sponsor if awarded PIC funding.
  • A producer who has previous film or television experience in a key creative role  (director, co-director, producer, co-producer or writer) with at least one completed full length documentary of your own.
  • Please note that you can only apply with one project to the Media Fund. If you have more than one project, they suggest applying with the one that you consider the strongest.
  • Additionally, they only accept applications to one PIC funding initiative at a time. If you currently have an application under consideration for another PIC funding initiative, your Media Fund application won’t be considered.

Ineligible

• You are not eligible if you are:
  • Applying with a thesis project or student film.
  • Employed as a producer, director or writer by a broadcast entity, film studio or educational institution.
  • A producer or production entity that is foreign-based, owned, or controlled unless you are working with a U.S. fiscal sponsor.
  • Applying with an industrial, commercial or promotional project.
  • Current signatories of a PIC-funded project.  You may not enter into a new PIC contract until final delivery on your previous project is approved.

For more information, visit PIC.