Submissions open for Public Media Fund Program – US

Proposed film and television programs should be appealing to a broad audience, intended for public media broadcast and its digital and streaming platforms, and have effective outreach/community engagement activities to reach audiences beyond a Public Television broadcast.

Categories

You may submit more than one broadcast film or television program per production category:

• Research and Development
  • Requests for funding under this category should be a proposal to fully develop a documentary, animation, or episodic program, which includes storylines, engaging characters, production talent, timeline, budget, a tangible community outreach plan for a broad audience reach, and a script for fictional episodic programs.
• Production
  • Requests for funding under this category should be a proposal to film, record, and produce programs.
• Post Production
  • Requests for funding under this category should be a proposal to bring programs to their completion where principal photography has already been achieved.

Funding Information

• Research and Development: Up to $5,000 – $25,000
• Production: Up to $150,000.00
• Post Production: Up to $30,000.00

Eligible Activities

• Research and Development
  • Eligible activities include:
    • research;
    • clearance of life story rights or other rights necessary to initiate production;
    • development of a script or treatment, including the hiring of writers;
    • preliminary filming, if necessary, prior to the commencement of principle photography; and
    • submission of a Vision Maker Media production application and budget to the following year’s Vision Maker Media Public Media Fund open call.
• Production
  • Eligible activities include:
    • principle photography (including all production activities, hiring of crew, talent and clearance of rights for public media use);
    • development of a website for the program; and
    • post-production (including editing and completion). For episodic programming a minimum of (4) episodes are expected to be produced under this funding. Programs must have a final broadcast run time of 26:46, 56:46, or 86:46.
• Post Production
  • Eligible activities include:
    • post-production (including editing and completion);
    • clearance of rights required for public media use; and
    • development of a website for the program.

Eligibility Criteria

• Independent and Public Television producers, film and digital makers. Applicants must hold artistic, budgetary and editorial control and own the copyright of the proposed program.
• Applicant’s submitted work must be cleared for broadcast, digital and streaming rights for a minimum of 4 years.
• Applicant must be able to provide a marketing plan that shows an effective community outreach plan. The plan should be engagement through distribution ideas, social media and the creation of a website.
• Applicants must be 21 years of age and a U.S. citizen.
• Applicants must be able to show significant Native American involvement on their program, whether Above the Line, Below the Line or both.

Ineligible

• Commercial Programs.
• Industrial or promotional films and videos.
• Student productions of any sort, such as thesis films.
• Programs for which four-year exclusive Public Television broadcast rights are not available.
• 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 VMM.