The Film + Video grant is a competitive grant program intended to support the development, production, and distribution of documentary films or series that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways.
Donor Name: Humanities Montana
State: Montana
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/19/2024
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Film + Video program supports the development, production, and distribution of documentary films or series that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship and incorporate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical; proposals must demonstrate the potential to attract a broad general audience.
Humanities Montana’s Film + Video grants offer multiyear support or one-time-only funding for major projects in film and video. Film and television projects may be standalone documentaries or series of programs. Major projects are those requiring multiple stages of research and development, production, and post-production and which generally require a script and a year or more to complete. Projects may also include supplementary components such as discussion programs and public screenings.
Humanities Montana-funded projects must:
- focus on clearly defined humanities theme(s)
- build on sound humanities scholarship
- deepen public understanding of significant humanities questions
- approach a subject analytically, presenting a variety of perspectives
- involve humanities scholars (academic, professional, or expert) in all aspects of the project
- employ appealing and accessible formats that will actively engage the general public in learning
- demonstrate support and involvement of communities and cultures represented in project content and activities or specifically address why they are not involved (e.g., projects that involve Native American communities or cultures must include letters of support from participating scholars, researchers, program participants from that specific community outlining their involvement.)
Funding Categories
- Stage One: Research and script development award (up to $8,000) enable media producers to collaborate with scholars to develop humanities content and other program elements. Awards must result in a script or detailed treatment, which is required to progress to Stage Two funding. Applicants must submit an example of previous work
- Prior to applying for Stage One, you should have:
- assessed the major humanities scholarship related to the subject
- identified humanities themes
- assembled a group of humanities scholars to serve as advisers, and other experts if applicable
- consulted with the humanities scholars to identity the project’s interpretive ideas
- formed a media team to see the project through its development period
- Prior to applying for Stage One, you should have:
- Stage Two: Production awards (up to $10,000), including principal photography, source material acquisition, and rights clearance, result in a rough cut of film /video or equivalent (required to progress to Stage Three funding). Applicants must submit a completed script or detailed narrative treatment
- Prior to applying for Stage Two, you should have:
- completed all required components of Stage One
- conducted extensive research on your subject, including archival work and preliminary interviews
- drafted the script or detailed treatment(s)
- Prior to applying for Stage Two, you should have:
- Stage Three: Post-production awards (up to $10,000) support completion of product and public distribution. Applicants must submit a rough cut of the project
- Prior to applying for Stage Three, you should have:
- completed all required components of Stage One and Stage Two
- designed your plans for distribution, outreach, and partnerships.
- Prior to applying for Stage Three, you should have:
Period of Performance
12 months
Eligible Activities
- Stage One awards may support activities such as:
- meetings with scholars
- preliminary interviews preparation of program treatments or scripts
- production of a work-in-progress or trailer
- creation of partnerships for outreach activities and public engagement
- archival and other scholarly research to further development of script and humanities themes
- Stage Two awards may support activities such as:
- archival research and rights clearances
- meetings with scholars
- additional script development
- production (including filming, recording, and editing) and distribution
- Stage Three awards may support activities such as:
- development of related resources that explore the humanities content and themes central to the project (e.g., websites and curriculum materials)
- post-production
- outreach and public engagement.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible to apply, your organization must be established in the United States or its jurisdictions as one of the following organization types:
- If your organization is eligible, you are encouraged to partner with independent producers and other skilled professionals to carry out programmatic activities. Under this arrangement, the applicant organization submits the application on behalf of the partnership(s). Applicant organizations must not function solely as fiscal agents or fiscal sponsors but must make substantive contributions to the success of the project. If Humanities Montana makes an award, the applicant organization is considered the recipient of record and assumes all programmatic, financial, and legal responsibilities associated with the award, including adherence to, and compliance with, federal regulations and the terms and conditions of the award.
In addition, Film + Video Grants must:
- involve appropriate media professionals
- appeal to a broad audience
- demonstrate a plan for statewide, regional, or national audience involvement and of secondary non-broadcast distribution and long-term utilization
- include a 1:1 cost-share of in-kind or other funds
- include public programming such as discussions, lectures, screenings
- include outreach/publicity and evaluation plans where appropriate.
For more information, visit Humanities Montana.
