Vision Maker Media is seeking public media film and television programs that represent the cultures, experiences, and perspectives of Native Americans and Alaska Natives; and are intended and appropriate for PBS Television Broadcasting, including Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) digital and streaming platforms.
Donor Name: Vision Maker Media
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/30/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Proposed film and television programs must be intended for exclusive premiere PBS broadcast, and its digital and streaming platforms, and have effective outreach/community engagement activities to reach audiences beyond a PBS broadcast. Included in the required Vision Maker Media Producer’s License Agreement (contract) for a public media funded film or television program, is the assignment of exclusive PBS broadcast rights for four years and one-year off-air recording rights for educators.
Categories
- 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, production of a fundraising trailer and a script for fictional programs. 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 to create a fundraising trailer and (v) submission of a Vision Maker Media production application and budget to the following year’s Vision Maker Media Public Media Fund open call. A full proposal, budget and short fundraising trailer are required at the close of your R&D contract.
- Production
- Requests for funding under this category should be a proposal to film, record, and produce programs to complete (i) principal photography (including all production activities, hiring of crew, talent and rights clearance for public media use); (ii) development of a website for the program; and (iii) 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
- Requests for funding under this category should be a proposal to bring programs to their completion where principal photography has already been achieved. Eligible activities include: (i) post-production (including editing, finishing costs and broadcast delivery); (ii) rights clearances required for public media use; and (iii) development of a website and viewer discussion guide for the program.
Funding Information
- Research and Development ($5,000-$25,000)
- Production (up to $150,000)
- Post-Production (up to $30,000).
Eligibility Criteria
- Independent and Public Television producers, film and digital mediamakers. Applicants must hold artistic, budgetary and editorial control and own the copyright of the proposed program.
- Applicant’s submitted work must be cleared for public television broadcast, digital and streaming rights for a minimum of 4 years.
- Applicant must be able to provide a marketing outline that shows an effective outreach plan. The plan should include ideas for community engagement, partnerships, educational opportunities and social media plans as well as the creation of a website.
- Applicants must provide a complete budget using Vision Maker Media’s Budget Template. Applications without the budget template will be considered incomplete and will not move to the next stage of panel review.
- 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.
- Eligible programs should meet Vision Maker Media’s mission to empower and engage Native people to share their stories.
For more information, visit Vision Maker Media.
