The Firelight Media is seeking applications for its Documentary Lab provides holistic support for fellows’ projects and careers through professional development, customized mentorship, and a $25,000 project grant.
Donor Name: Firelight Media
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/04/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The Documentary Lab provides holistic support for fellows’ projects and careers through professional development, customized mentorship, and a project grant. Throughout the fellowship, filmmakers build a network within the documentary ecosystem, connecting with Firelight alumni and forging industry relationships across the field.
The Firelight Media Documentary Lab is a 12-month fellowship program that supports filmmakers of color in the United States in directing their first or second feature-length documentary film. The Documentary Lab provides filmmakers with grant toward their projects as well as customized mentorship from prominent leaders in the documentary industry, professional development, and networking opportunities.
Filmmakers should be prepared to have intentional conversations about how to reach their ideal audiences and be strategic about moving their films out into the world. Competitive applicants will be making artful and innovative documentary films that focus on stories about communities of color, offering new narratives about the most pressing issues of our time. All types of long-form documentary projects – historical, investigative, personal, vérité, hybrid, and experimental – are eligible for the Documentary Lab program.
Eligibility Criteria
- Only the director of the film is eligible to apply and participate in the program. Co-directors may participate if they meet all eligibility requirements. If you’re applying with your co-director, please indicate that in your application. They cannot accept more than 2 directors per project.
- This program is intended for filmmakers of color based in the United States or U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. Samoa, Guam/Northern Mariana Islands).
- The project must be a long-form/feature-length documentary; the fellowship does not accept short documentaries, series, or fiction projects.
- Applicants must be emerging documentary filmmakers directing their first or second feature-length documentary.
- New for 2026: They are only accepting films that are in POST-PRODUCTION. The film must be a work in progress. Completed films, or films in development, production, or pre-production, are not eligible. Be sure to review FAQs if you have further questions regarding your eligibility.
Ineligibility
Filmmakers are not eligible to receive support through Firelight Media’s artist programs if:
- The filmmaker is applying with a project that is a student film or related to ongoing coursework.
- The filmmaker is re-applying to a program they previously received support from.
- The filmmaker is contracted with another Firelight Media artist program and has not completed the final deliverables by the time they are selected for this program.
- The filmmaker is employed by Firelight Media, Firelight Films, or is a member of the board of directors.
- The filmmaker does not hold the majority of the intellectual property of the film.
For more information, visit Firelight Media.
