The Creative Shorts Fellowship supports emerging Native filmmakers in producing a short film, which can be a documentary, drama, experimental piece, or animation. The fellowship also pairs these filmmakers with a career professional film producer or director for mentorship.
Vision Maker Media pays an honorarium directly to film professionals—Native or non-Native—who mentor emerging Native filmmakers. Filmmakers must find and select their mentor before applying, and mentors must choose their mentee before submitting a proposal.
Funding covers production costs up to $25,000, with an additional $5,000 paid directly to the mentor. Emerging filmmakers retain artistic, budgetary, and editorial control and must own the copyright to their film.
Projects must be short films of 40 minutes or less, focused on topics like Native cultures, histories, environmental or social justice, youth, elders, and Native empowerment. The fellowship supports projects ready for production, with a required completion timeline of 12 months from the first payment.
Applicants must be at least 21 years old and U.S. citizens or legal residents. The project should demonstrate significant Native American involvement in production, whether above or below the line. Proposals must align with Vision Maker Media’s mission to empower Native voices through storytelling.
For more information, visit Vision Maker Media.
