American Documentary

Eligibility

To be eligible for this program, an artist must demonstrate need and professional relationship to documentary filmmaking

"Professional" is defined as producing and/or directing at least one nonfiction film or media project that has been publicly exhibited in a curated and/or noncommercial environment, including online and/or physical programs

Artists must reside in any U.S. State, Territory, or Indian Nation, and/or be able to receive and cash a check

Currently enrolled students are not eligible to apply for funding

Learnings

Pilot year trends

• Main issues are lack of healthcare and increasing medical pain and/or bills, housing or transportation insecurity and overall career stability or lack of work
• Ramifications of “knowing,” e.g. domestic or legal dispute between known parties
• Capacity for optimal impact and knowledge sharing
• Continuous review and challenge of eligibility criteria
• Need for ongoing timely and tactful outreach

POV Engage

We implement both short and long-term strategies for positioning documentaries to open minds and advance social justice. Working in partnerships with grassroots groups and NGOs, we aspire to enhance our community programming, extend the reach of our films and move our impact work forward.We welcome collaboration with impact producers, film teams, educators and librarians to produce educational resources and strengthen community engagement

Credits

Asad Muhammad, VP of Engagement & Impact StrategyAqiyla Thomas, Manager of Community EngagementRachel Friedland, Community Partnerships Senior AssociateCourtney Cook, Education ManagerAlice Quinlan, Our America Lead, Year TwoErika Howard, Our America Lead, Year One

Special Thanks

This program was made possible by a pilot grant from Open Society Foundations. Additional support was provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood Foreign Press Association Charitable Trust and the Lefkofsky Family Foundation.