Catapult Film Fund

Overview

The Catapult Film Fund provides early-stage support to documentary filmmakers at the point when funding is hardest to find: before a project has enough footage or material to attract larger grants and broadcasters. Founded in 2010, Catapult operates two flagship programs - the Development Grant and the Research Grant - along with a newer Project Accelerator initiative and a Rough Cut Retreat partnership with True/False. The fund occupies a specific gap in the documentary financing ecosystem: between a filmmaker's own resources and the larger grants that require a substantial body of work to apply.

Catapult receives an average of 900 applications per Development Grant cycle and awards 15 grants. The Research Grant is smaller, awarding 3 to 5 grants per cycle. Both programs are highly competitive.

What It Funds

Development Grant

The Development Grant is Catapult's primary program. In 2026, Catapult offers 15 grants of up to $25,000 USD to filmmakers in development with a documentary feature or short. The fund does not support docuseries.

The Development Grant funds the work filmmakers need to do to prove a project is viable: research trips, prototype footage gathering, subject access, and the construction of a compelling work-in-progress piece that can attract further investment. The deliverable is flexible - Catapult does not require a specific format (trailer, cut scenes, etc.) but asks grantees to produce whatever material will be most effective for their next round of fundraising. Interim and final written reports covering the film's progress and how the grant was spent are required.

Research Grant

The Research Grant, launched in 2020, provides $10,000 USD per project to US-based filmmakers in the early conception phase of a documentary feature or short. The 2026 cycle awards 3 to 5 grants. Unlike the Development Grant, the Research Grant includes a structured mentorship program: grantees participate in monthly virtual sessions from March through June, with ongoing mentorship through September 2026. Attendance and participation are required - this is not a simple cash grant.

The Research Grant can be used for research, writing, travel, crew, identifying and gaining access to protagonists, and preliminary production costs associated with shaping the artistic vision or capturing early footage. It cannot be used for production, post-production, promotional materials, marketing, or for applying to other funding opportunities.

Project Accelerator and Rough Cut Retreat

Catapult has expanded beyond its two flagship programs. The Project Accelerator supports stories at the intersection of technology and society. The Catapult & True/False Rough Cut Retreat supports filmmakers in the final stages of editing. These programs operate on separate timelines from the Development and Research grants.

2026 Application Timeline

Development Grant (2026 Cycle)

• March 23, 2026: Step 1 application opens on Submittable
• April 20, 2026: Step 1 application closes at 5:00 PM PT
• Late Spring 2026: Invitations sent to top projects for Step 2 (full application)
• Summer 2026: Applicants notified of status; finalists may receive follow-up questions
• Fall 2026: Full slate of 2026 Development grantees announced

Research Grant (2026 Cycle)

• January 7, 2026: Step 1 application opens on Submittable
• February 2, 2026: Step 1 application closes at 5:00 PM PT
• Late February 2026: Invitations sent to top projects for Step 2 (full application)
• March 2026: Applicants notified of status; finalists may receive follow-up questions
• Spring 2026: 2026 Research cohort announced
• March to September 2026: Required program commitment (monthly virtual sessions March through June, ongoing mentorship through September)

Both grants use a two-step application process. Step 1 is a preliminary submission. Only selected projects are invited to submit the full Step 2 application. This design reduces the burden on applicants who are not likely to be competitive while allowing Catapult's small staff to manage the review process.

Eligibility

Development Grant Eligibility

• Open to US and international applicants, including individuals or film production companies based outside the US
• Catapult does not make grants to individuals - selected projects must have a confirmed US-based 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor to receive funds
• A fiscal sponsor is not required to apply, but must be in place before funds are disbursed
• Projects must be documentary features or shorts (no docuseries)
• Applicants must have a compelling story with secured access, completed initial research for feasibility, and a clear connection to central characters
• Projects with significant funds already raised or without a clear fundraising strategy are not prioritized
• Student projects are not eligible
• Applications must be submitted in English
• Only one application per director per cycle

Research Grant Eligibility

• Open to US-based filmmakers only (filmmaker must be based in the US, Puerto Rico, or other US territories)
• The project's subjects and story can take place outside the US
• 3 to 5 grantees are awarded per cycle
• Applicants must have previous film or television production experience in a principal role (director, co-director, producer, co-producer)
• A fiscal sponsor is not required to apply but must be in place to receive funds if selected
• Student projects are not eligible - applicants cannot be enrolled in an academic institution
• The Research Grant has a specific focus on filmmaker sustainability and diversity, with an emphasis on artists from systemically marginalized communities

Application Platform and Process

Catapult accepts applications exclusively through Submittable. No physical applications or DVDs are accepted. The fund uses the Nonfiction Core Application 3.1 (v.2025), a standardized set of questions developed collaboratively by funders, producers, fiscal sponsors, and artist support organizations led by Sundance Institute and the IDA. This means applicants who have prepared materials for other Nonfiction Core-aligned funders can reuse much of their application.

Applicants can reapply if not chosen, provided there are new developments in the proposal. If turned down twice, Catapult recommends contacting them before reapplying. The fund does not fund more than one film by the same director at the same time.

The Catapult Philosophy

Catapult is explicit about its function in the documentary financing ecosystem: it occupies the gap between a filmmaker's own resources and the larger grants that require a substantial body of work. The fund accepts that many of the projects it supports will not ultimately be completed - the development stage is inherently uncertain - and treats early-stage funding as a genuine investment in the creative process rather than a bet on a guaranteed outcome.

Who Should Apply

Documentary filmmakers with a compelling project at the development or research stage who have not yet secured significant production funding. The Development Grant is open to international applicants; the Research Grant is restricted to US-based filmmakers. Both programs require prior production experience and are not suitable for student projects. Filmmakers who have a strong story, secured access to subjects, and a clear plan for what they will produce with the grant money are the most competitive applicants.

Past Recipients and Notable Films

Catapult's early-stage funding has helped launch documentaries that went on to major festival premieres and distribution. Specific recipients and the films they made with grant money:

• Stephen Maing and Brett Story - Union (2024) - Development grant. Won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Art of Change at Sundance 2024. The film documents Amazon workers organizing a union in Staten Island.

• Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó - Agent of Happiness (2024) - Development grant. World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance 2024. The film follows Bhutanese "happiness agents" who survey citizens' well-being.

• Maia Lekow and Christopher King - How to Build a Library (2025) - Development grant and Rough Cut Retreat. Premiered at Sundance 2025. The film follows two Kenyan women transforming a colonial-era library in Nairobi.

• Shaunak Sen - All That Breathes (2022) - Development grant in 2020. Academy Award nominee, won both the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and Cannes Best Documentary. The film follows two brothers in Delhi rescuing black kites.

• Jim LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham - Crip Camp (2020) - Development grant. Academy Award-nominated Netflix documentary about the disability rights movement.

What Makes a Competitive Application

1. Secured access is the baseline - Applicants must have a compelling story with secured access to subjects, completed initial research for feasibility, and a clear connection to central characters. Without confirmed access, applications are not competitive.
2. Character-driven over survey films - Catapult looks for artful, compelling stories with a preference for character-driven narratives. Survey films and purely interview-based projects are less likely to fit.
3. Apply early, before you have significant funding - Catapult is "all about early money." They fund projects when funding is riskiest and hardest to find. Projects with significant funds already raised or without a clear fundraising strategy are not prioritized.
4. Prior production experience matters - Catapult generally does not fund first-time filmmakers (with exceptions). Because they come in so early, prior experience is typically needed to demonstrate the filmmaker can deliver.
5. Use the Nonfiction Core Application - Catapult uses the Nonfiction Core Application 3.1, a standardized format shared with Sundance, IDA, and other funders. Preparing materials once lets you apply to multiple funders.

For planning your documentary's development budget, the Production Schedule Calculator can help structure a realistic timeline. For understanding how Catapult's early-stage funding connects to later-stage grants, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack.