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 -- that together form one of the most filmmaker-friendly entry points in documentary funding. The fund runs two cycles per year, with application deadlines in winter and summer.

What It Funds

Development Grants are the fund's primary program. In 2025, Catapult offered fifteen grants of up to $25,000 to feature documentary projects at the development stage. 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 that can attract further investment.

Research Grants are smaller and earlier-stage, providing $10,000 per project to support the research and exploration phase before a filmmaker commits to a full production approach. Research grants are designed for projects where the filmmaker has a compelling subject but has not yet defined the film's shape or established access.

Eligibility

Catapult funds documentary films at the development and research stages. Projects must not have secured significant production funding before applying -- the grants are specifically designed for the pre-financing phase. Catapult does not make grants to individuals directly; if selected, applicants must be able to accept grants through a 501(c)(3) organization such as a fiscal sponsor. The fund is open to US and international filmmakers.

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. Both first-time applicants and filmmakers with prior credits are eligible. The fund welcomes international applicants.

See Also

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.