Overview
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is one of five minority public broadcasting consortia designated by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to provide programming to PBS. Since 1980, CAAM has funded, produced, distributed, and exhibited film, television, and digital media by and about Asian Americans. CAAM operates two distinct funding tracks for independent filmmakers: the CAAM Documentary Fund and the Building Bridges Documentary Fund. The organization also runs the CAAM Fellowship mentorship program and presents CAAMFest, an annual festival in San Francisco.
For over 45 years, CAAM has supported filmmakers through a combination of funding, mentorship, community building, and distribution. Grant recipients benefit from CAAM's public television distribution relationships, which can place finished films in front of national broadcast audiences.
History
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) was founded in 1980 as the National Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA). It is one of 5 minority public broadcasting consortia designated by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to provide programming to PBS. For over 45 years, CAAM has funded, produced, distributed, and exhibited film, television, and digital media by and about Asian Americans. The CAAM Documentary Fund has supported hundreds of independent documentary films exploring the Asian American experience, with awards typically ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. The Building Bridges Documentary Fund launched in 2024, supported by the Doris Duke Foundation's Building Bridges Program in partnership with the Islamic Scholarship Fund, Muslim Public Affairs Council Hollywood Bureau, and Sundance Institute. In its inaugural year (2024-2025), Building Bridges awarded $1 million to 15 filmmakers. In its second year (2025-2026), it awarded over $1 million to 17 filmmakers. CAAM also presents CAAMFest, one of the largest showcases for Asian American and Asian diaspora cinema in the United States. The 2026 CAAMFest featured films including The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook, The Dao of Thao, About Face: Disrupting Ballet, Making Waves, and Meals That Made Us.
CAAM Documentary Fund
The CAAM Documentary Fund provides production and post-production funding to independent documentary films that explore the Asian American experience and are intended for broadcast on public television. Awards typically range from $10,000 to $50,000 per project, depending on the project's stage and production scope.
The fund is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). It operates on an annual open call cycle, with applications submitted through CAAM's Submittable page. The most recent open call ran from September 20 through October 20, 2024. Filmmakers should check the CAAM website for the next open call dates.
CAAM Documentary Fund Eligibility
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older
- Applicants must be citizens or legal residents of the United States or its territories
- Only one proposal per applicant per round
- Projects must be delivered at PBS standard lengths: 26:46, 56:46, 1:26:46, or 1:56:46
- Projects must be intended for public television broadcast (not solely theatrical release)
- Applicants must have previous film or television experience. First-time media makers must provide a video sample demonstrating storytelling ability
- Projects in production must include a 10 to 15 minute sample. Projects in post-production must submit a full-length rough or fine cut
- CAAM may require a fiscal sponsor (a 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt entity) to accept funds on the applicant's behalf
- Applicants must hold artistic, budgetary, and editorial control, and must own the copyright of the proposed project
Projects Not Eligible for the CAAM Documentary Fund
- Projects not about the Asian American experience
- Thesis projects or student films editorially or fiscally controlled by a school
- Projects intended solely for theatrical release or commercial in nature
- Projects in the script development stage
- Projects for which domestic television broadcast rights are not available
- Projects not at standard PBS broadcast length
- Projects not intended for a public television audience
Building Bridges Documentary Fund
The Building Bridges Documentary Fund is a separate, newer initiative that funds independent documentary projects about the Muslim experience in the United States. It is supported by the Building Bridges Program of the Doris Duke Foundation, in partnership with the Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF), Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) Hollywood Bureau, and Sundance Institute.
Building Bridges Funding Tiers
| Project Phase | Funding Range |
|---|---|
| Research & Development (R&D) | $10,000 to $25,000 |
| Production | $50,000 to $100,000 |
| Post-production | $50,000 to $100,000 |
Building Bridges caps total funding for a single project at $100,000. If a project has previously received funding, the applicant is only eligible for the difference up to that cap.
Building Bridges Track Record
In its inaugural year (2024 to 2025), CAAM awarded $1 million to 15 filmmakers through Building Bridges. In its second year (2025 to 2026), the fund awarded over $1 million to 17 filmmakers. This is a multi-year funding initiative with substantial financial capacity.
Building Bridges Eligibility
- Open to filmmakers at all levels: emerging, mid-career, and veteran
- No requirement to be Muslim to apply
- Co-directors may apply (must submit a dual statement explaining shared directorial responsibility)
- No fiscal sponsorship required to apply
- Previously funded projects can apply again, but only for the difference up to the $100,000 cap
- Projects must center Muslim protagonists or perspectives, or illuminate the US Muslim community experience
- International components are acceptable if they illuminate the US Muslim story
- Feature-length films (60+ minutes), shorts (40 minutes and under), and episodic series are eligible
Building Bridges 2026 Application Window
- March 16, 2026: Application opens
- April 26, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST: Application closes
- Late Summer 2026: Finalists notified to submit an update
- Review process takes approximately six months
Building Bridges Submission Requirements
- R&D stage: Submit a deck with still images at minimum (no AI-generated reels)
- Production stage: Submit a minimum 15-minute sample of the project
- Post-production stage: Submit a full-length rough or fine cut
- Full line item budget in USD
- Total secured and pending funds
- Distribution goals and intended audience
- Timeline
- Grant impact statement explaining how funds will be used
CAAM uses the International Documentary Association's (IDA) documentary CORE application and has incorporated most of the standardized application requirements, which aligns with other major documentary funders.
Typical Award Size Range
| Fund | Phase | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CAAM Documentary Fund | Production/Post-production | $10,000-$50,000 |
| Building Bridges | R&D | $10,000-$25,000 |
| Building Bridges | Production | $50,000-$100,000 |
| Building Bridges | Post-production | $50,000-$100,000 |
Building Bridges caps total funding for a single project at $100,000. If a project has previously received funding, the applicant is only eligible for the difference up to that cap. In its first 2 years, Building Bridges awarded over $2 million total to 32 filmmakers.
Payment Structure
CAAM Documentary Fund grants are disbursed to the grantee or their fiscal sponsor after award notification. Grant funds are typically paid in installments tied to production milestones. CAAM may require a fiscal sponsor (a 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt entity) to accept funds on the applicant's behalf.
Building Bridges Documentary Fund grants are disbursed based on project phase. R&D grants ($10,000-$25,000) support early-stage development. Production and post-production grants ($50,000-$100,000) are disbursed in installments tied to milestones. No fiscal sponsorship is required to apply for Building Bridges. The review process takes approximately 6 months.
Past Recipients and What They Made with the Money
CAAM-supported films have premiered at major festivals and aired on public television:
- 2026 CAAMFest selections - The Auntie Sewing Squad Resistance Playbook, The Dao of Thao, About Face: Disrupting Ballet, Making Waves, and Meals That Made Us were featured at the 2026 CAAMFest, showcasing the range of Asian American documentary and narrative work CAAM supports.
- Building Bridges inaugural cohort (2024-2025) - 15 filmmakers received $1 million in funding for documentary projects about the US Muslim experience. Projects spanned R&D, production, and post-production phases.
- Building Bridges second cohort (2025-2026) - 17 filmmakers received over $1 million in funding. The fund has awarded over $2 million total in its first 2 years.
- CAAM Documentary Fund recipients - Hundreds of independent documentary films exploring the Asian American experience, with awards typically ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Many have aired on PBS through CAAM's public television distribution relationships.
What Makes an Application Competitive
CAAM evaluates submissions on several concrete signals:
- Subject alignment: CAAM Documentary Fund projects must explore the Asian American experience. Building Bridges projects must center Muslim protagonists or perspectives, or illuminate the US Muslim community experience. Projects not about these specific communities are not eligible.
- Public television intent: CAAM Documentary Fund projects must be intended for public television broadcast, not solely theatrical release. Projects must be delivered at PBS standard lengths: 26:46, 56:46, 1:26:46, or 1:56:46.
- Work sample quality: Production-stage projects must include a 10 to 15 minute sample. Post-production projects must submit a full-length rough or fine cut. Building Bridges R&D applicants submit a deck with still images (no AI-generated reels).
- Prior experience: CAAM Documentary Fund applicants must have previous film or television experience. First-time media makers must provide a video sample demonstrating storytelling ability. Building Bridges is open to all career levels: emerging, mid-career, and veteran.
- Budget and distribution plan: Building Bridges requires a full line item budget, total secured and pending funds, distribution goals, intended audience, timeline, and grant impact statement. CAAM uses the IDA documentary CORE application.
- Citizenship: Both funds require US citizenship or legal residency. Building Bridges does not require fiscal sponsorship to apply.
Application Process
CAAM Documentary Fund: Applications are submitted through CAAM's Submittable page. The most recent open call ran from September 20 through October 20, 2024. Check the CAAM website for the next open call dates. Only one proposal per applicant per round.
Building Bridges Documentary Fund: The 2026 application window opens March 16, 2026 and closes April 26, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST. Finalists are notified in late summer 2026 to submit an update. The review process takes approximately 6 months. CAAM uses the IDA documentary CORE application.
Check the CAAM website for the most current information.
What Filmmakers Should Know
CAAM is one of 5 minority public broadcasting consortia designated by CPB, giving it direct distribution relationships with PBS. Grant recipients benefit from the possibility of national broadcast through these partnerships. The CAAM Documentary Fund ($10,000-$50,000) supports films about the Asian American experience intended for public television. The Building Bridges Documentary Fund ($10,000-$100,000) supports films about the US Muslim experience and offers substantially larger grants. Building Bridges is particularly notable for its accessibility: no fiscal sponsorship required to apply, open to all career levels, and accepting of features, shorts, and episodic series. No requirement to be Muslim to apply for Building Bridges. Co-directors may apply with a dual statement explaining shared directorial responsibility. Building Bridges caps total funding at $100,000 per project. CAAM also operates a Fellowship program pairing emerging Asian American documentary makers with veteran filmmakers for mentorship. CAAMFest is one of the largest showcases for Asian American and Asian diaspora cinema in the United States. Both funds require US citizenship or legal residency. The CAAM Documentary Fund requires projects at PBS standard lengths. Building Bridges accepts feature-length films (60+ minutes), shorts (40 minutes and under), and episodic series.
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See Also
For understanding public television as a distribution channel, see Film Distribution Deals Explained. For modeling revenue across broadcast and streaming windows, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For building a documentary financing strategy, see Film Grants and Funding. For festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To estimate festival ROI, use the Festival ROI Calculator.
