IF/Then Shorts

Overview

IF/Then Shorts is a short documentary funding and distribution program that provides production grants paired with distribution mentorship. The program was founded in 2017 as part of the Tribeca Film Institute (TFI). After TFI closed in 2020, IF/Then Shorts moved to Field of Vision, the documentary unit co-founded by Laura Poitras, Charlotte Cook, and A.J. Schnack. The program is now administered by Field of Vision under the direction of Chloe Gbai.

IF/Then Shorts does not run a single annual open call. Instead, it operates through themed partnership cycles with specific organizations, each with its own eligibility criteria, funding amounts, and thematic focus. This means the program's availability, funding level, and application requirements change from cycle to cycle.

Current status: As of July 2026, the most recently documented IF/Then Shorts cycle was the Nature Connection Pitch 2024, co-presented with The Redford Center and Mountainfilm. Filmmakers should check the Field of Vision IF/Then page for current and upcoming cycles.

How the Program Works

IF/Then Shorts operates on a partnership model. Rather than running a standing open call, the program partners with media organizations, brands, and foundations to create themed funding cycles. Each cycle has its own:

• Funding amount: Ranges from $5,000 to $30,000 per project, with some cycles offering additional commission deals
• Thematic focus: Each partnership defines a specific subject area (e.g., LGBTQIA+ narratives, environmental stories, journalistically driven social issues)
• Geographic or identity eligibility: Some cycles are region-specific (e.g., American Northeast, American South); others are identity-specific (e.g., BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, people with disabilities)
• Timeline: Each cycle has its own application window, typically open for 3 to 6 weeks
• Deliverables: Some cycles require a finished film within 6 to 9 months; others are pitch-based with shorter timelines

This structure means that IF/Then Shorts is not a grant you can plan around on a fixed annual schedule. Filmmakers need to monitor the Field of Vision website and sign up for notifications to learn when a new cycle opens.

Past and Recent Cycles

The program has run multiple partnership cycles since 2017. Key recent cycles include:

Nature Connection Pitch 2024 (with The Redford Center and Mountainfilm)

• Funding: Three finalists received $7,000 each; the winner received $30,000; a special jury recognition project received $20,000
• Focus: Short documentaries (30 minutes or less) about reconnecting with nature and the outdoors
• Eligibility: Open to filmmakers with works-in-progress
• Timeline: Application opened January 12, 2024; closed February 5, 2024; pitch event at Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, CO on May 25, 2024
• Additional support: Travel, accommodation, and passes to attend Mountainfilm Festival

IF/Then x Hulu Short Documentary Lab 2023

• Funding: $30,000 per filmmaking team (three teams selected)
• Focus: LGBTQIA+ narratives
• Eligibility: Filmmakers based in North America, with emphasis on Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+ community, recent immigrants, undocumented people, people with disabilities, and women
• Timeline: Application opened February 28, 2023; closed March 21, 2023
• Additional support: Nine-month lab including production mentorship, edit consultations, festival and distribution strategy, legal support, and an in-person screening at a partner festival. Hulu had the right to review completed films for acquisition or further development
• Film requirements: Original short documentaries, 10 to 30 minutes final duration, completed within 6 to 9 months

Original Voices Shorts Pitch 2023 (with NBCU Academy and NBC News Studios)

• Funding: Six selected teams received $6,000 each for development and production plus travel to New York. The winning team received $100,000 in financing and a commission deal with NBC News Studios
• Focus: Archival and journalistically driven short documentaries highlighting social issues and identities
• Eligibility: Open call, with projects requiring factual accuracy consistent with NBC News standards
• Timeline: Application opened March 10, 2023; closed April 14, 2023; pitch event at DOC NYC in November 2023
• Film requirements: Original short documentary works-in-progress, 10 to 40 minutes planned final duration
• Commission deal: The winner received access to the NBCU archive, executives, journalists, festival and distribution strategy, and an opportunity to screen at Comcast and NBCU platforms. NBC News Studios retained first right of refusal to develop the short into a feature

Earlier Cycles (2020 to 2022)

• North Shorts Grant and Residency (2020): $5,000 grants to 6 filmmakers from the American Northeast, with a one-month rough cut lab and distribution support. Partnership with Points North Institute, LEF Foundation, and ScreeningRoom
• IF/Then x The Redford Center Nature Access Pitch (2021): $25,000 production grant for the winner plus a year of mentorship; two honorable mention prizes of $5,000 each
• IF/Then x The Redford Center Nature Connection Pitch (2023): $5,000 grants to five finalists, with a pitch and workshop at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

What Makes IF/Then Different

IF/Then Shorts is structurally different from most documentary grants in two ways:

1. Distribution is built in, not optional. Every IF/Then cycle includes distribution mentorship as a core component, not an add-on. Filmmakers receive festival strategy consultations, audience development guidance, and in some cycles, direct introductions to distribution platforms. This addresses a real gap in short documentary funding, where filmmakers frequently secure production money but have no plan for reaching audiences after completion.

1. The partnership model creates targeted opportunities. Because each cycle is co-designed with a partner organization, the eligibility criteria are often more specific than a general open call. This means fewer eligible applicants per cycle (less competition) but also means the program is only available to filmmakers who fit the current cycle's criteria. A filmmaker who is eligible for one cycle may not be eligible for the next.

Eligibility Patterns

While each cycle has its own criteria, common eligibility patterns across IF/Then cycles include:

• Short-form only: Projects must be short documentaries, typically 10 to 40 minutes final duration
• Works-in-progress: Most cycles require a work-in-progress, not a concept-stage project
• No prior distribution: Projects must not have third-party distributors, financiers, or distribution deals attached
• Full ownership: Filmmakers must own all rights to the project
• Diversity emphasis: The program prioritizes filmmakers from historically underrepresented communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, women, nonbinary, people with disabilities, recent immigrants, and undocumented people
• Geographic restrictions: Some cycles are limited to specific US regions or North America

How to Apply

Because cycles are intermittent and partnership-based, the application process varies. General steps:

1. Monitor the Field of Vision website: Check fieldofvision.org/if-then for current programs
2. Review the specific cycle's criteria: Each partnership cycle has its own eligibility requirements, funding amounts, and deadlines
3. Prepare standard materials: Most cycles require a project description, work sample (teaser, trailer, or rough cut), filmmaker bio, and budget
4. Submit within the application window: Windows are typically short (3 to 6 weeks)

For pitch-based cycles (like the Nature Connection Pitch and Original Voices Pitch), selected finalists receive pitch training before presenting at a festival event.

Who Should Apply

Short documentary filmmakers whose project aligns with the current IF/Then partnership cycle's thematic focus and eligibility criteria. The program is particularly valuable for:

• Filmmakers from underrepresented communities who match the diversity criteria of a given cycle
• Filmmakers who need both production funding and distribution guidance
• Filmmakers with a work-in-progress short documentary (not a concept-stage project)
• Filmmakers whose project has no prior distribution or third-party financing attached

The program is not a fit for feature-length documentary filmmakers, narrative filmmakers, or filmmakers looking for a standing annual grant they can plan around. The partnership model means IF/Then is available only when a cycle matches your project.

Program History and the TFI Transition

IF/Then Shorts was founded in 2017 at the Tribeca Film Institute. The program's original model involved regional partnerships with organizations like DOC NYC (Northeast), New Orleans Film Society (South), and In-Docs (Southeast Asia). When TFI ceased operations in 2020 due to COVID-19 financial pressures, IF/Then Shorts was transferred to Field of Vision, where it continued under the same program director.

The move to Field of Vision expanded the program's partnership model. Under TFI, IF/Then primarily worked with regional film organizations. Under Field of Vision, the program has partnered with national media companies (Hulu, NBCU Academy), environmental organizations (The Redford Center, Mountainfilm), and international documentary networks.

See Also

For short film production planning, use the Shot List Generator and the Production Schedule Calculator. For understanding short documentary distribution strategy, see Distribution Deals: What Filmmakers Need to Know. For building a funding strategy for short documentaries, see Film Grants and the Development Pathway. For other documentary funding options, see the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund and the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund (now closed, successor at Sundance).