Latino Public Broadcasting Funding Cycle

Overview

Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) is the leader in development, production, acquisition, and distribution of Latino public media content in the United States. Its Public Media Content Fund (PMCF) supports independent producers creating documentary and media projects that are representative of Latino people or that address issues exploring and illuminating the Latino experience. LPB is one of five minority public broadcasting consortia designated by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to provide programming to PBS and public media platforms.

The funding cycle is open to documentary, narrative, and digital media projects -- including character-driven stories, biographies, histories, and arts and culture content -- that reflect the diversity of Latino life in the United States.

What It Funds

LPB's Public Media Content Fund supports three production stages:

Development funding covers research, treatment writing, early production planning, and the assembly of a pitch package needed to attract full production financing.

Production funding supports principal photography and production costs for projects with confirmed editorial direction and a credible production plan.

Post-Production funding covers editing, completion, rights clearances, and the preparation of materials suitable for public media broadcast distribution.

LPB has expressed particular interest in projects focusing on Latino arts and culture -- biographies of artists, documentaries on music, dance, and the visual arts -- though the fund is open to the full range of Latino experience across history, community, identity, and social issues.

Eligibility

Applicants must have knowledge, experience, and significant connection to the specific Latino issues or community the film addresses. Applicants must retain copyright and editorial, artistic, and budgetary control over their project. Projects must be representative of Latino people or must address issues that explore the Latino experience primarily in the United States.

Projects must be intended for public media distribution -- broadcast on PBS or affiliated public television stations, or distribution through public media digital platforms.

The Digital Media Fund

LPB also operates a separate Digital Media Fund for projects specifically designed for digital platforms rather than traditional broadcast. Filmmakers whose projects are digital-first should review both the PMCF and Digital Media Fund guidelines to identify the most appropriate track.

Who Should Apply

Independent producers with a documentary or media project that represents the Latino experience in the United States, who have a genuine connection to the communities they depict, and whose project is intended for public media broadcast. Both emerging and established producers are eligible.

See Also

For understanding public television as a distribution channel, see Distribution Deals: What Filmmakers Need to Know. For production planning, use the Production Schedule Calculator.