Move Mountains Filmmakers Grant
Grant from The North Face supporting women directors creating films about the outdoors, adventure, and the natural world, aimed at increasing gender parity behind the camera.
Overview
The Move Mountains Filmmakers Grant is a production grant from The North Face supporting women directors who are creating films about the outdoors, adventure, and the natural world. Launched in 2018 in partnership with Erin Lee Carr and other industry advocates, the program was created in direct response to data showing that only 8% of the top 250 grossing films of that year were directed by women. The North Face positioned the grant as part of its broader Move Mountains campaign, which addresses gender parity in outdoor sports and adventure culture.
The program commissions short documentary or adventure films from selected women directors, providing both production funding and distribution through The North Face's platforms. It represents an unusual corporate grant program in that it genuinely prioritizes creative and directorial development alongside the brand's content goals.
What It Funds
The Move Mountains Filmmakers Grant provides production funding for short films directed by women and focused on outdoor, adventure, or nature subjects. Selected directors receive financial support to produce their films, along with access to The North Face's resources, equipment, and distribution network.
The specific funding amounts vary by cycle and by the scope of the commissioned films. Filmmakers should check The North Face's current program announcements for the latest parameters.
Eligibility
The grant is open to women directors in the United States. Projects must be short films -- documentary or narrative -- focused on outdoor adventure, nature, or themes related to women in the outdoors. Filmmakers with experience in adventure or outdoor filmmaking are preferred, though the program has also supported directors transitioning into the outdoor format from other areas of documentary work.
The program has operated in periodic cycles rather than on a fixed annual schedule. Filmmakers should monitor The North Face's website and social channels for announcements of new grant rounds.
Who Should Apply
Women directors -- particularly those with an interest in outdoor, adventure, or nature-focused subjects -- who are seeking production support for a short film and who want both funding and distribution access through a major outdoor brand platform. The grant is also well suited to experienced documentary directors who want to expand their portfolio into the outdoor and adventure space.
See Also
For understanding how branded content and short film production connect to a broader directorial career, see Film Grants and the Development Pathway. For planning a short film production timeline, use the Post Production Timeline Calculator.
