NYWIFT Fund for Women Filmmakers

Overview

The NYWIFT Fund for Women Filmmakers is an umbrella grant program administered by New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT), an organization founded in 1977 that has supported women in film, television, and digital media for nearly five decades. The fund encompasses several distinct grant awards, each targeting a specific stage of production or a specific segment of the women filmmaker community.

In 2025, NYWIFT awarded six grants to women directors and producers through three grant initiatives: the Ravenal Foundation Grant, the Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant, and the Bridge Multimedia In-Kind Grant. The fund solicits donations annually to provide funding to women filmmakers, and the grants are used to match awards made through NYWIFT's funding programs.

Current Grant Programs (as of 2025-2026)

The NYWIFT Ravenal Foundation Grant

A production grant for women feature film directors and producers over 40 years of age. Four grants are awarded annually:

• Two first-place winners: $5,000 each (one director, one producer)
• Two runner-up winners: $2,500 each (one director, one producer)

Grant funds may be used for pre-production, production, or post-production of a dramatic feature film. The grant has been presented annually since 2015. Past recipients include Lydia Dean Pilcher and Sarah Knight (A Call to Spy), Diane Paragas (Yellow Rose), Debra Kirschner (Mallwalkers), Rachel Feldman (Lilly), and Janet Grillo (Jack of the Red Hearts).

Eligibility: Applicants must have previously directed or produced a dramatic feature film or feature documentary that was released theatrically in the US or included in a major film festival, or a feature-length television movie shown on a national TV platform. Women who have directed or produced one dramatic feature (theatrical or TV) or more than one feature documentary are eligible. Applicants must be US residents and the works must be primarily in English.

Application requirements: 2 to 4 page project description, project budget with amount raised to date (top sheet sufficient), list of key creative personnel with one-paragraph bios, links to past projects, and an online link to work-in-progress or look book.

The Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant

A $6,500 film completion grant awarded to a woman director or producer for a film about physical or developmental disability issues. Directors and producers are both eligible to apply. The grant is funded through the generosity of Loreen Arbus.

The Bridge Multimedia In-Kind Grant

An in-kind post-production grant (not a cash grant) provided in partnership with Bridge MultiMedia. The grant covers post-production services for a selected film. In 2025, the grant was awarded to director River Zhang for The Blind Reggaetonera, a feature documentary about a blind reggaeton artist.

The Nancy Malone Marketing & Promotion Grant

A $5,000 grant for an emerging woman director to help get her film recognized and ready for distribution. Funds may be used for:

• Festival entry fees
• Marketing materials
• Video duplication
• Publicists
• Promotion at the film's opening
• Other approved marketing and promotional expenses

Eligibility: First-time, US-based dramatic feature filmmakers. Films co-directed by a woman and a man are not eligible. Films must be completed or have locked picture. Films already released theatrically, on television, online, or on DVD are not eligible. Grant funds may not be used for the filmmaker's travel or living expenses. The grantee must provide a marketing plan with proposed expenses for approval by NYWIFT. Applications are judged by a panel of experts.

In-Kind Post-Production Grants

NYWIFT offers in-kind post-production grants separate from the Bridge Multimedia partnership:

• Online session and/or sound mix: Awarded to documentary films directed and produced by New York area-based women filmmakers. Films may be up to 90 minutes long. Films must have completed principal photography and be at a rough cut or fine cut stage.
• Color grading session: Awarded to dramatic features by women directors.

Application requirements: Application form, 2 to 4 page project description, project budget with amount raised to date, list of key creative personnel with one-paragraph bios, and an online link to the work-in-progress.

2025 Grant Recipients

NYWIFT announced its 2025 grant recipients across three initiatives, awarding six total grants. The recipients were selected from applications submitted by women filmmakers from across the country. The 2025 cycle demonstrates the range of projects NYWIFT funds: dramatic features by women over 40 (Ravenal), documentary completion films about disability (Arbus), and in-kind post-production support (Bridge Multimedia).

Eligibility Summary

• All grants: Project directors must identify as women.
• Ravenal Grant: Women over 40 with a prior feature credit (theatrical, festival, or TV). US residents. English-language works.
• Arbus Grant: Woman director or producer of a film about physical or developmental disability issues.
• Nancy Malone Grant: First-time, US-based woman director with a completed or locked-picture dramatic feature.
• In-Kind Post-Production: New York area-based women filmmakers (documentary) or women directors (dramatic features). Rough cut or fine cut stage.
• Membership: Most NYWIFT programs require NYWIFT membership or a significant professional connection to the New York film community. Industry Membership costs $200/year plus a $135 initiation fee. Next Wave Membership (under 4 years experience) costs $135/year plus a $35 initiation fee.

Application Timeline

Submission deadlines vary by grant program. NYWIFT posts current deadlines and application forms on its website. Some grants (like the In-Kind Post-Production Grants) have had periods where submissions are closed with a note to check back for new dates. Filmmakers should monitor the NYWIFT grants page for active cycles.

Applications for most grants are submitted via email to grants@nywift.org with supplemental materials as separate PDFs, or through NYWIFT's Submittable portal.

How NYWIFT Grants Fit Into a Financing Strategy

NYWIFT grants are small compared to national funders like Sundance Institute ($25,000 to $100,000+) or the IDA Enterprise Fund ($50,000+). A $5,000 Ravenal Grant or $6,500 Arbus Grant will not fund a feature film. But these grants serve specific functions:

1. Gap funding at completion stage: The Nancy Malone Grant ($5,000 for marketing) and the In-Kind Post-Production Grants cover costs that emerge after production is wrapped, when the filmmaker has exhausted their initial budget.
2. Credibility signal: A NYWIFT grant signals to other funders and distributors that the project has been vetted by a recognized industry organization. This can help unlock additional funding or distribution interest.
3. Career-stage targeting: The Ravenal Grant specifically supports women over 40 making their second feature, a demographic that faces documented age and gender bias in the industry. The Arbus Grant targets disability-focused storytelling, an underfunded subject area.
4. In-kind value: The Bridge Multimedia and post-production in-kind grants provide services (online editing, sound mixing, color grading) that would cost $10,000 to $30,000 if purchased commercially.

Who Should Apply

Women directors and producers based in New York City or with a strong professional connection to the New York film community who are at the production, post-production, or marketing stage of a documentary or fiction film. The Ravenal Grant is specifically for women over 40 with a prior feature credit. The Arbus Grant is for films about disability. The Nancy Malone Grant is for first-time feature directors at the marketing stage. NYWIFT membership ($200/year minimum for Industry level) is required or strongly preferred for most programs.

See Also

For understanding how New York-based grants fit into a broader financing strategy, see Documentary Financing: Building Your Stack. For the NYWIFT Fiscal Sponsorship Program, which enables tax-deductible fundraising, see its separate listing. For the NYWIFT Women's Film Preservation Fund, see its separate listing. For production planning, use the Production Schedule Calculator.