Vision Maker Media Public Media Content Fund
Grants of $25,000 to $150,000 from Vision Maker Media for Native American and Alaska Native documentary and media projects intended for public television broadcast.
Overview
Vision Maker Media has been the premier source of public media by and about Native Americans since 1976. Its Public Media Content Fund, supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), provides grants to Native American and Alaska Native filmmakers and producers creating documentary and media content intended for public television broadcast. The fund operates across all stages of production, providing research and development grants, production grants, and post-production grants depending on the project's stage and needs.
In 2022, Vision Maker Media funded nearly $1.2 million in direct support to filmmakers and media makers, illustrating the scale and commitment of its grant-making to Indigenous storytelling for public media.
What It Funds
The Public Media Content Fund supports three production stages:
Research and Development grants range from $25,000 to $150,000 and fund the early stage of documentary development -- research travel, community access, treatment development, and the preparation of a pitch package that can attract full production funding.
Production grants fund the principal photography and production phase, supporting crews, equipment, locations, and the logistical costs of bringing a documentary into existence.
Post-Production grants support projects that have completed principal photography and need finishing funds for editing, colour, sound, music, and delivery.
Beyond the feature documentary track, Vision Maker Media also runs the Creative Shorts Fellowship, which provides up to $25,000 for emerging Native filmmakers producing short films across documentary, drama, experimental, and animation formats, paired with mentorship from a career professional.
Eligibility
Projects must be by and about Native Americans and Alaska Natives, intended for public media broadcast. Vision Maker Media's mission centres on empowering Native people to share stories -- the filmmakers it supports must have a genuine connection to the communities they depict. Content must be designed for public television audiences, aligning with CPB's mandate for programming that serves underrepresented communities.
The Acquisitions Fund
In addition to production grants, Vision Maker Media operates an Acquisitions Fund that supports completed or near-completed media projects representing the cultures, experiences, and values of Native American and Alaska Native peoples. Filmmakers who have already completed their film and are seeking distribution support should look at the Acquisitions Fund alongside the production-stage Public Media Content Fund.
Who Should Apply
Native American and Alaska Native filmmakers and media makers at any stage of production who are creating documentary or media content for public television broadcast. The Creative Shorts Fellowship is specifically for emerging filmmakers producing short-form work.
See Also
For public television distribution strategy, see Distribution Deals: What Filmmakers Need to Know. For production planning across all stages, use the Production Schedule Calculator.
