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Grants and Other Funding

The Louies - A fund for documentaries sponsored by the Lynn & Louis Wolfsoon II Family Foundation. The awards include:

• Feature-length documentary: One filmmaker will receive $50,000 to create a documentary of 50 minutes or more
• Short documentaries: Three filmmakers will receive $10,000 each to create a short film of eight to 12 minutes
• Finishing funds: Two filmmakers will receive $10,000 each to complete a feature-length documentary in the post-production phase
  Application

Florida Emerging Filmmakers Fund

The Florida Emerging Filmmakers Fund provides cash in the amount of $1,000 – $2,000 per project to deserving filmmakers needing help for their film projects. In addition to cash, projects selected for the Emerging Filmmakers Fund will receive mentorship from an industry professional throughout the project. Eligible projects submitted may include a broad range of subject matter and are judged by a committee of top industry professionals within Film Florida. As its name implies, the goal of the fund is to provide financial support to emerging filmmakers in Florida.

The Sundance Documentary Film Program

The Sundance Documentary Film Program supports non-fiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries on contemporary themes.

Miami Beach Cultural Tourism Grant Program

Each year the City of Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority (VCA) share in funding the Cultural Tourism Grant Program. The objective of the program is to provide funding for activities, events with yearlong cultural tourism promotion and programming that supports and advances the missions of the VCA and the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council (CAC). Funding for the Cultural Tourism Grants is determined by a combined panel of VCA and the CAC members. The panel meets once a year to review grant applications. For more information visit the Miami Beach VCA website.

Women in Film (WIF) Fellowship Program

The WIFF Film Finishing Fund supports filmmakers who make thoughtful and provocative films by or about women. The program was created to assist filmmakers seeking completion funds for works which demonstrate advanced, innovative skills and which relate to the goals of Women In Film. The funding cycle begins in December of each year, so please visit Women In Film on or after Dec. 1 to review and download the application.

The Woman Make Movies Production Assistance Program

The Women Make Movies Production Assistance Program was established in 1988 to develop and support women in independent production. The program fulfills this mission by offering fiscal sponsorship to film and video projects and by providing independent filmmakers with valuable information and guidance through our semi-annual workshops. Together these programs reflect Women Make Movies commitment to outreach and development of both emerging and established women film and video makers.

The Tourist Development Council Grant is a quarterly projects-based grant that does allow for film and television productions designed to promote the Miami-Dade area for tourism (generally awards shows, etc.) and is open to nonprofit and for-profit organizations. It is administered by Nikenna Benjamin, nikenna.benjamin@miamidade.gov.

The Community Grants Program is another quarterly projects-based grant open to Florida-based nonprofits that requires public accessibility to the program. It is not a production grant as a result but has been awarded to many smaller film festivals and film series, showcasing local filmmaker work. It is administered by Geraldine Toussaint, geraldine toussaint@miamidade.gov.

The Miami Invidual Artists Program is an annual grant available to artists in Miami-Dade County and does have a film and media category. Grants are awarded and administered by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. MIA Grant Program provides non-matching awards to individual artists of all disciplines in Miami-Dade County on a competitive basis to support their artistic development and practice. In recognition of the contributions of Miami-Dade’s outstanding artists to the fundamental vitality and creativity of our cultural community, the MIA Grants Program strongly encourages applications from professional artists of the highest caliber with a recognized body of original artwork, and who are deeply rooted in Miami’s diverse cultural life

Artist Access (Art) Grants Program FY2025-2026 - The FY 25-26 Artist Access (ART) Grants Program’s Spring application is now available. Deadline to apply is on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Artist Access Grants Program offers up to $2,000 in professional development funding support for Miami-based artists of all disciplines.

The South Florida Cultural Consortium (SFCC) Grant for Visual and Media Artists - The South Florida Cultural Consortium Grant Program offers the largest regional, government-sponsored artists’ grants in the United States, awarding $15,000 and $7,500 grants to resident visual and media artists from the counties of Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach. Since it was established in 1988, the Consortium has awarded over to $4 million in grants to more than 300 artists. In addition to receiving the grant, the artists take part in an exhibition hosted and organized by a visual arts institution in one of the five counties.

Oolite Arts Cinematic Arts Residency - Now in its 7th year, our Cinematic Residency Program is undergoing exciting renovations to better serve the vibrant community of filmmakers in Miami. Apply from Oct. 4 to Nov. 4 for our program offering one first-time Miami filmmaker $50,000 to complete a narrative micro-budget feature, along with access to a shared studio space and additional support for the production and post-production of the film. This unique program will enable a local filmmaker to create, shoot and screen their film, without ever leaving Miami.

The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant - The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant - The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant supports emerging and established writers who write about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books and short-form writing—the grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies.

The United States Artists Fellowship - The USA Fellowship awards artists and collaboratives across the following disciplines: Architecture & Design, Craft, Dance, Film, Media, Music, Theater & Performance, Traditional Arts, Visual Art and Writing. In addition to $50,000 in unrestricted funding, USA provides access to tailored services such as financial planning, career consulting, legal advice and personal care.

Roy W. Dean Grant for Films that are Unique and Contribute to Society - The Roy W. Dean Grant funds independent films that are unique and contribute to society that, without its help, might otherwise never get made.

FilmDaily.tv Grants - FilmDaily.tv offers filmmakers funding and self-distribution opportunities. Explore current financing sources including grants, sponsorship, product placement and brand partnerships that help get your project into production.

ScreenCraft Film Fund Grant Program - Offering up to $30,000 in funding for a range of projects from treatments to standalone screenplays to fully-packaged projects seeking finishing funds.

Catapult Film Fund - Catapult Film Fund is dedicated to supporting nonfiction filmmakers with critical early stage funding and mentorship to launch distinctive, story-driven and cinematic films. The grant application is usually $5,000 to $25,000 (under eligibility section).

Ford Foundation: JustFilms - Through its open call, JustFilms supports artist-driven, feature-length documentary films that creatively intersect with the social justice issues that are central to the Ford Foundation’s mission. All projects submitted for JustFilms grants will be assessed based on alignment with Ford Foundation priorities, intersectional representation, innovation in storytelling, and production viability & independence, as well as social and cultural impact. Currently, we do not accept proposals from organizations, docuseries, shorts, or for impact campaigns.

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grants Database 
Launched in 1996, Sloan’s Film program has awarded grants to over 500 film projects from some of the nation’s most innovative filmmakers and has created a film development pipeline of multiple program partners though which Sloan nurtures and develops individual projects.

Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosts an international screenwriting competition established to identify new talent in screenwriting. Each year, the Academy Nicholl screenwriting competition awards up to five $35,000 fellowships to amateur screenwriters.

Panavisions New Filmmaker Program - Providing outreach, access and support to aspiring filmmakers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Learn about our grants, educational opportunities and more

Creative Capital Award - The Creative Capital Award is the only national open call grant program dedicated to funding artists creating new work in every discipline, including visual arts, performing arts, film, literature, technology, multidisciplinary and socially engaged forms. Creative Capital’s unrestricted project grants are purposefully made through an open, national, multidisciplinary, external review process for proposals for new artistic works.

The Knight Foundation Knight Arts+ Tech Expansion Fund - seeks to support artists and arts organizations in Knight communities by equipping them with the tools they need to expand the use of technology in their work and engage audiences in innovative ways.