The William Greaves Research and Development Fund resources talented, mid-career nonfiction storytellers from racially and ethnically underrepresented communities in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Colombia, with a particular interest in those who identify as being Indigenous and/or of African descent.
Program Overview
The William Greaves Research & Development (R&D) Fund was launched in 2020 and is dedicated to supporting Indigenous and African descent filmmakers whose creative practice is rooted in the values of community & solidarity and artistic freedom as defined by Firelight Media. During a time of systemic erasure and global upheaval, we center these two communities who have been historically harmed and targeted by the creation of the “Americas”. We believe their stories, truths, wisdom, and imagination are essential contributions to a more just, interconnected, and humane world.
The 2026 R&D Fund will resource 8-10 talented storytellers with unrestricted grants ranging between $10,000 to $25,000 USD to create nonfiction film or video art of any length. The R&D Fund celebrates storytellers whose creative practices engage directly with notions of sovereignty and ancestral wisdom, solidarity and interdependence. We look for filmmakers who have dedicated their career to build sustainable pathways and networks of solidarity and collaboration through their artistic practice.
The 2026 application is nomination-based only and opens May 1, 2026, with an anticipated announcement and disbursement in September of 2026.
Eligibility Guidelines
- Filmmakers must self-identify as being from African and/or Indigenous descent and living and working in the territories and countries across North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean islands.
- Filmmakers must identify as an established filmmaker with an artistic trajectory and long-term practice in their community*
- Filmmakers must apply with a nonfiction film or nonfiction video art piece in the research, development, or pre-production phase.**
- Applicants must be nominated by one of our nominating partners.
- We will consider projects with a wide range of aesthetic approaches (verité, essay, experimental, investigative, personal, historical, etc.)
- We will consider projects that are broadly or narrowly focused.
- We value and will consider submissions from filmmakers of all refugee and immigration statuses, recognizing that migration flows are necessitated by the global challenges and forces we seek to overcome.
*For the purposes of this fund, we define an “experienced”, “established,” or "mid-career filmmaker" as someone with a substantial body of nonfiction cinema or audiovisual works, who is established in their artistic trajectory. Established artists with depth of experience across different artistic fields who wish to continue pursuing their artistic voice through filmmaking may be a good fit for this opportunity. Filmmakers who have received various awards, residencies, fellowships and/or have had numerous opportunities to present or exhibit their work, especially on national/international stages, and or have had a long-term film practice in their community are also welcome to apply. Given the varied backgrounds filmmakers often have, particularly when facing structural barriers in the industry, we will consider proposals that call for a different definition of “mid-career” or “established.” We expect a clear articulation in your application of why your career trajectory positions you as “mid-career” in your particular working context.
**Producers applying on behalf of a Director should apply in collaboration with the Director. Collectives that apply should note the main applicant as acting Director or Producer for the project, and the majority of their collective should meet the rest of our eligibility criteria.
- The filmmaker is applying with a project that is a student film or related to ongoing coursework.
- The filmmaker is re-applying to a program they previously received support from.
- The filmmaker is contracted with another Firelight Media artist program and has not completed the final deliverables by the time they are selected for this program.
- The filmmaker is employed by Firelight Media, Firelight Films, or is a member of the board of directors.
- The filmmaker does not hold the majority of the intellectual property of the film.
Program Timelines
- May 1 – June 1, 2026 - Submissions by Nomination Partners
- June 22-26, 2026 - Invitations sent to Finalists
- June 29 - July 13 - Finalists Submit Supplemental Materials
- August 2026 - All applicants receive final notifications
- August - September 2026 - Award Letters & Grant Disbursements
- September 2026 - Cohort Orientation
- October - Announcement of grantees
Resources
Application Instructions
This year’s William Greaves R&D selection process will be a nomination-based process, and we will only accept applications from nomination partners. Our nominating organizations include artists, Indigenous and of African descent-led organizations, individuals, and institutions in Abya Ayala (North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands) who have demonstrated commitment to nurturing filmmakers and audiovisual creators and their artistic communities. Nomination partners are selected by invitation only. If you would like to be considered a nomination partner in the future, please reach out to grants@firelightmedia.org for consideration.
See more details on our nomination and selection process below:
- All applicants must be nominated by one of our Nomination Partners. Self-nominations are not allowed.
- Applications will be evaluated through a context & culturally sensitive selection process determined by an Advisory Board composed of long-term and values-aligned artists- individuals, collectives, and organizations that better understand the context of non-fiction film and video art production, where eligible applicants contextualize their work.
- The first part of the application will determine applicants' eligibility based on the filmmaker’s profile and artistic vision described above.
- The second and final round of review will include only selected finalists invited to submit additional materials to their applications for the final Advisory Board review and deliberations.
- The selection will be based on the following core elements: strength of the creative approach, the director(s) career trajectory, the project’s social relevance, the viability of the plan proposed, and the ethics and accountability of the approach (e.g. artist’s relationship to the subject matter; navigating differences in power; impact on participants, vulnerable communities, audiences; community benefit considerations; decisions related to distribution, rights and ownership; who is on the team and hiring practices; etc.)
Language Access - Proposals will be accepted in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. If your native language is not one of the languages mentioned you may use tools such as Google Translate or DeePL to translate your application, and you’ll be able to note on your application if language was a barrier for you so reviewers can take that into consideration. You will not be penalized for using automatic translators for submitting your work. If you have any further questions or concerns, please email us at grants@firelightmedia.org.
.png)
.jpg)
