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Firelight Media’s William Greaves Research & Development Fund is designed to support mid-career nonfiction filmmakers and audiovisual artists from across Abya Yala or “the Americas” (North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean islands), who identify as being of African and/or Indigenous descent and experience, working on nonfiction film and video projects of any length.
Program Overview
The Research & Development Fund (R&D Fund) 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 believe their stories, truths, wisdom, and imagination are essential contributions to a more just, interconnected, and humane world.
The Greaves R&D Fund is named in honor of the late William Greaves, the longtime mentor of Firelight Media’s Co-Founder Stanley Nelson. Greaves’ legacy in the documentary field includes producing the groundbreaking television newsmagazine Black Journal, as well as 200-plus documentaries throughout his 60-year career.
The 2026 William Greaves 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. We look for filmmakers who have established creative careers participating in networks of solidarity and collaboration through their artistic practice.
For 2026, the R&D Fund application will only be made available through a nomination process. The initial round for submissions by nominated filmmakers opens May 1 and closes June 1, 2026, with an anticipated grant disbursement in August of 2026.
Eligibility Guidelines
- Filmmakers must self-identify as being of African and/or Indigenous descent and living and working in territories and countries across North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean.
- 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; Nominees invited to submit applications
- August 2026 - All applicants receive final notifications
- August - September 2026 - Award Letters & Grant Disbursements
- October - Announcement of grantees
Resources
Application Instructions
This year’s William Greaves R&D selection process is nomination-based, and we will only accept applications from our official nomination partners. Our nomination partners include values-aligned individuals and institutions across Abya Yala (North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands) who have demonstrated commitment to nurturing filmmakers and audiovisual artists and their 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.
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 that 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.
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