Meet the 2021 Impact Campaign Fund grantees

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Firelight Media invites our community of filmmakers and impact producers to apply for the second year of the Impact Campaign Fund. This is a dedicated fund of at least $150k to resource audience engagement and impact campaigns led by Firelight supported artists and alumni. The size of funds will range around $25k with an anticipated announcement and disbursement in summer 2021. The opportunity for impact and engagement strategy guidance and support is also available to the cohort, by way of facilitated monthly meetings for those who opt in.

Firelight Media is interested in supporting a growing community of early career filmmakers and film impact producers to pursue their dream impact and engagement related projects.

• We will consider projects that address a range of themes and issues.
• We will consider myriad kinds of impact from subtle to backed by metrics.
• We will consider projects with ambitious or narrowly focused goals.
• We will consider projects that are dialogue-based or outcomes-driven.
• We will consider projects that are local or national in scope.

We take notice when projects are socially relevant, address or engage underrepresented issues or communities, and are accountable to the impacted communities their films represent. We will not shy away from projects that are smaller in scale, hyper-local, or with discrete impact objectives.

Firelight produces award-winning films that expose injustice, illuminate the power of community and tell a history seldom told. Firelight Media connects these films with concrete and innovative ways for diverse audiences to be inspired, educated, and mobilized into action. Firelight Media’s key programs include the Documentary Lab, which mentors emerging filmmakers of color, and the Partnerships & Engagement branch, which develops campaigns and builds relationships between media makers and community, educational and advocacy organizations. Firelight Media’s fellowship programs have supported over 100 filmmakers and strategists of color across the country.

• Must be for a film that is either: 1) directed by a Firelight Media supported artist or 2) directed by a filmmaker of color whose team also includes a current or former Firelight Media supported artist. (Firelight Media supported programs include: Documentary Lab, Impact Producer Fellowship, FRONTLINE Fellowship, William Greaves Fund, Groundwork Regional Lab, In the Making) Only for audience engagement and impact campaigns around documentary films in post-production or release phases
• The film must be far enough along that we can see at least a rough cut by application due date
• The project activities and focus must include the U.S.
• While not an eligibility requirement, we highly encourage applicants to work with people who have experience as impact producers, organizers, or in community outreach, ideally who are deeply aligned and experienced with the issues of the film/campaign. The strategic guidance offered through this grant can help orient and support people who do not have direct impact producing experience.

Projects will be selected based on:

• The strength of the story
• The project’s social relevance and ability to respond to pressing, though longstanding, equity issues (e.g. healthcare, housing, worker protections, safety of imprisoned people)
• The viability of plan proposed, and
• The ethics and accountability of the approach.

Projects will be selected through a tiered process. The first round will be reviewed by internal Firelight review, the second and final round will be reviewed by a panel of filmmakers, impact and engagement thought leaders, and other industry leaders of color.