PBS has committed $3.6 million over the course of three years to support mid-career nonfiction filmmakers through the PBS/Firelight William Greaves Production Fund, which resources talented storytellers from communities in the United States. The Fund is designed to address the persistent structural challenges many filmmakers face after producing their first films, so that they can remain in the field and continue to create vital stories focused on underrepresented people and topics.

Note: The application to the PBS/Firelight William Greaves Production Fund is now closed. The latest call for submissions is archived below for reference.

The PBS/Firelight William Greaves Production Fund is open to documentary filmmakers who meet the following criteria:

• Identify as an underrepresented filmmaker.
• Mid-Career filmmaker with a minimum of 7 years experience in documentary filmmaking as a Producer, Director, Co-Director, Editor, Cinematographer, and/or Writer.
• Minimum of 2 hours of distributed films of any genre via broadcast, streaming, and/or an Academy Award-qualifying festival with credits as a Producer, Director, Co-Director, Editor, Cinematographer, and/or Writer.
• Is based in the United States or a U.S. territory (e.g., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. Samoa, Guam/Northern Mariana Islands).
• Secured a minimum of 20% of the total Production budget.
• Holds a minimum of 50% of the Copyright to the production.
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Filmmakers are not eligible to receive support through one or any of Firelight Media’s Artist Programs if:

• The filmmaker is applying with a student film project or a project related to ongoing coursework.
• 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 or PBS as an officer, full-time employee, or is a member of the board of directors.
• The filmmaker does not hold the majority of the intellectual property of the film.

View Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
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Please direct any questions to grants@firelightmedia.org.