View past short film productions from Firelight Media on the Watch page.

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Note: The call for proposals for season 2 of HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From is now closed. The request for proposals is archived below for informational purposes only.

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Firelight Media, Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), Black Public Media (BPM), and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) have announced the RFP for the second season of regionally focused documentary short film series, HOMEGROWN: A Part Of/Apart From. This series will comprise eight documentary short films made by emerging BIPOC filmmakers living in the U.S. territories and Hawai‘i – and their diasporic communities – who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC). Eligible U.S. territories include Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

The partners seek projects that disrupt mainstream narratives about the U.S. territories and illuminate the living histories, cultures, and future visions of the regions. Titled after a phrase coined by Michael Bevacqua, host of the Guam-based podcast Fanachu!, the upcoming HOMEGROWN collection will focus on stories grappling with issues of sovereignty, agency, and the variety of ways communities negotiate what it means to be at once “a part of and apart from” the United States.

The call for proposals will open on Thursday, August 17, and the submission deadline is Monday, September 18, 2023 at 11:59pm PST.

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Creative Brief

Titled after a term coined by Michael Bevacqua, host of the Fanachu! podcast, our upcoming HOMEGROWN collection will focus on stories grappling with issues of sovereignty, agency, and the variety of ways communities negotiate what it means to be “a part of and apart from.”

We seek projects that disrupt mainstream narratives about the U.S. Territories and illuminate the living histories, cultures, and future visions of the regions. Projects can vary in scope/approach, and address topics including (but not limited to):

• New forms of resistance
• Land rights and reparations work
• Climate change and migration
• Cultural changemakers
• Community portraits and rituals
• Bureaucracy and its misuse
• Healthcare & the body
• Celebrations and joy
• Voting rights
• Historical inaccuracies
• Militarization
• Self determination
• Home and identity
• Solidarity across territories
• Duality
• Freedom

• Project must be short form non-fiction, with a duration of 8-15 minutes
• Project must be in development, pre-production, or early production
• Applicants must identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or a person of color
• Applicants must reside in or be a descendant of the U.S territories (Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands) and Hawai’i
• Applicants must be able to complete the project by winter 2024
• Applicants must hold artistic, budgetary, and editorial control, and must own the copyright of the proposed project
• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older by the time of submission
• Applicants must be willing and able to work collaboratively with Firelight Media, PIC, the National Multicultural Alliance partners, PBS, local public media staff, and mentors
• Only one proposal may be submitted per applicant
• Currently enrolled graduate students may apply, but you must demonstrate your ability to deliver a short film with a demanding timeline and strict PBS reporting guidelines
  

Projects NOT Eligible:

• Applicants cannot reside in New York or L.A.
• Feature documentaries, series, or fiction projects
• Projects in post-production or completed films
• Projects that are student films or are related to coursework
• Projects or production entities which are non-US-based, owned, or controlled
• Branded content or promotional projects

• Eight selected filmmakers will receive $45,000 each to produce an 8-15 minute nonfiction short film.
• The filmmakers will work with Firelight Media, PIC, BPM, LPB, and PBS from development through distribution, and will receive mentorship from established independent filmmakers.
• Additionally, filmmakers will be paired with a local public media station for editorial and audience engagement support, with a focus on local expertise and communities.
• Selected films will be distributed through PBS Digital Studios via the flagship PBS YouTube channel with a planned release for winter 2024.

Watch a recording of the Information Session about submitting a proposal, recorded on August 31, 2023, below: