Firelight Media produces documentary short film series in partnership with a variety of public media organizations. Ongoing series include 'In the Making,' with PBS American Masters, and a collection of regional shorts, 'HOMEGROWN,' presented in partnership with the PBS.
Homegrown is a documentary short film series that spotlights stories rooted in regions and communities often excluded, overlooked, or stereotyped in national media narratives. Each season of Homegrown focuses on a specific U.S. region, amplifying the voices of local filmmakers as they reflect on issues of identity, memory, resilience, and justice in their communities. Through a combination of production support, tailored mentorship, and strategic distribution—including partnerships with PBS and community organizations—Homegrown ensures that deeply local stories resonate with national and international audiences. Originally piloted as HINDSIGHT, with a collection focused on the American South and Puerto Rico, subsequent seasons have focused on the American Midwest (Season 1) and U.S. Territories and Hawai'i (Season 2) with episodes distributed through PBS and available to stream on our WATCH page. The forthcoming Season 3 will focus on the Mountain West region and will premiere in the spring of 2026.
IN THE MAKING is a documentary short film series from Firelight Media and PBS' AMERICAN MASTERS that follows emerging cultural icons on their journeys to becoming masters of their artistic disciplines. The series showcases how the artists' work explores and influences American culture today. Seasons 1-3 are now streaming via PBS and available on our WATCH page. Season 4 will premiere in the spring of 2026.
*Program hero image courtesy of Ozi Uduma, from her HOMEGROWN film Detroit We Dey.
Firelight Media invites emerging and mid-career underrepresented filmmakers living in and/or originating from the Appalachian Mountain region to submit works-in-progress for the fourth season of the award-winning, regionally-focused documentary short film series HOMEGROWN.
Selected filmmakers will receive up to $40k to produce an 8-to-15-minute nonfiction short. Filmmakers should approach their topic with a current, modern perspective — immersing audiences in the real, lived experience of the region. The filmmakers will work closely with Firelight Media from development through distribution.
Projects may vary in scope/approach, and address topics including (but not limited to):
Ideal candidates for the initiative are emerging and mid-career filmmakers committed to uncovering previously untold narratives rooted in their local community.
