Each year, Film Independent awards a number of film grants and fellowships to help filmmakers with their current projects, as well as to recognize them for past accomplishments. Fiscal Sponsorship applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Film Independent awards over $845,000 in cash and production services to filmmakers each year.
Examples of Past Grants and Sponsorships include:
CANON FILMMAKER AWARD PROGRAM
The Canon Filmmaker Award Program is a program for Film Independent Fellows, alumni of the Los Angeles Film Festival, and Spirit Awards Nominees and Winners. Film Independent will select qualified filmmakers on a quarterly basis who will be loaned Canon camera packages for their production. These packages will be reserved for filmmakers who are preparing to shoot feature length narrative or documentary films, or in special cases, short films.
SPIRIT AWARDS GRANTS
Every year at the Spirit Awards, Film Independent gives out three Filmmaker Grants. The recipients of these awards become Film Independent Fellows and receive unrestricted cash grants of $25,000. The awards are by nomination only.
SLOAN PRODUCERS GRANT
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will award one participant of Film Independent’s Producers Lab the annual Sloan Producers Grant. The recipient will receive a $25,000 development grant, admission to Film Independent’s Producers Lab, and year-round support from Film Independent.
SLOAN FAST TRACK GRANT
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation will award one participant of Film Independent’s Fast Track program the Sloan Fast Track Grant.
ELLE/GARNIER DIRECTING FELLOWSHIP
Each year, Film Independent awards the ELLE/Garnier Directing Fellowhip to one filmmaker from our Directors Lab. The fellowship carries a production grant of $10,000, funded by ELLE and Garnier.
HBO DOCUMENTARY FELLOWSHIP
Film Independent awarded the HBO Documentary Film/Film Independent Fellowship, which carried a production grant of $10,000.
KODAK FILM GRANTS
Each year, Film Independent awards a limited number of grants of Kodak film stock to qualified filmmakers who are in production on their feature films.
More Info: https://www.filmindependent.org/
Back to Top of Film Independent Filmmaker Grants and Awards
Grants Rarely Fund a Whole Film. Investors Fill the Gap.
Film grants are competitive and usually cover only part of a budget. Most independent films are financed with a mix of grants, tax incentives, soft money and private investors, and investors expect a professional business plan before they write a check.
The Film Business Plan Sprint turns your film into an investor-ready Business Plan Brief and 18-slide Pitch Deck Outline, reviewed by our team and backed by comparable films data. Add the Investor Outreach Sprint and we research who has worked on films like yours and write a personalized email for each contact.
See the Sprint & PricingGet Free Sprint Samples
NEW! Documentary Business Plan & Documentary Pitch Deck
FilmProposals is thrilled to offer help to documentary producers looking for investors, by enhancing our Film Fundraising toolkits to address the specific needs of documentarians. The highlight is a unique Documentary Business Plan Template included in all of our Film Financing Toolkits and Bundles. Much of the Documentary Business Plan is just like that of our narrative Film Business Plan Template, however, we’ve also done some major custom work to specifically highlight why documentaries are a great investment and how to best showcase your documentary to investors:
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The new Documentary Business Plan Template is included in ALL of our Film Financing Toolkits and Bundles, so you can purchase any of them and be well on your way to funding any part of your documentary with private investments.
NETFLIX 2026: Selling Your Documentary To Netflix
Netflix is in constant need of fresh content and their buyers are seeking outstanding independent filmmakers and documentary creatives who can deliver the stories that Netflix wants. Learn the ins and outs of getting your doc or doc series onto Netflix with SELLING YOUR DOCUMENTARY TO NETFLIX and download the FREE Netflix Pitch Checklist today.
Desktop Documentaries offers the Documentary Fundraising Toolkit, which includes a 190-page full-color documentary fundraising guide, a 25-page documentary proposal template with instructions, two budget templates with budgeting guide, list of the top 100 documentary film grants, e-book with 25 specific fundraising ideas to start raising your first $10,000 and a fundraising check-list. All the best fundraising tools, templates and resources, including 20+ years of experience, combined into one comprehensive packet.
List of Film Grants
Do you have a Film Grant to share with our readers? Please post your Film Grant here.
Documentary Film Grants
Short Film Grants
Women in Film Grants
Feature Film Grants
Emerging Filmmaker Grants
Screenwriting Film Grants
Television Grants
Canada Film Grants
More Film Grants
See All: Full List of Film Grants
Film Grant Deadlines Rolling/Various Application Deadlines
Film Grant Deadlines Spring
Film Grant Deadlines Summer
Film Grant Deadlines Fall
Film Grant Deadlines Winter
Applying for Grants? Line Up the Rest of Your Budget Too.
While your grant applications are out, get investor-ready. The Film Business Plan Sprint ($500) or the Sprint + Investor Outreach Bundle ($799) gives you the business plan, pitch deck outline and targeted investor outreach plan that private investors expect.
See the Sprint & Pricing