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You have a powerful story to tell—let’s bring it to life together. We offer development and co-production funds for short and feature documentaries.

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Incubator Fund

Incubator Fund

Applications Closed January 30

Early-stage funding for nonfiction web series and features, and a three to six-month incubator to advance your program materials while growing skills.

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Independent Lens Creator Lab

Independent Lens Creator Lab

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Up to $36k in production funds for vertical content with hands-on mentorship and industry guidance.

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As the leading incubator and funder of independent documentaries, ITVS has co-produced over 1,400 projects since our founding in 1988.

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Featured Film

Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros

Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros

Frederick Wiseman's film showcases the Troisgros family restaurant in France, which has held three Michelin stars for 55 years over four generations.

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While I Yet Live

How five acclaimed African American quilters played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement.

Series

Independent Lens

Premiere Date

February 11, 2019

Length

14 minutes

Maris Curran

Director/Producer

Maris Curran holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, participated in the Whitney Independent Study Program and was a Fulbright Fellow in Mexico. Her films have shown at Berlinale, TIFF, MoMA and NY Times Op-Docs. Her debut narrative feature, FIVE NIGHTS IN MAINE, starring David Oyelowo, Dianne Weist and Rosie Perez, premiered at TIFF and was released theatrically in 2016. Maris recently completed, WHILE I YET LIVE, a short documentary about five quilters and freedom fighters from Gee's Bend, Alabama.