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You’ve found a story and you’re committed to telling it—no matter what. Let’s do it together.

  • FUNDED FILMS
    1,434
  • PEABODY
    32
  • EMMY AWARDS
    35

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    Open Call

    Open Call provides documentary funding and co-production support so you can complete your nonfiction work in progress, then air it on public television.

    The deadline for this round was July 28, 2017 11:59 PM PDT
    Learn about Open Call

    Recent Open Call Projects

    See all 525 Open Call Projects

    Digital Open Call

    Digital Open Call offers research and development funding for you to pilot a series on public media platforms. Pre-production projects only.

    The deadline for this round was February 17, 2017 5:00 PM PST
    Learn about Digital OC

    Recent Digital Open Call Projects

    See all 3 Digital Open Call Projects

    Diversity Development Fund

    DDF gives producers of color up to $15,000 in research and development funding so you can develop your documentary for air on public television. Pre-production projects only.

    The deadline for this round was September 15, 2017 11:59 PM PDT
    Learn about DDF

    Recent Diversity Development Fund Projects

    See all 61 Diversity Development Fund Projects

    Series and Special Projects

    We commission a limited number of innovative and timely projects for public media, providing development and production funding. Submissions for Series and Special Project funding are by invitation-only. This collection also encompasses documentary films funded through limited special open calls held over the years.


    Recent Series and Special Projects

    See all 174 Series and Special Projects

    Get in touch.

    Questions about what we do? We’re happy to talk.

    itvs@itvs.org

    (415) 356-8383

    ITVS in the Field

    We’d love to meet you! Join the ITVS programming team at an event. We want to hear about your latest projects.

    Check back soon to hear about upcoming events.

    Independent Lens

    Learn how to submit your film to Independent Lens.

    Get the latest from ITVS.

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    Filmmaker Resources

    From our blog

    1. Courageous Storytelling: Turning the Lens to Disaster Survivors

      October 11, 2017

      Fearless documentary filmmaking is about trust: trust in yourself, your crew, your vision. But trust goes both ways. Unlike narrative filmmaking where contracts might stipulate the ground rules of interacting with your talent, bold storytellers of nonfiction need to go one step further and build trust with their participants. The question becomes:…

    2. Bold Storytelling Reigns at the 38th Annual News and Documentary Emmy® Awards

      October 9, 2017

      It was an extraordinary evening for bold storytellers on Thursday, October 5th at the 38th Annual News & Documentary Emmy® Awards. Five ITVS documentaries, four for Independent Lens and one for POV, received Emmy® Awards. The winning films include: The Armor of Light (Independent Lens) for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary; Thank You for…

    3. Television Academy Selects ITVS as Recipient of 2017 Governors Award

      August 9, 2017

      Television Academy Selects ITVS as recipient of 2017 Governors Award