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

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Get Funded

We join forces with visionaries like you from across America to bring risk-taking independent film to the public.

  • FUNDED FILMS
    1,547
  • PEABODY
    38
  • EMMY AWARDS
    38

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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.

    Reopens June 10, 2019 9:00 AM PDT
    Learn about Open Call

    Recent Open Call Projects

    See all 540 Open Call Projects

    Digital Open Call

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

    Reopens Winter 2020
    Learn about Digital OC

    Recent Digital Open Call Projects

    See all 12 Digital Open Call Projects

    Diversity Development Fund

    DDF gives producers of color up to $25,000 in research and development funding so you can develop your documentary for air on public television. Pre-production nonfiction projects only.

    Reopens August 5, 2019 9:00 AM PDT
    Learn about DDF

    Recent Diversity Development Fund Projects

    See all 62 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 179 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 team at an event. We want to hear about your latest projects.

    1. Seattle International Film Festival

      May 23-27, 2019
      Seattle, WA
      Content Development Manager

      Jannet Nunez

      Supervising Producer

      Michael Kinomoto

    2. PBS Annual Meeting

      May 29-31, 2019
      New Orleans, LA
      Director of Production

      David Eisenberg

      Senior Vice President of Content

      Jim Sommers

      Executive Producer of Independent Lens

      Lois Vossen

      Vice President of Content

      Noland Walker

    Get the latest from ITVS.

    We’ll send you film news, events, and funding deadlines.

    Filmmaker Resources

    From our blog

    1. Trust is a Two Way Street

      May 1, 2019

      From ITVS Open Call funding to an Independent Lens premiere, Out Of State director Ciara Lacy and producer Beau Bassett talked to us about the multifaceted and sometimes painful journey through the Hawaiian incarceration system. ITVS: This story hits close to home for both of you. Can you explain why you thought it was important to bring it to public…

    2. ITVS Honored with Four Peabody Awards

      April 16, 2019

      We are pleased to announce that of the eight winners in the Documentary category of the prestigious Peabody Awards, ITVS-funded filmmakers were honored with four awards. The 2018 Peabody Award recipients were Minding the Gap, Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart,  Dolores, and The Judge. Honoring the “most powerful, enlightening and…

    3. Who Gets To Tell These Stories Matter

      March 8, 2019

      Orthodox Jewish culture, paramedics, and humor round out director Paula Eiselt's intimate portrait of a group of women in Brooklyn who pushed back against their establishment.  Paula was able to draw upon her cultural connection to the women who form the Ezras Nahim collective and build the trust needed to tell their story.  With grace and patience,…