CAAM Documentaries for Social Change Fund

We invite applications from Asian American documentary filmmakers with an emphasis on filmmakers from historically underrepresented communities such as South & Southeast Asians, filmmakers with disabilities, LGBTQ+ filmmakers and filmmakers from regions outside the major metropolitan cities. We invite ambitious, social issue projects including series that push the boundaries for Asian American storytelling.

We encourage stories that explore issues heightened by the double pandemic of COVID-19 and the call for racial justice across the country as experienced by Asian American communities, however, we accept all topics.

With generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, this Fund offers grants for social issue documentary projects primarily in the research and development phase up to $10,000. This is a development grant without any distribution or other restrictions attached. The deadline for this call is Wednesday, November 10, 2021.

Requirements

• Applicant must hold artistic, budgetary and editorial control and must own the copyright of the proposed project.
• Applicants must be 18 years of age.
• Applicants must either be citizens of the United States, its territories or be based in the U.S. with a valid TAX ID/ ITIN.
• All projects in development or early stages of production are prioritized.
• Projects in the production phase should include a 5-10 minute sample of the project that is being submitted.
• If this is your first media project, you must provide a video sample that demonstrates your ability to tell a story well through a visual medium.
• In some cases, CAAM may require a Fiscal Sponsor, which is a non-profit 501©(3) IRS tax-exempt entity. Your sponsor would agree to accept funds from CAAM on your behalf and is responsible for redistributing funds to the project accordingly.
• Only one proposal per applicant will be accepted.

Projects NOT eligible:

• Projects intended solely for theatrical release or commercial in nature.
• Projects in which applicant is commissioned, employed or hired by a commercial or public television station.
• Thesis projects or student films which are co or solely-owned or copy-written, or otherwise editorially or fiscally controlled by the school.
• Projects or production entities which are foreign-based, owned or controlled.
• Industrial or promotional projects.
• Projects that are not about the Asian American experience.