Purpose:

The Spark Fund will provide 36 stipends of $50,000 to selected filmmakers over the period of one year, for their use in alleviating financial hardship and work disruptions endured from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility:

1. Documentary Directors or Director/Producers are eligible to apply. Producers or editors who are not also Directors are ineligible.

2. Directors must self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or a person of color, and must either be a U.S. citizen or have resided in the U.S. for a minimum of 3-years prior to December 29, 2021.

3. Applicants must be actively working on a documentary project (short, mid-length or feature) with a social humanities theme. Projects can be in active development, production, or post-production, but cannot be completed.

4. Applicants must have endured financial hardship due to the pandemic, and stipends must be used to help them address the pandemic’s negative economic and creative impacts.

5. Applicants cannot be enrolled in a degree-granting program, under age 18, retired, or on Social Security Disability with no work attachment. K-12 teachers and administrators are not eligible.

6. Applicants cannot be engaged by Firelight Media as an officer, employee, or member of the board of directors.

7. Applicants cannot be actively supported by a grant from the NEH and/or other American Rescue Plan (#SHARP) projects.

Deadline and Questions:

The application is open from 9am ET November 1, 2021 until 3pm ET, December 29, 2021.

Please contact sparkfund@firelightmedia.org if you have questions. Sign up for 20 minute 1-on-1 consultations. Check for openings at the Calendly schedule link.

For more information visit, https://bit.ly/3xaA0Hw