California Documentary Project
Production Grant
Deadline: October 1, 2008
Program Overview and Project Requirements
The California Documentary Project Production Grant supports the creation of film, video and radio documentaries that bring to light compelling stories and explore issues related to California’s past, present and future. Projects must be suitable for national broadcast and must have attracted demonstrated interest from a national broadcaster or distributor. The Council is particularly interested in projects that can be used to spark community discussion. Thanks to the generous support of the Skirball Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, projects may apply for grants of up to $80,000. An application will be available on our website on September 2, 2008. The application window for this grant is from September 2 to October 1, 2008. No applications will be accepted after 12 noon on Wednesday, October 1, 2008.
What are the project requirements?
CCH invites submissions for film/video and radio documentary projects that meet all the following criteria:- Approach the subject matter from the perspective of the humanities, making use of existing scholarship and research on the topic, incorporating a variety of perspectives, and seeking to foster critical reflection and thoughtful analysis on the part of the audience.
- Actively involve at least two humanities experts as project advisors in all phases of the project. The humanities include the following disciplines or fields of study: history, literature, philosophy, art history, ethnomusicology, comparative religion, folklore, mythology, jurisprudence, ethnic studies, cultural studies, gender studies and the humanities-based social sciences.
- Bring to light new stories about California — either its past or present — in an informative and engaging manner
- Explore issues and topics that bear on California’s future
- Be conducted by experienced radio producers and filmmakers; only proposals from applicants with prior experience in the project medium will be considered.
- Be sponsored by a not-for-profit organization or state or municipal government entity, preferably one based in California.
- Have a work-in-progress on CD or DVD available for submission.
- Demonstrate the capacity to reach a national audience through broadcast and/or distribution. Projects should be suitable for national broadcast in terms of length, format and technical quality, and incorporate a plan for distribution and broadcast. A letter of interest from a national broadcaster or distributor must be provided.
FUNDS MAY NOT BE USED FOR:
- Projects that tell institutional histories that are produced and/or partially funded by the institution itself
- Projects that advocate on behalf of a cause
- Projects that are promotional pieces
- Projects that are at the research and development stage
- Projects that are already in post-production (i.e., have completed production).
- New media projects.