Ford Foundation’s JustFilms to support filmmakers advancing social justice worldwide

Deadline: April 10, 2025

The Ford Foundation has launched a new initiative called “JustFilms” which seeks to support courageous filmmakers to complete their important works and to help them reach a growing audience of engaged and socially conscious viewers.

The Foundation is investing $10 million a year over five years in documentary projects that address urgent social issues and help us understand our past, explore our present and build our future. The goal is to expand the community of emerging and established filmmakers who often lack funding to realize their visions and reach audiences.

JustFilms focuses on film, video and digital works that show courageous people confronting difficult issues and actively pursuing a more just, secure and sustainable world. Initiative funds will be distributed through three distinct paths:

• Partnerships with major organizations such as the Sundance Institute, the Independent Television Service and the Tribeca Film Institute
• Collaboration with other Ford Foundation grant-making programs where the introduction of documentary film could help draw attention to an issue or advance a movement, and
• An ongoing open-application process that will help JustFilms stay attuned to fresh ideas and stories wherever they may emerge.

Benefits

• Funding Opportunities: Grants sometimes vary from $25,000 to $100,000, relying on the scope and stage of your venture.
• Global Reach: Projects from filmmakers worldwide are welcome, with a concentrate on areas the place the Ford Foundation has places of work (e.g., Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East).
• Creative Independence: The program prioritizes unbiased productions the place filmmakers retain artistic management.
• Recognition and Impact: Successful candidates will achieve visibility throughout Ford Foundation platforms and networks, amplifying their social and cultural affect.

Eligibility

• JustFilms accepts submissions for function documentary movies solely (operating time 50 minutes or extra) from filmmakers globally, specializing in areas the place the Ford Foundation has places of work.
• Applicants will be manufacturing firms (US or International), sole proprietors/single-member LLCs, or organizations/tasks with fiscal sponsorship.
• The open name doesn’t help pupil movies, quick movies, commissioned movies the place the filmmaker shouldn’t be the rights holder to the venture, episodic collection, new media (AR, VR), podcasts, movies which have already premiered or broadcast, or affect campaigns.
• While the JustFilms Open Call is open to eligible venture functions from filmmakers at any profession stage, profitable candidates are sometimes ready to present a deep connection to the unbiased documentary movie ecosystem and have acquired related help for his or her previous or present work.

Requirements

• To be thought-about for funding, your venture have to be a documentary function movie (operating time of at the least 50 minutes) wherein the filmmaker/s have artistic management. They welcome functions for direct content material improvement, manufacturing, or put up-manufacturing.
• The open name doesn’t help pupil movies, narrative movies, quick movies, commissioned movies the place the filmmaker shouldn’t be the rights holder to the venture, episodic collection, new media (AR, VR), podcasts, movies which have already premiered or broadcast, or affect or outreach campaigns.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will likely be assessed based mostly on:

• Alignment with Ford Foundation Priorities: Does your venture deal with themes corresponding to gender justice, racial fairness, incapacity inclusion, or energy dynamics?
• Intersectional Representation: Does your movie present various views and interact underrepresented communities?
• Innovation in Storytelling: Does your venture creatively problem standard narratives?
• Production Viability and Independence: Is your venture possible given its price range and timeline? Are you geared up with the sources and abilities to full it?

Application

Submissions for documentary movie manufacturing grants will shut at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, April 10, 2025. Submitters will likely be notified by September 2025 of their inquiry standing.