Funding Available: An Opportunity for Filmmakers, Podcast Producers and Storytellers of Color, You Don't Want to Miss

The call for stories by and about people of color has grown tremendously in the last few years and yet the challenge for emerging storytellers who are passionate about their projects to complete their work are often hindered by the initial funding. The challenge has been answered in the form of the Black Public Media's Open Call.

The organization has quietly funded over $14 million and over 125 projects, serving over 500 creatives.

Whether it is a documentary project, a narrative short or even a podcast, if your project falls within the guidelines this could be the opportunity you are waiting for. The submission deadline this year is November 15th, so there is still time to prepare your materials.

I had the opportunity to chat with Leslie Fields-Cruz, the Executive Director of Black Public Media about this year's Open Call in our in-depth interview.

Tell us about your professional background and what led you to being an integral part of Black Public Media.

I received a master’s degree in Cinema Studies from NYU and started work at the Association of Independent Film and Videomakers (AIVF) in their membership department. Though I had some interest in the production of content, I was pulled towards the desire to help indie makers find the resources they need to realize their projects. After a few years at AIVF, and short stint at Creative Capital Foundation, I landed at Black Public Media (BPM), then known as National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), as their grant making manager. I’ve been with the company for almost 18 years , and in that time I’ve participated in the creation of the AfroPoP and 180 Days series, the New Media Institute, the Public Media Corps, the 360 Incubator+, the PitchBlack Forum, and the Black Media Story Summits. I’ve been able to ensure Black media makers have access to funding, training, and resources needed to compete in a highly competitive industry.

Why is this fund more important now than ever before?

Program funding is ALWAYS important. Particularly for Black stories that might not necessarily catch the interest of Hollywood or other mainstream investors. It’s why BPM started funding projects in 1991. What many may not know is that BPM was a funder of Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust, and Stanley Nelson’s award-winning documentary about Black journalists The Black Press: Soldiers without Swords. These filmmakers and several others were able to realize their projects thanks, in part, to the support we gave at crucial stages of the work’s development. We realize the need to fund Black stories is essential to our goal of flooding the content pipeline with diverse stories about the Black experience. 

There has been a recent demand for content by people of color. Are you concerned that with so many choices for content, that content creator's projects will not be seen?

Yes and no. On one hand, traditional broadcast and cable channels like PBS, HBO, and CNN, as well as the larger streaming networks like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu have the marketing dollars that assure certain stories will be seen by the masses. This is fantastic! On the other hand, the increase in content across these and many other platforms, means content creators who don’t have the benefit of corporate or national marketing arms, have to engage in more grassroots marketing and promotion to get their projects seen. Projects released in today’s market have to consider a distribution strategy that is more of a long game than a short one. Given that, at BPM, the majority of people making decisions about which stories get funded and distributed come out of the diverse African-American and global African experience. These perspectives and cultural competencies position BPM to be less susceptible to green lighting stories that recycle familiar cliche's or tropes that lack authenticity. BPM is actively looking for stories that other outlets might overlook.

What are a few examples of projects that you funded in the past that exemplified what you are looking for this year?

Films such as I Am Not Your Negro and Sighted Eyes: Feeling Heart: The Lorraine Hansberry Story are stellar examples of biographies that introduce contemporary audiences to Black icons. We’re also interested in social issue programs such as Decade of Fire and cultural art pieces like Mr. Soul; artist profiles like Vision Portrait; revealing historical films like The First Rainbow Coalition; and community-driven stories like Family Pictures USA. During this year’s PitchBlack competition, we awarded a grant to one VR/immersive media project. Though the category is not included in this year’s Open Call, we will continue to find ways to support stories that are suited to these platforms as well.

You've awarded over $14 million in funds to content creators since the fund began. Where does your funding come from?

The bulk of our funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In 2017, we received support from the MacArthur Foundation to support emerging media and documentary projects. BPM is constantly seeking partnerships in which to expand its funding opportunities.

What are some of the challenges you face when deciding which projects to fund and in getting support for these projects? 

We rely on our community — award-winning filmmakers, programmers, funders — to help us make decisions. In a series of panel reviews, we carefully consider each submission. The biggest challenge is choosing which of the many worthy proposals to award.

THE PROCESS

How many grants will you be distributing this year?

It depends. Open Call is a very competitive process. We may receive anywhere between 70 - 100 applications of which only 3-5% will be funded.

There is a two-tier review process. What are some things that you've seen happen repeatedly that are automatic disqualifiers in that first tier?

Proposals lacking the required support materials are automatically disqualified. Other than that, all projects are reviewed in the first round by three evaluators. We average the scores and then determine an appropriate cutoff point. Proposals with scores above the cutoff point move on to the second round.  

What does a winning proposal look like to you? A virtual shoe-in for funding?

I don’t think there’s ever been anything that was a “shoe-in for funding.” The strongest proposals have a treatment that’s compelling, with well-drawn characters and a clear thematic approach; a work sample that exemplifies the artistic approach and demonstrates the capability of the production team to produce high-quality content; a budget that meets the demands of the production; a plan for distribution; and a production team that has the chops to complete the project. Now some might expect that we only fund experienced makers, but that’s not true. Makers such as Byron Hurt, Shola Lynch, Shukree Tighlman, and Angela Tucker were emerging makers when they received funding from BPM. What works well for an emerging maker is to have a team with mixed levels of experience. The evaluation teams look at so many different factors that even some of the more experienced makers with amazing projects have been passed over for an emerging maker with a project that just seems right for the time. 

What if the only team you have at the moment is you, the content creator and one or two other key people?

We request applicants to identify their key production personnel: Producer, Director, Writer, Editor, Cinematographer. However, if only two or three of those production roles are filled, we expect at a minimum to be the Producer and Director.  

What if you are doing a scripted project, but only have a summary or treatment, in other words, the script has not been written, can you still qualify?

Applicants with summary treatments for scripted projects may apply, even if they haven't developed a final script., But there proposal is positioned better if they can submit a sample or draft script.  

TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS

This year, you have a real interest in children's and teen audiences? Why? What are good examples of programming you would have liked to have funded?

We have supported Heroes of Color, an animated series celebrating heroes over time, which is designed for school-age audiences.

BPM, formerly NBPC, was founded to make space in public media overall. It was the documentary community that took off. But, there’s still more to do. Our call for diverse stories across the Black Community must include our children. If there’s any audience we need to take care of it is the younger set who, like other American children, rack up significant screen time. Who is creating stories about them, for them? We are reminded about the need to provide nourishing content for our entire community with the success and impact of films like Jinn (Nijla Mumin, dir). I don’t know of any particular organization uplifting the storytellers in the youth/children space. BPM is eager to widen its community and support.

Why the push this year for podcasts? Can the limited podcast series be scripted as well?

We want our creative community to know that we support great stories regardless of the platform. Audio documentaries have taken off. For our creatives, it’s fairly easy to produce at a reasonable budget, which is perfect for both emerging and seasoned storytellers. Podcasts can speak directly to our audiences’ interests without having to answer to outside demands. With successes like 1619, Uncivil, What’s Good with Stretch and Bobbito,  and Mogul, we have made a mark on this platform and should keep up the momentum.

Yes — the limited podcast series can be scripted.

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS:

You mentioned in the "to be eligible" section that you are also open to pilots for broadcast/web series, but on the web page, it specified that you are specifically looking for nonfiction or scripted shorts, feature-length documentaries, or limited podcast series for public media distribution. You also mention in the rights and releases that for web projects only, that the content creator will assign streaming rights. Does this mean that you'reopen to web series too?

Yes, we are open to web series.

These funds are for development/production or are they for post production?

Funding can be used for R&D, production or post-production/completion. Ideally, we seek to fund projects in which BPM funding helps projects advance to the next production phase or to project completion.  For example, if you have just completed filming, but need funding to move into post, BPM support should help you get there.

The funding is for the exclusive public television distribution. Does this mean that the content creator can also seek distribution from non-public television simultaneously?

Content may seek distribution from non-public television entities but only after public media has exercised its distribution rights.

FUNDING QUESTIONS:

If the total budget for the production is up to $600,000, what you're providing is those initial or for post-production costs up to $150,000, correct?

Yes.

If the content creator is awarded funding, is the money given all at once or in parts?

Funds are distributed in parts based on the project’s production schedule and upon BPM’s review of deliverables such as rough cuts and fine cuts.

Your funding is between $50,000-$150,000. If someone has a smaller project that is well under $50,000 can they still apply? 

Yes.