Uptilt Film Fest Grants (‘The Joy James’ & ‘The Francine DeCoursey’) | (Year-round)

Named after two notable women from Wilmington’s filmmaking community, the Joy James and Francine DeCoursey memorial grants are awarded to two female filmmakers each year.

Working Films | (Year-round)

“Recognizing the power of film to inspire, we position documentaries to increase civic engagement and shift culture at the local, state, and national level. We offer funding and in-kind support to underrepresented filmmakers. And, we share our learning and foster dialogue to further the field of documentary for change. We lead conversations and trainings with grassroots groups and nonprofits to ensure that nonfiction media is increasingly embraced as a critical resource in their strategies for social change.”

Cucalorus Works-in-Progress Lab | (January — April)

“The Cucalorus Works-in-Progress (WiP) Lab supports social justice documentaries with a focus on expanding support for projects being directed by Black filmmakers. Co-designed and coordinated by Working Films, participating artists will receive feedback on their work-in-progress and explore audience engagement strategies through workshops, consultations, and community screenings during a residency at Cucalorus’ campus September 24th through Oct 1st, 2023.”

Filmmakers Without Borders | (January — August)

FILMMAKERS WITHOUT BORDERS (FWB) supports filmmakers across the world who produce a multitude of different genres, including narrative films, documentary films, and new media projects. FWB specifically looks for projects that align with themes of social justice, empowerment, and cultural exchange.

ITVS Diversity Film Fund for Filmmakers of Color | (Year-round)

A grant looking for exceptional documentary films from filmmakers from diverse backgrounds. ITVS Diversity Film Fund is looking for creative risk taking, filmmaking that inspires dialogue, and footage or material rarely seen by the public. The documentary may cover anything so long as it’s in development or pre-production.

NBCUniversal/LNESC National Scholarship | (Opens in the summer of each year)

“The NBCUniversal Media Scholarship Program is intended to assist and encourage outstanding undergraduate Latino students attending a U.S. post-secondary institution with an interest in the media and entertainment industry.”

Puffin Foundation Grant | (September — December)

The Puffin Foundation is interested in art that helps educate the public on topical issues, such as climate change, healthcare, social justice, and civil rights. The foundation is also interested in helping and giving a voice to those largely underrepresented in the arts. Established artists should also think about applying if they can demonstrate fiscal need.

The Mayer Foundation | (Year-round)

The Mayer Foundation awards scholarships and aid to students who are in high school, college, or graduate school, so that they are able to graduate from the institution of their choice and with their choice of degree.

Uptilt Film Fest | Wilmington, NC | Films directed/written by female or gender-expansive person; all lengths

“We believe women have fascinating stories to tell!  Women make up 52% of characters on film, but only 17% of writers for these characters are female. We shine a light on short films that are written and/or directed by women or gender expansive folks who identify with womanhood.”

Wilmington Jewish Film Festival | Wilmington, NC | Films with Jewish content; all lengths

“The Wilmington Jewish Film Festival has as its primary mission the presentation of films with Jewish content to advance and share common interests within the Jewish community and at the same time to share our heritage with the general public.”

North Carolina Black Film Festival | Wilmington, NC | Black-focused films; all lengths

A film festival sponsored by the Black Arts Alliance, which is an organization that has been dedicated to the “advancement of African-American arts and culture” since its inception in 1998.

Cucalorus Film Festival | Wilmington, NC | All genres and lengths

“Cucalorus takes place every November, celebrating independent and international film for five days in historic downtown Wilmington, NC. MovieMaker Magazine has recognized it as ‘One of the Coolest Film Festivals in the World’ for three years in a row.”

Charlotte Black Film Festival | Charlotte, NC | Black-focused films; all lengths

This summer, the Charlotte Black Film Festival celebrates its 13th annual year in operation. For more information on the event, contact: info@charlotteblackfilmfestival.com

Sick Chick Flicks Film Festival | Chapel Hill, NC | Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, all lengths

Established in 2016, Sick Chick Flicks Film Festival showcases films primarily from independent women filmmakers. The festival continues to be dedicated to showing some of the best films from NC and the entire world.

Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film | Chapel Hill, NC | All genres under 30 mins.

Beginning in 2004, the Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film showcases film from all corners of the African Diaspora.

Lumbee Film Festival | Pembroke, NC | Films by indigenous filmmakers; all genres and lengths

“The Lumbee Film Festival showcases bold, original new films made by Native Americans, Indigenous Filmmakers, and American Indians, especially members of the Lumbee Tribe living in North Carolina and across the United States.”

OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival | Durham, NC | All genres and lengths

“The OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival is the second largest LGBTQ+ film festival in the Southeast, attracting thousands of patrons to downtown Durham every year since 1995.”

Barefoot Bijou Summer Film Festival | Greensboro, NC | Must incorporate Black house music

A Film festival that couples Black house music together with cinema for “an immersive, global, 5-day Black house music film experience.”

South Carolina Cultural Film Festival | North Charleston, SC | All genres and lengths

“The South Carolina Cultural Film Festival is a multicultural film organization dedicated to developing, promoting and increasing awareness of film in SC”

Out on Film LGBTQ+ Film Festival | Atlanta, GA | LGBTQ+ stories; all lengths

“Out On Film, Atlanta's LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) Film Festival, is one of the leading LGBTQ film festivals in the United States, as well as an Oscar-qualifying one.”

International Black Film Festival | Nashville, TN | Black social justice and diaspora films; all lengths

“A pioneer in the film festival arena, IBFF is the only African-American established and inspired film festival in the state of Tennessee. IBFF's mission is to ‘Encourage culturally accurate depictions of all people in film with special emphasis on providing a forum of access for underserved and unheard voices as well as to showcase the artistically rich creativity and diversity found around the globe.’”

Baltimore International Black Film Festival | Baltimore, MD | Black-focused films; all lengths

“The festival showcases films directed, produced, and staring African American and members of the African Diaspora while also prominently featuring films with content of interest to the Same Gender Loving – Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (SGL-LGBT) community.”

DC Black Film Festival | Washington, DC | All genres and lengths

“As an inclusive festival, the only stipulation for submitting is that one or more of the above the line crew is of African descent. With that stipulation, we seek to ensure that at least one of the key decision makers or performers in a film are of African descent while keeping the door open for artists of all ethnicities to submit.”

Visions of the Black Experience | Sarasota, FL | Black-focused films; all lengths

“The festival celebrates and illuminates the historical, social, and cultural aspects of black life through film.”

Superfest Disability Film Festival | Los Angelos, CA | All genres and lengths

“Superfest Disability Film Festival is the longest running disability film festival in the world. Since it first debuted in a small Los Angeles showcase in 1970 it has become an eagerly anticipated international event—hosted by Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State.”

Research compiled by Professor Kramer's Business of Film Class (Fall 2022):

Ayla Cole, Emmanuel Howard, KJ Roberts, MacKenzie Taylor, Kylie Hazel, Nils Florian Koehl, Zach Miller, Tyler Wood, Carson Meyers, Patrick Murray, Chase Tharrington, MacKenzie Thompson, Chloe Crawford, Weston Hodge, lexis Johnson, Alexis Johnson, Chris McGrath, James Morgan, Zack Taylor, Mackenzie Whaley, Matt Young