PUMA Creative Catalyst Development Funding Call for Applications – Deadline Monday 27th February, 2012

The PUMA.Creative Catalyst Award offers up to 5,000 Euros to help develop documentary projects in their early stages – it can be used to fund that all important trailer that will allow you to pitch to broadcasters and other funders for production money.

The fund is open to filmmakers of any nationality and is open to both aspiring and experienced documentary filmmakers.

Your one-off documentary can be of any length, style or form (PUMA.Vision will look especially favourably on projects that have themes of Safe, Peace and Creative). (Photo by Jen and a Camera CC BY 2.0)

Sheffield Doc/Fest MeetMarket Call for Applications – Deadline Thursday 29th March, 2012

The call for applications for the 2012 MeetMarket at Sheffield Doc/Fest is now open. MeetMarket is Doc/Fest’s pitching initiative offering matchmade meetings between the world’s best documentary and digital creators and the top funders and mentors who can support them. It is your opportunity for pitching new documentary, factual and cross-platform projects to over 200 decision makers, buyers, funders and mentors in one of the world’s top factual media marketplaces.

For MeetMarket 2012, approximately 65 projects will be selected to pitch over two days, and each can expect 15-20 meetings with key funders and decision-makers match-made and scheduled based on their requests and needs. MeetMarket 2011 generated millions of pounds in deals done and in negotiation, with the matchmaking personalised format meaning you can discuss your project creatively in detail. (Photo by lizjones112 CC BY)

In: David Elisco, Director of Development, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Award-winning writer and producer David Elisco has been named director of development for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s new film production unit. Elisco has more than 20 years of experience creating science and natural history documentaries for National Geographic Television, the Discovery Channel, and the Public Broadcasting System, as well as films focused on science [...]

Peek Behind the Scenes of Channel 4′s Alpha Fund

Channel 4′s Alpha Fund was set up in January 2011 set up to encourage the development of TV ideas from new and emerging independent production companies in the UK. The fund’s managers are tasked with being closer to grassroots creative communities, often in advance of commissioning editors, to talent spot, to shape smart ideas and [...]

Reality Bites Documentary Shorts Funding Scheme Call for Applications – Deadline Friday 10th June, 2011

The Irish Film Board is looking filmmakers with an idea for an innovative short documentary film (up to 12′) – “journalistic or creative, observational or aesthetic, objective or personal”. Up to three films will be selected to receive up to €15,000 (the maximum budget allowed per film).

Films must have a significant Irish element – subject matter, location, crew – and may be made in Irish or English.

Deadline for applications: Friday 10th June 2011

(Photo by janticom CC BY 2.0)

Development Hell or Ideas Heaven?

Freelance development consultant Sean Kirkegaard is running an unusual creative experiment on his website Development Hell. Approximately every other day he uploads a new TV programme idea to his website. Once he’s got a slate of about 50 ideas he’s going to ask the public to vote on their favourite. He will then attempt to [...]

Ford Foundation: JustFilms $50m Documentary Fund

The Ford Foundation have announced a new film fund – JustFilms – which will grant $10m per year for five years to filmmakers making documentaries that “show courageous people confronting difficult issues and actively pursuing a more just, secure and sustainable world”. There are three different strands to the funding, each of which will receive roughly 1/3 of the money:

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

Filmmaker Orlando Bagwell will be oversee the new fund.

Visit the Ford Foundation for more information. (Photo by Borman818 CC BY 2.0)

Greenlit: Developing Factual/Reality TV Ideas From Concept to Pitch by Nicola Lees

There are some simple principles to successfully developing and pitching your ideas, whether you are working for a global ‘super-indie’ production company, or are a documentary filmmaker pitching a passion project. The extraordinary thing is that no one will tell you what they are! Greenlit is the first book to reveal, step-by-step, how to originate, develop and pitch your factual/non-scripted TV ideas in a global market.

Get insider tips from: * 10 TV development producers – who have a combined 50+ years experience of developing and pitching ideas at all levels; * 20 senior executives who have sold some of the world’s most successful shows, to: * 16 channel executives, who between them have worked at: * 18 TV channels in: * 7 countries across 4 continents.

Greenlit is available now from Amazon and all good bookstores.

PUMA.Creative Funding Launched

Channel 4 BRITDOC Foundation and Puma.Creative – part of PUMA’s CSR division PUMAVision – have announced the new PUMA.Creative Catalyst and Creative Mobility Awards. These initiatives will provide financial support, creative counsel and industry recognition to international documentary filmmakers whose creative storytelling highlights social justice, peace or environmental issues. PUMA.Creative Catalyst Awards, a new international [...]

PBS Diversity and Innovation Fund Call for TV Proposals – Deadline Wednesday 15th September

PBS has put out a call for proposals for a new immersive, multiplatform TV series that covers areas such as science, history, travel, natural history and exploration. Proposed series should appeal to a racially and ethnically diverse audience of 40-64 year olds in the USA. They should be developed for primetime with 10 episodes at a cost of less than $375K per hour. PBS will start accepting proposals from Monday 26th July, 2010 and the deadline is Wednesday 15th September, 2010.
(Photo by Tracy O under CC BY SA 2.0)