Welcome to the Sundance Documentary Film Program

Postmark Deadline: Tuesday, February 9, 2010

We are currently accepting applications for the Spring 2010 funding cycle. You may submit anytime BEFORE the deadline. Grants will be announced in late Summer 2010.

How to Apply:

Complete the online application and mail a hard copy of proposal and supporting visual materials to our Los Angeles office.

Please carefully read through the application checklist and FAQ sheet before submitting your proposal. You MUST complete and print out a copy of the cover sheet and include it with your mailed application.

All application elements must be included at time of submission. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Application materials cannot be kept on file in between rounds. If you are re-applying you must submit the entire application online and by mail.

Click here for a full application checklist.

For More Information: Be sure to read our Frequently Asked Questions

About the Sundance Documentary Film Program

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program provides year-round support to contemporary- issue nonfiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries with human rights themes. Services include the Sundance Documentary Fund, three Creative Documentary Labs for directors and producers held at the Sundance Resort every summer, work-in-progress screenings held globally, discussions and presentations by invitation worldwide, documentary support at the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Independent Producers Conference, and a variety of convenings and partnerships designed to amplify the use of film as a tool for increasing awareness of key global challenges, and motivate change towards more open and equitable societies.

About the Fund

The Sundance Documentary Fund is a core program of the Documentary Film Program. It is dedicated to supporting U.S. and international documentary films that focus on current human rights issues, freedom of expression, social justice, civil liberties, and exploring critical issues of our time. The Documentary Fund was established at Sundance Institute in 2002 with a gift from the Open Society Institute and is supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation among others.

Application Process

Sundance Documentary Fund grants are announced twice a year and since its inception at the Institute in 2002, the Fund has disbursed almost $6 million to over 450 films. The Fund provides grants in two categories, Development and Production/Post-Production. A committee of human rights experts and film professionals make recommendations from projects submitted by filmmakers from around the world.

The Fund reviews 2,000 proposals annually, choosing up to 50 for support each year. In funding such work, the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund encourages the diverse exchange of ideas crucial to developing an open society, raising public consciousness about human rights

To apply, you are required to submit an online application form, plus a full written proposal as well as supporting visual materials. The postmark deadline for all application materials is February 9, 2010. Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed.