Documentary
Film Program

Documentary

Film Program

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (DFP) supports nonfiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries on contemporary themes. Established in 2002 with founding support from Open Society Foundations, the program is a vibrant global resource for independent nonfiction storytelling.

Year-round support of filmmakers — including granting, labs, and strategic advice from development to distribution — amounts to a commitment to documentary filmmaking as an increasingly important global art form and a critical cultural practice in the 21st century.

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Documentaries from around the globe that bear witness to issues of human rights, social justice, civil liberties, and freedom of expression bring forth truth in ways which can have a profound effect on societies and lives. Bringing these truths forward is critical, now more than ever.”

Robert Redford

marking the 20th anniversary of Documentary Fund in 2022

Documentary Film Program Calendar

Documentary Fund: The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund supports filmmakers worldwide in the development, production, and post-production of cinematic documentaries on a wide range of contemporary topics and themes. For over two decades, the fund has been a stable source of nonrecoupable funding, supporting work that expresses the world in creative, complex, beautiful, and provocative ways. We remain committed to nonfiction projects that elevate and advance cultural dialogue, expand the form through creativity and innovation, and have the potential to generate social impact around some of the most compelling issues of our time.

Labs: The Documentary Film Program (DFP) believes nonfiction filmmaking is a collaborative art form. We provide artist-centered, process-driven support in the form of creative labs that support directors, producers, and editors. DFP currently hosts the Documentary Producers Lab and the Documentary Edit Residency annually in the summer. Labs are unique residential workshops that provide catalytic support for feature nonfiction projects and producers in production and post-production. Following the lab, projects receive ongoing customized creative and strategic support throughout the life of a project.

Sandbox Fund

Online Application

2025 Fall Cycle:
Accepting applications through July 21, 2025

Documentary Fund

Online Application

Accepting applications through July 14, 2025

Documentary Film Producers Track

Lab: Ucross Foundation in Clearmont, WY

Lab: July 21-26, 2025

Documentary Edit Residency

By invitation only

June 23-27, 2025 (MassMOCA)
July 21–26, 2025 (UCross, WY)
August 17-23 (Jacob Burns Film Center, NY)

Special Opportunity Funds

In collaboration with our partners, the Documentary Fund offers additional support for projects that address pressing socio-cultural issues. Projects selected for these opportunities will be fielded through our general Documentary Fund application.

Read more about past partnerships with and supported projects from Gucci, Luminate, and Kendeda.

Those interested in applying for a special opportunity fund should submit an application through the Programs portal.

Documentary Short Fund More >

Sandbox Fund More >

Alumni Support

When a project receives a grant from the DFP, the team is offered a host of support opportunities to nurture the project’s development as well as the artist’s career. They are also part of the growing global Sundance Alumni community. Grantees are eligible for Sundance Institute cross-programmatic initiatives such as the Women@Sundance and Catalyst Forum (both are invitation only). Grantees can also access services provided by Sundance Institute Alumni Programs.

Sundance Collective More >

Catalyst More >

Women at Sundance Institute More >

Resources More >

Advice for Filmmakers

The Sundance Documentary Film Program believes that artful storytelling can transform conversations and cultures. Through our non-recoupable grants and artist support opportunities, we seek to engage with fresh voices and veterans in the field who are pursuing financially viable nonfiction projects with clear and forward-going storytelling, strong artistic vision, and the potential to reach an audience. Our staff can be found attending forums and festivals around the globe in the hopes of connecting with filmmakers and artists, and we are always available via email at dfp@sundance.org.

Featured Projects

No Other Land

2021 Sundance Documentary Fund

2023 Edit and Story Lab

Coming Soon

Sugarcane

2022 Sundance Documentary Fund

2024 Sundance Film Festival – Directing Award: U.S. Documentary

Watch Online

Black Box Diaries

2023 Edit and Story Lab Finalist

Watch Online

Life After

2023 Sundance Documentary Fund

2023 Producers Lab and Fellowship

2025 Sundance Film Festival – U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award

Coming Soon

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Support for the Documentary Film Program

The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program is made possible by founding support from the Open Society Foundations. Generous additional support is provided by John Templeton Foundation; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Sandbox Films; The Kendeda Fund; The Asian American Foundation (TAAF); The Charles Engelhard Foundation; Facet; Sony Music Group; Violet Spitzer-Lucas and the Spitzer Family Foundation; National Endowment for the Arts; Nion McEvoy & Leslie Berriman; EarthSense Foundation; Adobe; and an anonymous donor.

Photo Gallery

A look inside our Documentary Film Program Labs and Intensives

Schedule	The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund is currently accepting applications. The deadline is Monday, July 14, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Filmmakers will be notified regarding the status of their application in early 2026, typically within six to eight months of the deadline.
Granting Pool	25-30 projects per year
Eligibility	The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program (DFP) prioritizes support for independent nonfiction films with budgets under $1.2 million in U.S. dollars. Creative and editorial control must be held by members of the films’ key creative teams. In our funding, we seek to uplift projects from filmmakers with distinct visions and meaningful connections to the work they create. We remain committed to elevating voices beyond our borders, celebrating the rich diversity of filmmaking traditions around the world. We are especially keen to receive applications exploring stories that reflect the pluralist society we serve and the richness of experiences found there. Applicants may submit at any production phase from development through post-production. All proposals must convey some vision for a finished film. Projects should have secured characters or participants, be able to articulate a story or structure, and be able to explain the project’s driving central question. We welcome applications with aesthetic and storytelling traditions from all over the world and are not bound to specific themes or issues. Hybrid and experimental documentaries are eligible to apply. We are unable to consider proposals for story research. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. You do not need any prior funding or a fiscal sponsor in order to apply. Once your film reaches picture lock, we are unable to provide post-production funding support. We therefore encourage applicants to apply at least eight months before planned picture lock. Important Note on Resubmissions (New for 2025) Due to the continued growth in the number of applications to the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, projects that have previously applied are no longer eligible to reapply — even if your project has since progressed to a new stage of production. The only exception is if you have received a written invitation from the Sundance Documentary Film Program staff explicitly inviting you to reapply. Please see our FAQ on resubmissions for more details, especially if you applied in a previous cycle. Projects submitted during this round will not be eligible for future funding from the Documentary Fund, whether or not they receive a grant. We strongly encourage you to consider whether this is the right moment in your project’s life cycle to apply.
What We Don’t Fund	Fiction films, short films (please see our Documentary Short Fund for information on grants for shorts), series, NGO films, advocacy films, educational films, or branded content. We also tend not to fund purely historical or biographical films unless they show clear contemporary relevance or innovation in form. Once your film reaches picture lock, we are unable to provide post-production funding support. We therefore encourage applicants to apply at least eight months before planned picture lock.
Entry Fee	It is free to apply on or before the posted deadline. After the deadline, there is no guarantee an application will be accepted and a late fee may be required.
Requirements	Applicants are required to fill out an online application. Please view the Application Checklist for more information. Applicants will also be required to upload a line-item budget that covers the entire project from development to finish. View a sample budget. (Source: IDA/Robert Bahar)
Evaluation Criteria	Proposals are evaluated on several criteria, including strong artistic vision, compelling storytelling, conceptual excellence, contemporary cultural relevance, originality and creative risk-taking, feasibility, journalistic rigor (where applicable), and potential to reach and connect with an intended audience. The Documentary Fund spotlights new voices and artists bringing a fresh perspective to vital conversations of our day, often through new creative frontiers. Film teams’ access to resources, both financial and creative, are taken into consideration to ensure funds are prioritized for those who need them most. The creative teams’ connections to and engagement with the communities they are working with are also taken into consideration.
Accessibility Support	At Sundance Institute, we are committed to creating an environment where all community members feel valued and thrive. Inclusion, racial equity, and accessibility drive our institutional excellence, and we aim to reflect these across our organization and in all our programs and platforms. The director or key creative on a project who self-identifies as an artist with a disability may request assistance at any time while completing and submitting their Documentary Fund application. Support may include a small stipend for the artist to hire an accessibility service provider, such as an American Sign Language interpreter, transcriber (e.g., CART or similar real-time captioning), or text or copy editor to support the application process. This is not meant to be used to hire a grant writer but rather to support an artist with a disability to submit their own grant application. To request assistance and for additional information, please email dfp@sundance.org.
Grant Categories	Development (up to $40,000): Development applicants are encouraged (but not required) to include visual material such as scene selects, teasers, pitch decks, or other edited footage. Access to location and characters must be confirmed and the proposal should clearly articulate a visual language and central questions that indicate a layered and nuanced approach. Prior work samples are strongly recommended. Production/Post-production (up to $100,000): Production applicants are required to submit a sample of at least 10 minutes and encouraged to submit a sample between 10 to 20 minutes. The sample should demonstrate your access to characters, visual treatment, and the developing tone and style. We encourage applicants to submit a complete scene that provides the viewer insight into the team’s ability to communicate their intention. Post-production applications require a sample of at least 20 minutes that demonstrates access to characters, story arc or concept, and visual treatment. If available, a rough cut may be submitted.

Documentary
Film Program

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Documentary Film Program Calendar

Special Opportunity Funds

Alumni Support

Advice for Filmmakers

Featured Projects

No Other Land

Sugarcane

Black Box Diaries

Life After

Seeds

The Tallest Dwarf

River of Grass

How To Build A Library

Support for the Documentary Film Program

Photo Gallery

Apply

Attend

Explore

Support

About Sundance Institute

Contact Us

Documentary Edit Residency Program

Resources

Sundance Collective

Documentary Edit and Story Lab

Sundance Institute | Kendeda Fund

Past Grant Opportunities:

Completed Projects:

Documentary Film Producers Track

Documentary Fund

Endowment Support