Filmmaking Resources

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Fundraising resources

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: Guide to Grants for Filmmakers in California

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: Fiscal Sponsorship FAQ

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: A Conversation with Fundraising and Distribution Consultant, Steve Ladd

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: A Conversation on Grant Reviewing and Proposal Tips with Brenda Avila-Hanna

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: A Conversation on Fundraising as Storytelling with Theresa Navarro

• Impact Partners: Sources of Documentary Financing

• Impact Partners: 10 Principles of Pitching

• Hot Docs: Pitching Tool

• IDA: Documentary Grants Directory

• Women Make Movies: Funders

• Film Independent: Supercharge Your Crowdfunding Campaign

• Seed & Spark: Answering Every Single Common Crowdfunding Question

• Seed & Spark: Maintaining Momentum During Your Crowdfunding Campaign

• Documentary Core Application: Proposal Checklist

• Schoolhouse Rocked: Documentary Proposal Example

• PBS: Producing for PBS Guidelines

• No Film School: How to Get Your Documentary on Public Television

Ethical Filmmaking Resources

• Re-Present Media: Resource List for Practical and Ethical Considerations for Working with Film Participants

• New York Times: The Unraveling of an Award-Winning Documentary

• Documentary Accountability Working Group: From Reflection to Release: A Framework for Values, Ethics, and Accountability in Nonfiction Filmmaking

• The Irina Project: Putting the Human into Human Trafficking Reporting: Tips for Interviewing Survivors

• Active Voice Lab: The Prenups: What Filmmakers and Funders Should Talk About Before Tying the Knot

• IDA: Money Changes Everything–or Does It?: Considering Whether Documentaries Should Pay for Play

• Vulture: Doc Filmmakers Reckon With the Industry’s Murky Ethics

Production RESOURCES

• IDA: Introduction to Documentary Budgeting

• Center for Media & Social Impact: Fair Use

• Safe and Secure: Handbook

• American Documentary: Filmmaker Resources

• Forbes: A Guide to Legal Entities In The Film Industry

• Hot Docs: Guide to Co-Production

• Lawyers for the Creative Arts: The Keys to Film Law

• Lawyers for the Creative Arts: Upcoming Seminars

• IDA: Producing with Care in the COVID Era: Considerations from the Community

• California Arts Council: COVID-19 Resources

• Documentary Producers Alliance: COVID-19 Resources

• Documentary Producers Alliance: Negotiating Contracts for Independent Documentary Producers

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: A Conversation on Collaboration for BIPOC Filmmakers in the Bay Area

PBS RESOURCES

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: Tips on Working with PBS from Donald Thoms

• PBS: Producing for PBS

• PBS: Production Guidelines (Producer's Handbook)

• PBS: Underwriting Guidelines

• Independent Producers Association: Station Relations List

• PBS: PBS Announces New Multi-Platform Strategy to Showcase Independent Film

• PBS: Audience Insight 2022 Annual Report

• TRAC Media

• Aggregator Platforms

  • NETA - National Educational Telecommunications Association

  • APT - American Public Television

  • PBS Plus - syndicated programming service

• Indie friendly national and syndicated series

  • POV

  • Independent Lens

  • America ReFramed

  • TVFilm

  • Create TV

  • World Channel

• Co-Production/Funding Partners for PBS Projects

  • ITVS

  • PBS syndicators such as World Channel, Create TV, PBS Digital Studios

  • National Multicultural Alliance

• Diverse Voices Initiative

  • PBS Ignite Mentorship for Diverse Voices

  • PBS Accelerator Fellowship for Diverse Voices

  • PBS Open Call for Emerging Filmmakers

Distribution RESOURCES

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: Distributor Guide

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: A Conversation with Educational Distributor, Video Project

• The Impact Field Guide - This is an extensive guide made by The Doc Society. You can access the download by creating a login with your email address. We highly recommend checking it out!

• Impact Guide: Case Studies

• IDA: Distribution Terminology Guide

• Film Festival Secrets: Press Kit Essentials

• IDA: A Guide to Documentary Distributors

• IDA: The Ins and Outs of Educational Distribution

• IDA: Getting Your Film Ready for School

• Women Make Movies: Independent Film Distributors

• Sundance: We Spoke to Dozens of Distributors; This Is What They Want in a Film

• IndieWire: Attention, Filmmakers: Here’s the Distribution Strategy You Need Before Sundance (Or Any Film Festival)

• IndieWire: How We Made $1.5 Million Self-Distributing Our Doc: The Six-Step Playbook

• New York Times: The Movies Are Back. But What Are Movies Now?

• CMSI: The State of the Documentary Field: 2018 Study of Documentary Professionals

• DOC: Roadmap to Creative Distribution

• Hollywood Reporter: Inside the Documentary Cash Grab

• Distribution Advocates: Let’s Make a Deal—Or Not. More than 80% of Docs Don’t Sell at Top-Tier U.S. Film Festivals

• Distribution Advocates: A Cheat Sheet For Approaching Distribution

• Distribution Advocates: Podcast

• Peter Broderick: How Not to Negotiate a Distribution Deal

• Filmmaker Magazine: Producer Data: The Numbers Don’t Lie (The Truth about Independent Film Revenue)

• Active Voice Lab: Horticulture Tools

Mission Driven Filmmaking RESOURCES

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: Guide to Mission Driven Filmmaking

• Filmmakers Collaborative SF: Case Studies

• Nonprofit Quarterly: Using Video in Your Online Campaigns

• Nonprofit Quarterly: 10 Mistakes Nonprofits Make with Video

• Classy: Social Media Videos: Lessons Learned From 778 Nonprofits

• Classy: How to Nail Your Nonprofit’s Story and Drive Action