International Documentary Association
/OVERVIEW: The International Documentary Association funds grants that support documentary filmmakers with their filmmaking, production and distribution costs.
IP TAKE: Given this funder’s high level of accessibility, filmmakers should expect considerable competition for funding. Stand out with a tight proposal and innovative work. As well as being a very open-minded funder, they like to be supportive of their grantees in a variety of ways.
PROFILE: The International Documentary Association (IDA), established in 1982, supports nonfiction filmmaking and filmmakers. The association believes that documentary storytelling “expands our understanding of shared human experience” by fostering a more informed and connected world. IDA is “dedicated to building and serving the needs of a thriving documentary culture.” Its programs provide documentary artists, activists, and journalists with resources and community, as well as defending their rights and freedoms.
Grants for Film and Journalism
The International Documentary Association offers a number of funding opportunities for documentary filmmakers. These grants provide support for all levels of the filmmaking process. Programs include:
Documentary Core Application Project, a collaboration with Sundance Institute to standardize the application process for grantmakers that fund documentary film projects. The application consists of a checklist that produces a proposal that satisfies the requirements of all participating funders.
Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund, an award that funds “feature length documentary films that reflect the spirit and nature of Pare Lorentz’s work,” typically centering around social issues in the United States. Each year, IDA selects a focus for the award and will only consider applicants whose films address the topic; past topics include criminal justice, land and water, and economic inequality.
IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, which supports “in-depth explorations of original, contemporary stories that integrate journalistic practice into the filmmaking process.” Awardees receive various resources and expert assistance in addition to funding.
The IDA+XRM Media Incubator provides funding and mentoring to “short vérité documentary films from around the globe, with an emphasis on emerging filmmakers and new perspectives.” These grants are awarded in the amount o $25,000 and generally support production and post-production costs.
The IDA Netflix Global Emerging Filmmaker Award is a $25,000 prize given annually to a single filmmaker from Japan, Thailand, Argentina or Spain who is nominated by one of the association’s partner organizations.
The IDA Field-Building Fund supports independent and grassroots documentary filmmakers and nonprofits with microgrants and emergency funding of up to $5,000. The association accepts nominations for these grants from “previous grantees, IDA team members, and partners.”
The IDA Sarowitz Project Completion Fund support the production of feature-length documentaries with a different cultural or geographical focus each year. Grants of up to $25,000 may be used for post-production, distribution, promotional, legal and other expenses for films that are “in their final strides across the finish line.”
Logan Elevate Grants annually support three emerging women, women-identifying or nonbinary filmmakers with grants of $30,000. Grantmaking prioritizes filmmakers of color.
Fiscal Sponsorship, an arrangement by which the foundation sponsors a filmmaking project in search of external grants and donations. IDA’s fiscal sponsorship comes with assigned, full-time program managers and accounting staff.
Additionally, IDA has recently assembled a Nonfiction Access Initiative that will explore the possibility of setting up a fund to support documentary filmmakers from the disability community.
Important Grant Details:
IDA’s awards range from $15,000 to $100,000, but are generally awarded in set amounts per program. Grantseekers may review individual program pages linked to its funding page for more information on previous projects it has funded.
IDA accepts applications online. Requirements and deadlines may vary significantly by award, and the focus of some programs may change each year. For information or inquiries, please contact Jina Chung, Development Manager, at jina@documentary.org.
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