Deadline: 01-Jan-2026
The Vision Maker Media is excited to invite applications for its Creative Shorts Fellowship Program to support Emerging Native filmmakers to produce a short film: documentary, drama, experimental, or animation piece; and support a mentorship with a career professional film producer or director.
They are seeking creative short film format proposals by and about Native Americans and Alaska Natives for production funding that nurtures and encourages new and creative innovative storytelling. They want you tell your story in a uniquely imaginative, inventive and artistically experimental way to represent the cultures, experiences and values of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Through the Creative Shorts Fellowship, VMM pays an honorarium directly to film professionals, Native or non-Native, to mentor an emerging Native filmmaker. Emerging Native filmmakers find their own mentor for their project. Film professionals, Native or non-Native, may also submit a proposal—following criteria and eligibility—to mentor an emerging Native filmmaker in the production of that emerging filmmaker’s short film. Emerging Native filmmakers must choose their mentor prior to applying and film professionals must choose their mentee prior to applying.
The call is directed towards emerging Native filmmakers to submit a short film: documentary, drama, experimental, or animation. Topic ideas may be about Native cultures, values, histories, contemporary life, environmental justice, social justice, youth, elders, and/or Native empowerment. Within the fellowship, funds support a film professional’s mentorship, and the production of a short film produced by an emerging Native filmmaker.
Funding Information
- Production costs may be funded in a request amount of up to $25,000.
- Separately, VMM directly pays the mentor a total of $5,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Emerging Native filmmakers who wish to pursue a career in film production are encouraged to apply and must hold artistic, budgetary and editorial control and own the copyright of the proposed short film.
- Film professionals, Native or non-Native, who wish to mentor an emerging Native filmmaker in the production of the emerging filmmaker’s short film, may apply in collaboration with their Native mentee.
- The proposed project must be a short film of 40 minutes or less.
- Topics and genres accepted for the Creative Shorts Fellowship can be short film: documentary, drama, experimental, or animation. Topic ideas may be about Native cultures, values, histories, contemporary life, environmental justice, social justice, youth, elders, and/or Native empowerment.
- The proposed project must be ready for production (The Creative Shorts Fellowship supports production to completion).
Ineligibility Criteria
- Film Professionals and film mentors seeking funding for their own short film project.
- Commercial Programs.
- Industrial or promotional films and videos.
- Student productions of any sort, such as thesis films.
- Filmmakers or production entities that are foreign-based, owned or controlled.
- Projects funded in part by a government entity or group featured in the content of the short film.
Selection Criteria
- When evaluating, the selection panel weighs the strengths of the following factors for project proposals: Strength of story, production team, budget, timeline, marketing plan, quality of work samples, and meeting Vision Maker Media’s mission.
For more information, visit Vision Maker Media.