The Documentary Fund supports global nonfiction storytelling on timely subjects that drive cultural and social impact. The 32 projects selected this year receive unrestricted grants from a total granting fund of over $1.5 million. Grants support projects at every stage of the filmmaking process with seven granted in development, 14 in production, ten in post-production, and one completed project in its impact campaign. The Documentary Fund is made possible by support from Open Society Foundations, John Templeton Foundation, Sandbox Films, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Free People.
Last year, the Institute announced the launch of the Creative Spirit Fund, an exciting new collaboration between Free People and the Sundance Documentary Fund. This new initiative, aimed at supporting independent women storytellers across the globe whose work expresses complex, artful, and impactful stories, expands the Documentary Fund granting pool by $150,000 annually. The inaugural cohort of Creative Spirit Fund grantees are included in the supported projects list.