The Whickers remains committed to enabling filmmakers and allowing great documentary ideas to flourish. If your project doesn’t quite meet our criteria then you may be interested in some of the following funding opportunities. Be sure to visit their websites and read the terms and conditions carefully before applying.

Research and Development Funding

Bertha BRITDOC Journalism Fund

  • A rolling fund supporting long form documentaries (65 minutes +) that focus on journalistic or social injustice topics
  • Has funded a number of award winning documentaries such as CITIZENFOUR and The Look of Silence.
  • Grants from between £5000-£50,000
  • Open to all nationalities
  • Filmmakers can apply to have a number of stages and aspects of their project funded; research development, production support, Hostile Environment Training and legal advice during both production and post-production

Catapult Film Fund

  • Providing development funding for early stage documentary films
  • Applicants must have secured access to characters and be ready to shoot and edit
  • Supports strong stories of all genres and perspectives
  • Grants of up to $20,000 each
  • Accepts applicants from outside the US to 501(c)(3) organisations

The Scottish Documentary Institute

Sundance Institute Documentary Fund Grant

  • Supporting independent, non-fiction filmmakers globally with year round grants for development (up to $20,000) Production/Post-Production (up to $50,000) and Audience Engagement (up to $20,000)
  • All subjects applicable, must have creative, well-thought out and engaging content
  • US and international applicants applicable
  • Since 2016 have been operating on a rolling open call, accepting applications all year round
  • Previously funded projects include The Square, The Invisible War and The Queen of Versailles
  • The Sundance Institute also runs a documentary film training program teaching essential skills to emerging filmmakers

The Wellcome Trust Awards

  • Supporting a number of TV, radio, film, games and media projects that engage with biomedical topics and explore the impact of biomedicine in the world
  • Helping to create high-impact, well-researched scientific projects
  • Applicants must be based in the UK or the Republic of Ireland
  • Grants of up to £10,000 a year for development proposals, funding lasting up to 1 year
  • Co-production awards of up to £40,000, funding lasting up to 3 years
  • Eligible projects must be co-produced in association with a broadcaster or other mass entertainment platform

The TFI Fund

  • A Tribeca Film Institute development fund presented by The Orchard
  • A series of flexible individual grants totalling $125,000 per year for films focusing on exceptional character-driven documentaries that deal with contemporary issues in an imaginative and original way
  • Enabling untold stories to reach an international audience
  • Worldwide applications accepted
  • Submissions open June 15th-August 3rd 2016

Production Funding

Derek Freese Documentary Fund

  • A funding project established in 1997 in memory of aspiring filmmaker Derek Freese
  • Providing production support for feature length, independent documentaries in various stages of the production and post-production processes and over a broad range of subjects
  • Up to $35,000 in finishing funds available
  • Has supported films such as Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory and The Human Trial

The TFI/ESPN Future Filmmaker Fund

  • An annual $25,000 grant for student short form, work-in-progress sports documentaries supported by the Tribeca Institute
  • Funding character-driven stories that explore sports, competition and athleticism within their wider context
  • Applicants must be registered students pursuing a graduate level degree in media arts from a selection of US universities, please see terms and conditions

The Filmmaker Fund

  • Access to up to $75,000 for independent documentary filmmakers; both established and emerging
  • Aiming to back the next generation of high impact film makers in both the production and the post-production stages
  • Providing mentorship alongside funding to help with narrative direction, contacts and production strategies
  • Rolling applications, international applicants accepted

The Fledgling Fund

  • Grant programme focusing on documentaries that inspire social change: climate change, health care, justice reform, human rights, etc
  • A founding member of Impact Partners, an organisation providing filmmakers around the world with financing, mentorship and the resources to make sure their films and made and reach the widest possible audience
  • Grants ranging from $10,000-$25,000 for projects typically at the rough cut stage
  • International applications accepted but films must have a fiscal sponsor based in the United States

Just Films/ Ford Foundation

  • The film branch of larger charity the Ford Foundation supports artist-driven film and media projects, both fiction and non fiction but with an emphasis on independent documentary
  • Focus on social justice films with strong visual storytelling techniques, inspired by individuals and targeting inequality
  • Direct grants of varying amounts from $1000+
  • A partner of the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, Independent Television Service and the BRITDOC Foundation.
  • International applications accepted

LINCS from ITVS

  • Funding single documentary programmes of standard broadcast length (30 minutes or 1 hour) from independent producers
  • Supporting diverse, engaging creative projects that explore either regional or national topics in the US
  • Films are typically already shot and the editing process begun, although not a post-production fund
  • Grants vary in price depending on the size/field of the project
  • US citizens or residents only

The One World Media Production Fund

  • Small grants of £1000 to proposals for non-fiction, journalism-based media across all platforms: film, radio, print, film, online, photojournalism, online
  • Project must involve travel to a developing country
  • In order to be eligible to apply for the fund, applicants must first attend one of One World Media’s university or public international reporting workshops

Post-production Funding

Gucci Tribeca Fund

  • Provides finishing funds to feature-length (70 minutes or more) documentaries that highlight social issues from around the world
  • For films, based anywhere, that are in production or post-production with the intended premiere exhibition
  • Provide funding to 4-10 documentaries a year that are driven by thoughtful storytelling
  • Must be in advanced development stages
  • Grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.

Pare Lorentz Doc Fund

  • Various annual production grants totalling $195,000, donated in memory of American filmmaker Pare Lorentz
  • Supporting independent, feature-length documentaries that reflect the spirit of Pare Lorentz’s work and show objective research, skilful storytelling and innovative camerawork
  • The project must address a critical issue in the United States and focus on one of Pare Lorentz’s central concerns; the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all or the illumination of a pressing social problem
  • Film must be in production, research and development almost finished with post-production work to finish
  • International applications accepted but may be subject to US tax return

SANAD Abu Dhabi Film Fund

  • A post-production fund aimed at enabling talented Arab filmmakers/ films exploring the concerns of Arab culture
  • Funds of up to $60,000 available for the post-production process
  • Both narrative and documentary feature-length films accepted
  • Applicants must be from a list of eligible Arab countries or the content of the film must be significantly related to Arab culture and/or heritage.
  • Also provides development funding, see website for details (up to $20,000)

Training Programmes

Rory Peck Trust

  • A fund providing financial, training and practical support to freelance journalists/filmmakers working in hazardous situations
  • Applicants will typically have been working in a freelance news gathering position for at least 18 months
  • Provide sponsored hostile environment training, emergency subsistence and legal advice for freelancers
  • Grants vary depending on the needs of the individual

Thomson Foundation

  • Provides training for journalists and film makers across the developing world
  • Runs a digital summer school in London each year
  • Is not a funding organisation, but sometimes can match applicants with a third-party funder
  • Sponsors the Young Journalist of the Year from the Developing World category at the Foreign Press Association Awards, bringing three shortlisted entrants to London each November
Valerie Kleeman

Chair of the Awards Committee

Valerie Kleeman, Alan’s partner in work and in life, is the Chair of the Awards Committee for The Whickers. Alan and Valerie met in 1969 and remained inseparable until his death in 2013.

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Jane Ray

Consultant Artistic Director

Jane is the Consultant Artistic Director for The Whickers and a multi-award winning documentary maker and executive producer in radio and television. Her awards range from the Sony Award for best news programme (2002) and the TRIC award for best children’s programme (1993) to China’s Golden Kapok award for best director (2014). Having spent 29 years at the BBC, Jane worked with Alan Whicker in the 1990s and last year got the call to help set up a new documentary foundation funded by his generous legacy. She wrote and directed Radio 4’s archive programme about Alan: Around the World in 80 years, presented by Michael Palin, and is immensely proud to have participated in his work for TV and radio.

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Jane Mote

Consultant Editor

Top ranking international TV executive Jane Mote is the Consultant Editor for The Whickers. On joining the organisation, Jane said: “Whicker’s World opened my eyes to the most amazing stories, people and places. Alan’s unique style and sharp wit was inspirational and I am so excited to be part of creating a Foundation to nurture the future trailblazers for international documentary film-making.”

The delight works both ways as Jane Mote is a leading multi-media professional with a keen interest in growing wider audiences for great stories from across the globe. Formerly the UK managing director of Al Gore’s documentary channel Current TV, Jane now combines consultancy work for commercial TV – Turner, BBC Worldwide, Discovery and others – with nurturing new talent in East and West Africa. She previously launched the BBC’s first tri-media newsroom BBC London and more recently created London Live for the London Evening Standard.

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Phoebe Hall

Production Manager

Phoebe joined The Whickers in November 2017 to manage the annual documentary funding awards. She was previously Events and Workshops Manager at One World Media, producing their annual journalism awards and managing their projects for nurturing emerging documentary talent. Prior to this, Phoebe was Programme Editor at the Frontline Club, producing their London events programme and managing the International Partners project – working with media centres and film festivals across Russia, Turkey and Eastern Europe on a year-round programme of documentary screenings, panel discussions, and journalistic training.

She studied French with Film at UCL, spending a year at the Sorbonne in Paris, and outside of her studies helped to develop the British Student Film Festival. She is the co-founder of Puppy Fat, a regular screening evening that spotlights the work of emerging filmmakers.

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