Sugarcane, directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie
Sugarcane, directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie
Black Snow, director Alina Simone
Black Snow, director Alina Simone
Union, director/producer Stephen Maing, Brett Story
Union, director/producer Stephen Maing, Brett Story

How to Apply

The Catapult Research Grant is no longer accepting LOI. Selected projects will be invited to submit full applications in early December 2024.

Launched in 2020, the Catapult Research Grant expands upon our mission to provide early support to nonfiction filmmakers and films. This intensive program offers grants of $10,000 USD and dedicated mentorship to U.S.-based filmmakers in the early conception phase of a documentary feature or short. We do not support docuseries at this time. Learn more about previous Catapult Research Fund grantees»

Our latest program seeks to address filmmaker sustainability and diversity in the field, with a focus on artists from systemically marginalized communities. In 2025, we will support a cohort of three (3) mid-career filmmakers who share a desire to deepen their craft and an ongoing commitment to the art of nonfiction storytelling. The grant can be used for a variety of needs for developing new nonfiction film ideas including: research, writing, travel, crew, identifying and gaining access to protagonists, and any preliminary production costs associated with shaping the artistic vision or capturing early footage. Learn more about Frequently Asked Questions»

Key Dates

The Catapult Research Grant is a two-step application process. Applicants must review Guidelines and Eligibility» and Procedure and Checklist» in order to submit the Letter of Intent (LOI). After an internal review, selected projects will be invited to submit the full application for funding consideration.