Firelight Media’s mission is to support the creation, distribution, and impact of documentary media by and about communities of color in all our vibrance and complexity. By providing filmmakers mentorship, funding, and creative development, we seek to advance the art of nonfiction storytelling to realize a more just and beautiful world.
We prioritize stories that authentically represent the experiences and perspectives of the individuals and communities we serve. Our commitment to equity and inclusion extends to a broad range of racial and cultural identities and other aspects of identity that inform them, such as gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic and immigration status, geographic location, and disability.
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Our Programs
The following programs offer periodic open calls for applications via Submittable. For a complete list of Firelight Media's programs, visit firelightmedia.tv.
Documentary Lab
The Documentary Lab is Firelight Media’s longest-running artist program. This 18-month fellowship is designed to nurture underrepresented nonfiction storytellers working on their first or second feature film. The Documentary Lab provides holistic support for fellows’ projects and careers through professional development retreats, customized mentorship, and a $25K project grant. Throughout the Lab, filmmakers build a network within the documentary ecosystem, connecting with the fellows and alumni, as well as forging industry relationships across the field. The application for the Documentary Lab is currently closed.
Firelight Fund
The Firelight Fund supports Black, Brown, and Indigenous stories from development through distribution, with a focus on those who are telling urgent stories and using their craft to advance social justice. The Firelight Fund comprises grants of up to $50k per project in its initial round and is open to short documentaries at any stage and feature-length documentaries at the production, post-production, or distribution and impact stages. The application for the Firelight Fund is currently closed.
Homegrown Season 4
Firelight Media invites emerging and mid-career underrepresented filmmakers living in and/or originating from the Appalachian Mountain region to submit works-in-progress for the fourth season of the award-winning, regionally-focused documentary short film series HOMEGROWN. Selected filmmakers will receive up to $40k to produce an 8-to-15-minute nonfiction short. Filmmakers should approach their topic with a current, modern perspective — immersing audiences in the real, lived experience of the region. The filmmakers will work closely with Firelight Media from development through distribution. The application for HOMEGROWN Season 4 is open from January 6 through February 2, 2026. Access the application link below.
Overview
Firelight Media invites emerging and mid-career underrepresented filmmakers living in and/or originating from the Appalachian Mountain region to submit works-in-progress for the fourth season of the award-winning, regionally-focused documentary short film series, HOMEGROWN. Selected filmmakers will receive up to $40k to produce an 8-to-15 minute nonfiction short. Filmmakers should approach their topic with a current, modern perspective—immersing audiences in the real, lived experience of the region. The filmmakers will work closely with Firelight Media from development through distribution.
Projects may vary in scope/approach, and address topics including (but not limited to):
- Celebrations and joy
- Climate change and environmental justice
- Community portraits
- Contemporary takes on unknown histories
- Cultural changemakers
- Education
- Family
- Healthcare & the body
- Housing disparities
- Land rights and reparative work
- Local folklore
- Migration and immigrant communities
- Narratives on resilience or anti-resilience
- New forms of resistance
- Old and new economies
- Shifting landscapes
- Unique stories and occurrences
- Unrecognized communities
Ideal candidates for the initiative are emerging and mid-career filmmakers committed to uncovering previously untold narratives rooted in their local community.
Eligibility Guidelines:
- Applicants can only pitch short-form nonfiction projects (8-15 minutes) that are in early to late production.
- Applicants must include a pitch deck in their application.
- Applicants must be from an underrepresented community.
- Applicants must reside in or originate from the following states: Alabama (northern), Georgia (northern), Kentucky (eastern), Maryland (western), Mississippi (northern), New York (southern), North Carolina (western), Ohio (southern), Pennsylvania (western/central), South Carolina (northwestern), Tennessee (eastern), Virginia (southwestern), West Virginia. Refer to this map by county to see which parts of each state are considered part of Appalachia.
- Applicants must be able to complete the project by September 30, 2026, and be available (both virtually and in person) for distribution and promotion engagements through 2027.
- Applicants must hold artistic, budgetary, and editorial control over the project and own the copyright.
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older by the time of submission.
- Applicants must be willing and able to work collaboratively with Firelight Media staff and its partners.
- Only one proposal may be submitted per applicant.
Projects NOT Eligible:
- Feature documentaries, series, or fiction projects
- Projects in pre-production or completed films
- Projects that are student films or are related to coursework
- Projects or production entities that are owned, controlled, or based outside the United States.
- Branded content or promotional projects
- Filmmakers contracted with another Firelight Media or Films program and have not completed final deliverables by the time they are selected for this program
- Filmmakers employed by Firelight Media, Firelight Films, or who are members of the board of directors for any of these entities
APPLY: The deadline is February 2, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
About Firelight Media:
Firelight Media’s mission is to support the creation, distribution, and impact of documentary media by and about underrepresented filmmakers in all our vibrance and complexity. By providing filmmakers mentorship, funding, and creative development, we seek to advance the art of nonfiction storytelling to realize a more just and beautiful world.
While Firelight Media’s programs are designed to support underrepresented documentary filmmakers, all are welcome to apply.
If you have any questions or require accommodations, please email: weenta@firelightmedia.org.