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.