Berkeley FILM Foundation’s General Grant

The Berkeley FILM Foundation (BFF) 2025 General Grant supports documentary filmmakers whose work embodies creativity, originality, and social impact. This program is designed for filmmakers who live or work in the East Bay cities of Berkeley, Emeryville, Albany, El Cerrito, Richmond, or Oakland, and who are pursuing projects that address complex contemporary issues through a socially conscious lens. Applications must be submitted via Submittable between April 7 and May 5, 2025, by 11:59 PM PST. Both student and general grant applications share this deadline in 2025 due to the addition of a separate narrative short film cycle opening July 21, 2025. Only documentary projects are accepted in this cycle; narrative, fiction, animated, or broadcast-oriented content is not eligible. BFF funds films in the production, post-production, and distribution stages but does not support projects in pre-production or development. The Foundation prioritizes films with strong storytelling, innovation in filmmaking style, and topics such as oppression, underrepresented communities, environmental issues, health, science, and local history. A clear explanation of the filmmaker's personal connection to the subject matter (authorship) is encouraged. General grants typically range from $2,500 to $15,000, and 20–25 projects are funded annually. Four special awards of up to $25,000 are also awarded by the review panel during final deliberations: The Saul Zaentz Award: Best overall film The Al Bendich Award: Civil rights or free speech themes The Saul Zaentz Award for Creative Vision: Tackles systemic causes of poverty The Jonathan Logan Elevate Award: For a young filmmaker of color exploring complex social or political issues Applicants must be the Director or Producer, at least 18 years old, and have lived or worked in an eligible city for at least one year. Filmmakers may only submit one project per cycle, and previous grantees may not reapply for the same project in consecutive years unless applying for a new project phase (e.g., post-production after prior production funding). No applications from editors or other crew are accepted. Required submission materials include: A current resume for the director and producer A complete project budget (Excel format) A 5–10 minute film sample (Vimeo preferred) representing the film's tone, access, style, and subject The review process takes approximately six to seven weeks, with awards announced by end of July 2025. Grantees are required to host a public community screening in partnership with BFF after project completion. For questions or accessibility accommodations, applicants may contact Isabella Miller at isabella@berkeleyfilmfoundation.org or 510-705-1481.