Artist Development Donor Circle

What is the donor circle? 

A group of dedicated individuals, foundations, and corporate partners who care about the health and well-being of supporting ground-breaking first and second time nonfiction filmmakers from underrepresented communities. These donors join our network of funders, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Perspective Fund, and Film SF in helping create sustainability for our work to support artists. The donor circle joins us in providing critical support for first or second time non-fiction feature filmmakers, meaningful mentorship opportunities, field building efforts, and creative conversations that are open to the public and expand the reach of what media making can mean. 

Why now? 

Since BAVC began in 1976, supporting artists has been at the core of our work. In 1991 we launched our MediaMaker Fellowship (formerly the National MediaMaker Fellowship and the BAVC Producers Institute), and since then we have served hundreds of independent artists at work on social-issue nonfiction film and multimedia projects, with a particular focus on supporting emerging artists and underrepresented communities. An estimated 60% of MediaMaker supported films completed in the last decade have been broadcast on public television reaching diverse audiences across the nation. 

With an uncertain industry and changes in distribution all around us, we need to find additional ways to support artists who are taking risks, pushing the boundaries and the definitions of what documentary film means, and building the future of nonfiction storytelling.

Interested in joining? Fill out our interest form below and a member of our Development team will be in touch!

Have any questions? Contact us at giving@bavc.org to learn more