Catapult Film Fund is dedicated to supporting nonfiction filmmakers with critical early-stage funding and mentorship to launch distinctive, story-driven, and cinematic films.
Catapult Film Fund’s flagship support sits at the riskiest point in nonfiction filmmaking: early development. The funder backs documentary filmmakers with development grants, research funding, mentorship, and project acceleration designed to help story-driven films move from idea to materials and reporting. Its grantmaking also includes immersive rough-cut support, showing a clear interest in helping projects through the earliest and middle stages of production rather than only at completion. Recent grants show a strong mix of film infrastructure and project-level support. Women Make Movies received $182,500 in 2025 for development, momentum, research, and consulting, while The Center for Independent Documentary received $120,000 in 2024 for documentary support. Catapult also funded International Documentary Association, Film Independent, The Film Collaborative, and The Redford Center, indicating a pattern of supporting organizations that serve documentary creators as well as individual projects. The foundation’s stated focus areas center on documentary film, nonfiction storytelling, film research and development, and filmmaker mentorship and training. The recent-grants list also points to a practical, production-oriented approach. Awards went to organizations and project entities tied to development, editing, and field research, suggesting Catapult is interested in helping filmmakers build the reporting, structure, and momentum needed for nonfiction work. Its program menu includes unsolicited grants for research and development, development, and rough-cut retreat support.
Catapult Film Fund’s cause areas cluster around documentary development and the support systems that make nonfiction production possible. In development work, it gave $75,000 in 2025 to Walking Iris Media for a development grant, and it also awarded $25,000 to Dream of Grape Gardens for development in 2025. The funder also backs organizations that provide documentary training and institutional support. Women Make Movies received $182,500 in 2025 for development, momentum, research, and consulting, while the Center for Independent Documentary received $57,500 in 2025 for development, momentum, and research. A third thread is rough-cut and work-in-progress support. The Rough Cut Retreat and the Catapult & True/False Rough Cut Retreat are explicitly designed for nonfiction feature filmmakers at the editing stage, with travel, lodging, meals, and mentorship included. Catapult’s active program list also includes a Project Accelerator focused on stories at the intersection of technology and society.
$2.1M
$303K
$1.5M
$1.5M
Most grants fall between $20K and $54K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$54K
About 44% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Lisa Kleiner-Chanoff
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Catapult Film Fund’s typical award size is tightly clustered at the lower end of its distribution: p25 is $20,000, median is $20,000, and p75 is $53,750. That pattern suggests many grants are standard-size development awards, with a smaller set of larger institutional or multi-purpose grants. The recent grants list shows repeated support to some recipients across multiple years, including Women Make Movies, The Center for Independent Documentary, International Documentary Association, The Film Collaborative, and The Redford Center. Catapult is a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it does not fund individuals. Its active programs include unsolicited Research Grants, Development Grants, and Rough Cut Retreat support, which points to open application pathways for multiple stages of documentary work.
Catapult Film Fund gives nationally, and every recent grant in the provided sample went to U.S. recipients. California is its top state by grant count, with 44% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state, but the awards also land in New York, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Utah, Colorado, and beyond. Recent recipient cities include New York, Los Angeles, Newton, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Salt Lake City. The geography of giving reflects a national documentary network rather than a single regional corridor.
Catapult Film Fund supports documentary filmmaking and nonfiction storytelling, especially early-stage research, development, and mentorship. Its active programs include Research Grants, Development Grants, and rough-cut retreat support for nonfiction feature filmmakers.
Yes. Its Research Grants, Development Grants, Catapult Research Grant, and Rough Cut Retreat programs all list unsolicited applications as accepted. The Project Accelerator is the exception in the active program list, where unsolicited applications are not accepted.
The typical grant size is $20,000 at both the 25th percentile and the median, with a 75th percentile of $53,750. That suggests most awards are around $20,000, with some larger grants going to organizations or multi-part support packages.
Recipients include documentary support organizations and project entities such as Women Make Movies, The Center for Independent Documentary, International Documentary Association, Film Independent, The Film Collaborative, and The Redford Center. The funder also supports nonfiction filmmakers through research, development, and rough-cut programs.
Catapult Film Fund gives nationally, with recipients across the United States. California is the top state by grant count, and 44% of grants go to recipients in California. Recent recipient cities include New York, Los Angeles, Newton, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Salt Lake City.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women Make Movies | New York, NY | $182,500 | 2025 | Devlopmt/Momentum/Resrch/Consult |
| International Documentary Asc | Los Angeles, CA | $90,000 | 2025 | Development & Momentum Grants |
| Walking Iris Media | San Francisco, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| The Ctr for Indy Documentary | Newton, MA | $57,500 | 2025 | Development, Momentum, & Research |
| Utah Film Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $40,000 | 2025 | Development & Momentum Grants |
| New Orleans Video Access Cent | New Orleans, LA | $28,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| Dream of Grape Gardens | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| Homelands Research Group Inc | Ithaca, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| The Redford Center | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| Incite Productions Inc | Boulder, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| Doc Society | Brooklyn, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| The Gotham Film & Media Inst | Brooklyn, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| International Documentary Ass | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| Film Forum | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| Antenna | New Orleans, LA | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| Maysles Documentary Center | New York City, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| From The Heart Productions | Oxnard, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | Development Grant |
| Visual Communications Media | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | Research Grant |
| Meteor Films Inc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Momentum Grant |
| Creative Visions Foundation | Malibu, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | Momentum Grant |
| Center for Indep Documentary | Pleasantville, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Momentum Grant |
| Media Collective | New York City, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | Momentum Grant |
| Union Docs | Ridgewood, NY | $12,500 | 2025 | Development, Research, & Consulting |
| Swell Cinema | San Francsico, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Momentum Grant |
| The Ctr for Indy Documentary | Newton, MA | $120,000 | 2024 | Documentary Support |
| Film Independent | Los Angeles, CA | $70,000 | 2024 | Documentary Support |
| Women Make Movies | New York, NY | $55,000 | 2024 | Documentary Support |
| The Film Collaborative | Los Angeles, CA | $55,000 | 2024 | Bella Bella & The Futurists Proj |
| Union Docs | Ridgewood, NY | $55,000 | 2024 | Documentary Film Support |
| The Redford Center | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | Documentary Film Support |
| International Documentary Fdn | Los Angeles, CA | $39,500 | 2024 | Documentary Support |
| Incite Productions Inc | Boulder, CO | $35,000 | 2024 | Documentary Film Support |
| Bay Area Video Coalition Inc | San Francisco, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | MADRES QUE LUCHAN |
| Meteor Films Inc | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | Untitled Cop City documentary |
| Video Veracity Inc | New Orleans, LA | $25,000 | 2024 | Untitled Natches Project |
| Walking Iris Media | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | Time Hunter |
| Utah Film Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2024 | Untitled Thwaites Film |
| Sima Studios | West Hollywood, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | Ashish's Journey |
| New Orleans Video Access Cent | New Orleans, LA | $20,000 | 2024 | Development Grant |
| Afterimage Public Media | San Francisco, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | A Night At The Stone Burlesk |
| Level Ground | Los Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 2024 | Untitled Labor Union Documentary |
| Pacific Arts Movement | San Diego, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | Untitled Philippine Ship Project |
| International Documentary Fdn | Los Angeles, CA | $120,000 | 2023 | Documentary Support |
| Women Make Movies | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | Documentary Support |
| The Film Collaborative | Los Angeles, CA | $55,000 | 2023 | Documentary Support |
| The Ctr for Indy Documentary | Newton, MA | $55,000 | 2023 | Documentary Support |
| Documentary Edu Resources | Watertown, MA | $30,000 | 2023 | No Time to Fail & King Coal |
| Doc Society | Brooklyn, NY | $20,000 | 2023 | A Fox Under a Pink Moon |
| Film Independent | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | Wind Up |
| Afterimage Public Media | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2023 | A Night At The Stone Burlesk |
Women Make Movies
$182,500Devlopmt/Momentum/Resrch/Consult
International Documentary Asc
$90,000Development & Momentum Grants
Walking Iris Media
$75,000Development Grant
The Ctr for Indy Documentary
$57,500Development, Momentum, & Research
Utah Film Center
$40,000Development & Momentum Grants
New Orleans Video Access Cent
$28,000Development Grant
Dream of Grape Gardens
$25,000Development Grant
Homelands Research Group Inc
$25,000Development Grant
The Redford Center
$25,000Development Grant
Incite Productions Inc
$25,000Development Grant
Doc Society
$25,000Development Grant
The Gotham Film & Media Inst
$25,000Development Grant
International Documentary Ass
$25,000Development Grant
Film Forum
$25,000Development Grant
Antenna
$25,000Development Grant
Maysles Documentary Center
$25,000Development Grant
From The Heart Productions
$25,000Development Grant
Visual Communications Media
$20,000Research Grant
Meteor Films Inc
$15,000Momentum Grant
Creative Visions Foundation
$15,000Momentum Grant
Center for Indep Documentary
$15,000Momentum Grant
Media Collective
$15,000Momentum Grant
Union Docs
$12,500Development, Research, & Consulting
Swell Cinema
$10,000Momentum Grant
The Ctr for Indy Documentary
$120,000Documentary Support
Film Independent
$70,000Documentary Support
Women Make Movies
$55,000Documentary Support
The Film Collaborative
$55,000Bella Bella & The Futurists Proj
Union Docs
$55,000Documentary Film Support
The Redford Center
$50,000Documentary Film Support
International Documentary Fdn
$39,500Documentary Support
Incite Productions Inc
$35,000Documentary Film Support
Bay Area Video Coalition Inc
$25,000MADRES QUE LUCHAN
Meteor Films Inc
$25,000Untitled Cop City documentary
Video Veracity Inc
$25,000Untitled Natches Project
Walking Iris Media
$20,000Time Hunter
Utah Film Center
$20,000Untitled Thwaites Film
Sima Studios
$20,000Ashish's Journey
New Orleans Video Access Cent
$20,000Development Grant
Afterimage Public Media
$15,000A Night At The Stone Burlesk
Level Ground
$15,000Untitled Labor Union Documentary
Pacific Arts Movement
$10,000Untitled Philippine Ship Project
International Documentary Fdn
$120,000Documentary Support
Women Make Movies
$100,000Documentary Support
The Film Collaborative
$55,000Documentary Support
The Ctr for Indy Documentary
$55,000Documentary Support
Documentary Edu Resources
$30,000No Time to Fail & King Coal
Doc Society
$20,000A Fox Under a Pink Moon
Film Independent
$20,000Wind Up
Afterimage Public Media
$20,000A Night At The Stone Burlesk