IMPACT GRANT FUND
CMP's Impact Grant Fund is Chicago Media Project’s latest membership-driven initiative to financially support documentary films and media. This initiative is yet another example of CMP’s Community Model Philanthropy at work. The Fund was founded by multi-year donations from members of our CMP I/I equity group, who are committed to “paying it forward” via philanthropic grants to filmmakers.
We are thrilled that with this fund CMP has expanded the generous pool of grants for non-fiction films and filmmakers in the field. Our goal is to further enable films to get made, and to help sustain the lives of more media-makers. To that end, our IGF Advisory Board will approve grants in three categories:
EARLY STAGE FUNDING
These grants will provide early stage support to filmmakers producing trailers and fundraising media, and to cover critical production shoots.
FILMMAKER SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING
These grants acknowledge the personal sacrifices non-fiction filmmakers must make to sustain their creative lives. Earmarked specifically for filmmakers independent of a particular project, these grants provide unrestricted assistance to filmmakers who are telling the critical stories of our time.
INNOVATION IN OUTREACH CAMPAIGN FUNDING
These grants support innovative approaches to impact and outreach campaigns. We are interested in growing this area and supporting new approaches to the idea of outreach and engagement.
Each grant includes mentoring and guidance from CMP staff and its members, and awarded filmmakers are invited to share their work at one of our Big Table Dinners, where they meet our members and further solidify support during their funding year.
IMPACT GRANT FUND AWARDEES TO DATE:
2019
Virtually Free by André Robert Lee, Susan MacLaury and Alexandra Blaney
2019 Innovation and Outreach Awardee
Untitled Syrian Families Film by Megan Mylan and Robin Hessman
2019 Filmmaker Sustainability Awardee
Loyalty by David Washburn
2019 Early Stage Funding Awardee
2018
This is the House Where I Learned Not to Sleep by Kirsten Kelly and Anne de Mare - 2018 Early Stage Funding Awardee
Water Warriors by Michael Premo - 2018 Innovation in Outreach Funding Awardee
One Child Nation by Nanfu Wang - 2018 Filmmaker Sustainability Funding Awardee
The Pushouts by Katie Galloway - 2018 Public Good Funding Awardee
2017
Crip Camp by Jim LeBrecht & Nicole Newnham - 2017 Early Stage Funding Awardee
Elaine Sheldon - 2017 Filmmaker Sustainability Funding Awardee
Facing Whiteness by Whitney Dow - 2017 Innovation in Outreach Campaign Funding Awardee
Dark Money by Kim Reed - 2017 Honorary Impact Grant Fund Awardee
THE GREAT CHICAGO PITCH
CMP’S SIGNATURE DOCUMENTARY EVENT
The Great Chicago Pitch brings together filmmakers, industry partners and the greater community for an exciting afternoon of 5 new documentary projects pitched to a live audience.
PREVIOUS PITCH EVENTS
We believe in the power of community giving in a live setting - live "crowdfunding" as we call it. To date CMP has held 5 pitch events, including GOODPITCH CHICAGO in 2015 where we raised over $350,000 in the room for 6 documentary film projects
Represent by Hillary Bachelder
Terrorist Son by Danny Yourd
Punch 9: Harold Washington for Chicago by Joe Winston