OPEN CALL

Black Public Media’s annual Open Call celebrates the complexity of the Black experience. We welcome proposals on a range of stories told in a variety of styles, platforms and perspectives.

Accepting Applications in September 1-25, 2023

Open Call

Each year, BPM issues an open call for feature-length documentaries and shorts (nonfiction or scripted) that are currently in pre-production, production or post-production, and are intended for public media distribution. The focus of our 2023 Open Call is on climate stories.

We are looking for traditional media projects that present the voice of the Black community as it relates to our changing environment. The range of creative approaches under our content priority is wide and varied. Proposals should present a compelling story, show a clear understanding of the subject, and detail an original and creative stylistic approach designed to illuminate the issues, spark conversation and point to equitable solutions for the current crises.

The Open Call submission portal opens on Friday, September 1. The submission deadline is Monday, September 25. Awards will be announced December 2023.

Our Funding Priority

“Climate change is more than parts per million and greenhouse gases. … The people who are feeling the worst impacts of climate, their voices have got to be heard.”

— Dr. Robert D. Bullard, environmentalist and distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy, Texas Southern University (nyt, June 3, 2020)

Funding will be awarded as follows:

One short project (documentary or scripted) will be awarded $30,000 for a stand-alone or limited series
Five broadcast-length or feature projects will be awarded $40,000 plus an invitation to PitchBLACK
One broadcast-length or feature project will be awarded $150,000 at PitchBLACK Awards next April (click below for more information about PitchBLACK).

To be eligible for the Open Call:

The applicant must (a) be the project’s producer or director, (b) be a US citizen, (c) have a minimum of three years professional producing and/or directing experience, or have a senior producer attached to the project;
Key creative personnel (producer, director, writer, or editor) must include a person of color;
The proposed content must be either a short (scripted or nonfiction) or broadcast-length documentary for public media distribution;

The project must be completed within 36 months of receiving the award;
The applicant must hold artistic, budgetary and editorial control, and must own the copyright of the proposed project;
Projects or production entities that are foreign-based, owned or controlled are NOT eligible. Neither are industrial, promotional or student films.

Our deadlines are strict. We highly recommend that you start your application in plenty of time and “save” to complete your submission over time. As soon as the application window closes, a panel of media professionals across the industry will evaluate the proposals in a two-tier review process. The deadline for this year’s Open Call will be announced in August.

Review Criteria

The review panel will evaluate each proposal using the following guidelines:

The subject/story meets BPM’s mission to engage audiences around a critical social issue.
The synopsis demonstrates a compelling narrative that is unique and original.
The treatment clearly describes the visual and audio approach, narrative structure and overall style.
The team’s production experience will support the execution of the project.
The budget and production timeline matches the scope of the project presented.
The video sample demonstrates skill, creativity and ability of production team to execute the proposed project
The overall application is a professional proposal that demonstrates project readiness.

Projects selected for funding will receive a BPM funding contract. The contract is not a grant but a licensing agreement in which BPM is granted exclusive or shared domestic public television distribution rights as well as the exclusive or shared right to package, schedule and promote the program through public broadcasting. BPM makes no expressed or implied commitment to financially support a project until an agreement is signed by both the applicant and BPM. As a condition of the funding contract, producers must agree to BPM’s standard terms and conditions, including the following:

For broadcast projects, assignment to BPM of public television broadcast rights for four (4) years over national public television, off-air record rights, and internet streaming rights;
For web projects only, assignment to BPM of streaming rights for four (4) years;
Funding and/or Presentation credit to BPM and Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB);

Producers must comply with all equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination laws and policies, payola/plugola requirements and other applicable federal and state rules and regulations.

Now Offering Office Hours

Are you interested in submitting a project for consideration, but have questions that aren’t addressed in our FAQs? BPM Director of Programs Denise Greene is now offering opportunities for a limited time to interested makers during the week of Sept. 12-16. Consultations are for 10 minutes each and are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Calls are scheduled for 10 mins. each.

Sign up hours are:

Tues., Sept. 13 −1pm to 2:45pm

Wed., Sept. 14 −5pm-6:45pm

Sat., Sept. 17 −12pm-1:45pm

Open Call, 360 Incubator+ and PitchBLACK are supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Netflix and the MacArthur Foundation.