Miller / Packan Focus Fund
The Rogovy Foundation Announces New ‘Focus Fund’
Development Grants for Targeted Topics
The Rogovy Foundation announces a new grant opportunity for documentary filmmakers. The Focus Fund provides $15,000 in development capital for specific documentary film topics selected by The Rogovy Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to encourage awareness, debate and solutions on issues it has identified as ripe for further discussion.
Already providing $150,000 annually in grants through its Miller / Packan documentary fund, the Foundation is committing an additional $60,000 per year for projects curated by its staff.
Currently there are nine topics listed on the Web site that are soliciting Requests for Proposals. In addition to the Topic, the listing includes other elements such as Suggested Logline, Story Premise, Impact Potential and possibly some initial reference material or links. Periodically, the Foundation will be adding new topics.
Some of the topic working titles are: The Empathy Gene; Cannabis vs. Opioids; The Ark of Taste; The Arms Race of Higher Education; The People vs. K Street; Before You Know it; Missing Public Heroes; Medicare for All – The Business Case; The Coming Digital Privacy Crisis.
Candidates who wish to develop one of these projects further are asked to submit a brief proposal using our online submission page. The entire proposal will be roughly two pages in length. If a filmmaker submits a compelling and winning proposal, the funds will be disbursed immediately. The topic idea plus all legal rights to the proposed documentary film reside with the filmmaker.
There is no time limit or deadline to these Request for Proposals. Once a filmmaker submits a proposal that the Foundation feels properly handles the development of this project, we will grant the $15,000 and close the topic to further submissions.
“As huge fans and supporters of documentary films, we’re keen to contribute topic ideas that may have a significant impact,” says Hugh Rogovy, Foundation Founder. “We’ll be curating new topics during the coming year,” added Asher Rogovy, Foundation Vice-President “periodically adding them to our Focus Fund listings.”