Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant, in partnership with Jackson Wild, is an exclusive grant opportunity for past and current Jackson Wild Fellows
Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant
The Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant is a comprehensive opportunity exclusively for Jackson Wild Fellows, providing funding for a film project and 360 support during the production process. From start to finish, the selected grantee will receive support from Curiosity's experienced team to create budgets, refine the story, and learn about the editing and production process. This program is designed to provide participants with an immersive experience in all aspects of working with a commissioner to bring their film idea to life.
Program Details
All Jackson Wild Fellows are eligible to apply.
One project/recipient will be selected for this cycle.
Proposed ideas should be compelling natural history stories, including behavior, science, solutions, etc., located in any region of the world.
Projects will be allocated $1,000 USD per minute, in addition to full support from Curiosity’s team, which will provide mentorship and resources throughout the entire process, including post-production and distribution.
Length
The ideal length for Curiosity premium content is at least 13 minutes, with a maximum of 52 minutes.
Payment
Payment is always finalized during the contracting period. In short, Curiosity will work with the grant recipient to create a milestone-based payment schedule. Curiosity’s goal is to set you up for success!
Distribution
This is a commission, so Curiosity retains the rights. That said, as noted in the FAQ, Curiosity is open to alternative funding models. If a third party contributes funding and requests rights, they simply need to be informed in advance so they can work through the details with the finalists.
The film will be available globally on Curiosity’s flagship SVOD service, Curiosity Stream, and on the linear television channel Curiosity Channel, which is distributed worldwide through partners and reaches more than 25 million subscribers in 175 countries.
Timeline
June 16, 2025: Application opens
July 21, 2025: Application closes
July 22 to September 28, 2025: Review process
September 29 to October 2, 2025: The recipient is announced during the Summit
Application questions
Your Name
Email
Website
Resume
Links to previous work/work samples
What Jackson Wild Fellowship program did you participate in?
Where are you based?
Please submit a 1-2 page treatment/story outline
Please submit a copy of the budget
What stage of production is this project in?
What is the pre-production, production, post-production, and delivery timeline?
What is the film’s run time?
Please provide a complete list of the proposed equipment you’ll be using for filming and editing.
Do you have in-house production capabilities, or will you partner with someone? And if you are partnering or collaborating with someone, do you already have a team in mind?
What impact do you hope your film will have? Have you developed an impact campaign?
FAQ
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Applicants can submit up to two projects for this year’s cycle.
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Yes, although the review team may skim it if it becomes too long. Keeping it short is in the applicant's best interest.
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It is important to understand the full scope of the proposed arrangement. In a previous instance, equipment was provided and acknowledged through an on-screen credit; however, no rights were granted as part of that agreement. If a similar setup is being contemplated in this case, clarification is required regarding whether any rights would be conferred.
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Preferably, the film will be in 4K, but Curiosity can adjust if it’s in HD.
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Only conventional films are accepted, as 360-degree formats present limitations for distribution.
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Yes, you may apply as a team. In fact, we encourage this as everyone’s specialties complement each other.