Temi is an automatic transcription service, which means it relies on automatic speech recognition (ASR) to process your files.
Amara is a web-based non-profit project created by the Participatory Culture Foundation that hosts and allows user-subtitled video to be accessed and created.
Closed captioning, transcription, audio description, & subtitling solutions that make your videos accessible, searchable, SEO-friendly, and more engaging.
Rev is a closed captioning, subtitles, and transcription service.
In-House Captioning & Subtitling Solutions.
The Deaf Professional Arts Network (D-PAN) a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization was originally founded to make music and music culture – the predominant shared language and experience of people worldwide – universally accessible by extending its reach to the Deaf and hard of hearing. Since 2006, D-PAN has pioneered the art form of creating high quality American Sign Language (ASL) music videos, translating the lyrics of popular songs through ASL.
A free, downloadable caption-authoring software.
A free, open-source editor for video subtitles.
Free subtitle converter
AI-Powered Captioning, Transcription and Localization
Learn more about why it is critical to add closed captions to your film.
Using community power to increase accessibility for all.
RespectAbility’s entertainment media consultants partner with studios, production companies, writers’ rooms and news organizations to create equitable and accessible opportunities to increase the number of people with lived disability experience throughout the overall story-telling process.
Created by FWD-Doc in association with Doc Society and supported by Netflix, this toolkit features a case study about "Crip Camp" (2020) and with a view to best practice, not just compliance.
Website provides information on disabilities in the world of acting, actors who have disabilities in film and Hollywood, and why it is important to have this type of representation in cinema.
A group of filmmakers with disabilities (FWDs) working in documentary film — and active allies. FWD-Doc seeks to increase the visibility of, support for, and direct access to opportunities, networks, and employment for D/deaf, disabled, and neurodiverse filmmakers. We aim to foster greater inclusion of D/deafness, disability, and neurodiversity within the broader entertainment industry.
The DCA is an essential voice leading the conversation around industry standards, education on best practices, and professional ethics in nonfiction cinematography.
BGDM is an organization advocating for women and non-binary people of color in the documentary industry. We divert and direct opportunities to address the unique needs of our community and challenge the antiquated norms within our field. Our multifaceted, member-focused approach includes: deconstructing dominant film spaces, creating blueprints for professional sustainability, and nourishing creative brilliance.
A-Doc is a national network that works to increase the visibility and support of Asian Americans in the documentary field.
This organization advocates for equality in the moving image industry and supports women in every stage of their careers. As the preeminent entertainment industry association for women in New York, NYWIFT energizes women by illuminating their achievements, presenting training and professional development programs, awarding scholarships and grants, and providing access to a supportive community of peers.
DFA is a NYC based group of filmmakers from diverse backgrounds who meet weekly to workshop our media projects. Our goal is to provide and receive feedback designed to make our media projects more fundable, more watchable, more entertaining, more educational, and ready to meet their audience.
IFP programs help filmmakers navigate the industry, develop new audiences, and encourage close interaction between all participants.
Founded by documentarian St. Clair Bourne, The Black Documentary Collective (BDC) provides filmmakers, video producers and media professionals of African descent, with the opportunity to network and promote each others’ work.
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) is a national membership organization that addresses the professional needs of Latino/Latina independent producers.
DocuClub is Arts Engine´s monthly film screening series of works-in-progress documentaries. Every month at DocuClub a filmmaker presents a rough cut of her film to DocuClub members and the public. A facilitated discussion follows each screening.
Distributing innovative and provocative documentary films from independent producers around the world.
Bullfrog Films distributes independently-produced, environmental DVDs & videos, that point the way to living healthily, happily, and with greater concern for the other inhabitants of this planet, and for our descendants.
New Day Films is a filmmaker-run distribution company providing award-winning films to educators since 1971. Democratically run by more than 100 filmmaker members, New Day delivers over 150 titles that illuminate, challenge and inspire.
California Newsreel produces and distributes cutting edge, social justice films that inspire, educate and engage audiences.
Established in 1972 to address the under representation and misrepresentation of women in the media industry, Women Make Movies is a multicultural, multiracial, non-profit media arts organization which facilitates the production, promotion, distribution and exhibition of independent films and videotapes by and about women.
Since 1977, a distributor of LGBT media.
Outcast Films is a film distribution company dedicated to fostering critical discussions around social justice and environmental issues. We are educators and activists and want to be a vehicle for voices that may not otherwise be heard.
This article looks at the most important clauses in distribution contracts and points out where you may want to negotiate improvements to your contract including changes related to new media.
Sproutflix ever-growing list of carefully selected films of artistry and intellect from around the world specifically related to the lives, performances and accomplishments of people with developmental disabilities are available for purchase.
Premiere Digital is an aggregator that delivers titles to leading online retailers like iTunes, Amazon Prime and more.
ArtMattan distributes films that focus on the human experience of black people in Africa, the Caribbean, North and South America and Europe. All their films were shown during ArtMattan's annual African Diaspora Film Festival in New York.
Easily distribute your standard and 360 videos, series, and films worldwide through Vimeo On Demand.
Grasshopper Film is a distribution company dedicated to the release of independent, foreign and documentary film. It was founded in December 2015 by Ryan Krivoshey.
Helping filmmakers with all aspects of distribution, without taking rights.
Think Outside the Box Office is the first to address the new distribution and marketing landscape facing filmmakers. Throughout the book, Reiss redefines the process from a filmmaker's point of view empowering the reader to create unique strategies for their individual films.
PRAGDA is a film distribution company specialized in the educational market, selling and renting Ibero American films to universities as well as organizing public exhibitions in cinematheques, museums and local theaters. We are created to promote, disseminate, and maintain the legacy of Spanish and Latin American cinema.
Watch global Black content, indie films, documentaries, web series, children’s shows, animation, wellness, business, audio stories & more!
Distribution Advocates works to collectively reclaim power for independent storytellers in the current systems of distribution and exhibition. We are a coalition-in-formation striving to advocate for filmmakers and maintain plurality and originality in a culture that needs it more than ever. We fight for radical transparency, rebalancing entrenched inequities and blazing a new, more interesting, accessible and inclusive way forward.
This site aims to be a resource for collectors, artists, and institutions of all sizes caring for works of art that have moving image, electronic, and digital elements. If you have questions about how to acquire and preserve these works, here you will find practical tools and examples to guide you.
Filmhub is a worldwide all-rights film & TV distributor powered by industry innovators who re-defined Hollywood’s mega IP and Silicon Valley’s top tech.
The IDA Documentary Awards is the world's most significant recognition of the best nonfiction films and programs of the year.
A unique pitching initiative which uses online systems to match-make documentary and interactive media makers' most innovative project ideas with UK and international decision makers for one-to-one meetings in a fully supportive environment.
The SFFS Documentary Film Fund will support riveting documentaries in postproduction distinguished by compelling stories, intriguing characters and an innovative visual approach. A total of $100,000 will be disbursed annually between 2011 and 2013 to documentary filmmakers nationwide.
The Manhattan Community Arts Fund (MCAF) grant provides up to $5,000 for arts projects by individual artists and small nonprofit organizations in Manhattan.
Resist funds organizations that are actively part of a movement for social change and demonstrate an understanding of the connections among oppressions.
Cinereach supports feature-length nonfiction and fiction films that are at the intersection of engaging storytelling, visual artistry, and vital subject matter. Grant amounts can range from $5,000 - $50,000 per project and can be awarded to support any stage of production, including research and development, production and post-production.
LEF is a private family foundation that funds creative endeavors in California and the New England region. LEF values strong aesthetics, entrepreneurial thinking, and a spirit of adventure in all of the projects it supports.
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports projects that examine international and transnational themes in the humanities through documentary films. These projects are meant to spark Americans' engagement with the broader world by exploring one or more countries and cultures outside of the United States.
The Garrett Scott Documentary Development Grant was founded in 2007 to support singular new voices in documentary film. Its emphasis is on first-time filmmakers with unconventional training, those making formally challenging work, and those grappling with difficult subjects. Welcoming any background, training or subject, the overriding mission is to support unique filmmaking talents at this crucial moment in their careers.
Open Call provides completion funds for single nonfiction public television programs on any subject, and from any viewpoint. Projects must have begun production as evidenced by a work-in-progress video. Open Call funding is only available to independent producers who are citizens or legal residents of the U.S. and its external territories.
BAVC develops the highest quality preservation standards and practices while working with individuals and cultural, academic, and media organizations to meet a range of needs for preserving historically and artistically important video and audio materials.
Artists' Fellowships are $7,000 cash awards made to individual originating artists living and working in the state of New York for unrestricted use.
Ford's Social Issue Film Funding Initiative will provide approximately $16 million through an open-application process to filmmakers and media makers around the world who are creating documentaries that address urgent social issues.
POV, public television's premier showcase for independent, nonfiction film seeks programs from all perspectives to showcase in its annual national PBS series. All subjects, aesthetic approaches and lengths are welcome.
Grants of up to $30,000 will be awarded to individual film and video artists living in New York City who work in the genres of experimental, narrative, animation, and documentary production
These funds will be awarded to help support social justice documentary thesis projects of students in undergraduate/graduate programs and final projects of individuals participating in production programs at media arts centers. In this inaugural year of the grant, an emphasis is placed on filmmakers and films that focus on South Asian and Southeast Asian communities.
The goal of Pacific Islanders in Communications is to support the development of national public broadcast programming that enhances public recognition of and appreciation for Pacific Islander history, culture, and society. PIC accomplishes this by nurturing and supporting filmmakers through its Research & Development (R&D), Production, and Completion funds.
Vision Maker Media invites proposals for programs intended for Public Television that represent the experiences, values and cultures of American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Chicken & Egg Pictures supports female or female/male partnerships directors of non-fiction feature, non-fiction short, hybrid, new media/multiple platforms, and other film genres.
Funding shorts, docs and independent features that are unique and make a contribution to society.
The Women In Film Foundation's Film Finishing Fund (FFF) annually provides cash and in-kind production services to deserving filmmakers needing help to complete their film projects. In order to apply for a FFF grant, a filmmaker must have completed principal photography and a rough cut at the time of application. The program funds filmmakers working in both short and long formats in all genres-narrative, documentary, educational, animated and experimental.
Open Call Open Call is an open invitation to independent producers to submit proposals for a public television program or series on any subject that relates to or is representative of Latino Americans. LPB funding will average between $5,000 and $100,000 for programs of most genres, including drama, comedy, animation, documentary, or mixed genre. LPB will consider funding projects at any production stage.
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible.
NBPC has a legacy of proudly supporting producers and digital media storytellers who represent the global Black experience.
Through the generosity of Loreen Arbus, New York Women in Film and Television has established the Loreen Arbus Disability Awareness Grant. The film completion grant for $7,500 will be awarded to a woman filmmaker for a film on physical or developmental disability issues. Directors and producers are eligible to apply.
The Nancy Malone Directing Award provides $1,000 to a New York area-based woman director for a narrative short or feature film.
The D-Word hosts discussions about the art, craft, business, and social impact of documentary film. Our Public Topics are open to all. Documentary professionals can apply for free access to a wide range of industry discussions in our Business, Creative, Social, and Technical Topics. Founded in 1999, The D-Word has become the leading documentary community with more than 10,000 members, including over 4,700 documentary professionals from around the world.
XFR Collective is a non-profit organization that partners with artists, activists, individuals, and groups to lower the barriers to preserving at-risk audiovisual media – especially unseen, unheard, or marginalized works – by providing low-cost digitization services and fostering a community of support for archiving and access through education, research, and cultural engagement.
As one of the nation’s longest-standing non-profit video and audio preservation organizations, BAVC remains a leader in the field, developing the highest quality preservation standards and practices while working with individuals and cultural, academic, and media organizations to meet a range of needs for preserving historically and artistically important video and audio materials.
A quick media preservation guide for independent filmmakers.
We convert your home movies (8mm, 16mm, super 8, VHS, VHS-C, Video 8, Hi8, Mini-DV, HDV, and virtually any other format) to DVD or digital file.
The Women's Film Preservation Fund, founded by New York Women in Film & Television, seeks proposals for the preservation or restoration of American films, from any era, in which women have held significant creative positions, including, but not limited to, writer, director, producer, editor and performer.
Standby is an innovative non-profit media arts service organization providing artists and independent makers access to state-of-the-art media services at affordable rates.
The Indie Film Clinic provides free legal services to qualifying New York filmmakers producing independent, documentary, and student films. All clients of the Clinic are represented free of charge on a range of legal issues critical to any production, including: copyright research, registrations, and assignments; guild registrations; drafting and negotiating writer's agreements, employment agreements, and intellectual property licenses; location agreements and permits; depiction releases; and more.
The Fair Use Index tracks a variety of judicial decisions to help both lawyers and non-lawyers better understand the types of uses courts have previously determined to be fair—or not fair.
This Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use makes clear what documentary filmmakers currently regard as reasonable application of the copyright “fair use” doctrine.
The Law Offices of Mark Litwak and Associates has offered its clients high quality legal and business solutions for more than thirty years.
Established in 1969, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts is the pioneer in arts-related legal aid and educational programs about the legal and business issues that affect artist and arts organizations.
The Law Office of Fernando Ramirez provides transactional legal services for individual talent and business clients in the entertainment industry. The firm represents a range of industry professionals including film producers, writers, directors, media personalities, executive producers, composers, musicians, songwriters, managers, music producers, indie labels, and book authors. Firm clients, and represented projects, have garnered Emmy, Oscar, Peabody, MacArthur, Sundance, and Grammy nominations and awards.
The Entertainment and the Arts Legal Clinic (“Clinic”) provides pro bono legal services to independent filmmakers, series creators, writers, actors, legit stage producers, artists, musicians, and other creatives.
This guide can help all producers and content creators better understand the responsibilities we share, internalize the importance of this work, and highlight the reasons, benefits and pathways to creating an inclusive and decolonized documentary ecosystem.
Aims to facilitate greater transparency and inclusion, and benefit the documentary industry as a whole; and, that as the field continues to evolve, the documentary industry keeps a vigilant eye on crediting standards, adjusting as needed.
Useful guide to filming protests safely, knowing your rights and more.
Read Robert Bahar's article on documentary budget with links to samples and more.
We're a Free Film & TV Network, a UK equivalent to Mandy. We have lots of school/university graduates and first-time filmmakers who apply for jobs or post CVs on our website. We also have a blog which provides the latest film industry news, career guides, advice and filming tips.
Thank you to teacher Rachel Martin and students, Jamie and Jennifer, for recommending this informative link.