The Chicago Digital Media Production Fund is a grant designed to support Chicago-based filmmakers and digital media artists whose work encourages social change. Since 2012, Chicago Filmmakers has awarded a total of $937,000 to 84 Chicago-area artists through the CDMPF, made possible through the support of Voqal. Productions funded by the CDMPF have included award-winning web series, groundbreaking short documentaries, interactive media projects, and more. Learn about the grant application criteria and process here.
Productions funded by the CDMPF have been viewed online for free by over a million viewers, have been screened at festivals such as Outfest, Newfest, San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival and museums such as the Brooklyn Art Museum, Smart Museum of Art, National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, and online on platforms such as Tribeca Film.com and Open TV. Projects have been featured on more than 100 media outlets, among them Elle Magazine, Forbes, The Atlantic, Variety, IndieWire, Vice, Ebony, NBC News, ABC News, After Ellen, The Guardian, and Jet Magazine. Brown Girls, which is currently in development with HBO, was a nominee for the Emmy Award and the International Academy of Web Television Awards.
Browse through all of our past grantees and view completed projects below!
2022 Funded Projects
2021 Funded Projects
2019 Funded Projects
2018 Funded Projects
2017 Funded Projects
2016 Funded Projects
2015 Funded Projects
BEYOND BLIND by Matt Lauterbach
LACES by Darrell Judon
McTUCKY FRIED HIGH by Robin Carnilius
MOVING by Lori Felker
RIGHTS LAB by Yana Kunichoff and Scrappers Film Group
WOLF LAKE by Andy Resek
YOU’RE SO TALENTED: SEASON 2 by Sam Bailey
WAR ON CHICAGOANS: PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF CHICAGO POLICE VIOLENCE by Jacob Klippenstein and Women's All Points Bulletin
2013 Funded Projects
ADVENTURE SANDWICH by Lily Emerson
CITIZEN PRIMER by Eric Patrick
CHICAGO GLOVE PROJECT by Olivia Curry
CHICAGO SHAREEF by Nushmia Khan
DETROIT LIGHTS by Alexander Hughes
FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS: PUBLIC SCHOOL CLOSINGS IN CHICAGO by Rachel Dickson
I LIVE FOR TRANS EDUCATION by Andre Perez and the Trans Oral History Project
LES OISEAUX by Jeff Perlman
RIGHTS: THE MOMENT by Carley Mostar
2014 Funded Projects
THE SCHOOL PROJECT by Bob Hercules and Media Process Group
MUSLIMAHS IN THE CITY by Fahima Mohamood
NATURAL LIFE by Tirtza Even
SEX OFFER LAWS IMPACT YOUTH by Jo Anne Smith
BATTLE FLAG by Logan Jaffe
BLOCK ZOMBIES by Leon Kelsick
DRIFTING TOWARD THE CRESCENT by Laura Stewart
FOR THE RECORDS by Anuradha Rana and Doris Rusch
McTUCKY FRIED HIGH by Robin Carnilius
THE FORUM by Benjamin Jaffe
THE HALF-LIFE OF WAR by Kyle Henry
UPTOWN, 2084 by Drew Dir and Manual Cinema
2012 Funded Projects
BARBERSHOP DOCUMENTARY (Untitled) by Janelle Vaughn Dowell
BODY (THE) IMAGE by Hillary Bachelder ($4,000)
THE BULLET by Brittany Douglas and Community Television Network
GETTIN’ GROWN TV by Aaron Greer
THE GRID by Brian Ashby
RAINBOW ROOTS by Luiz Magana
PRESERVES by Anuradha Rana
THE YEAR I BROKE MY VOICE by Madsen Minax