Storytelling with Care: Short Film Grant

We all have a care story. At some point in our lives, every one of us will give or receive care – whether that’s caring for a child, a parent, a loved one with disabilities, or receiving care ourselves, from a family member or professional care worker.

Care work performed inside the home – whether by paid care workers or unpaid family caregivers – has long remained invisible in our popular culture. It’s time to change that.

What Do We Mean By Care Story?

The Storytelling With Care grant program is seeking stories that showcase the experiences of caregivers (both professional and family) and care recipients in the context of a home or community setting. Care doesn’t have to drive the plot, but it should be meaningfully integrated into the fabric of the story and world. We’re looking for varied explorations of aging, disability, and child care that expand representation and help move people from seeing caregiving as the private, individual duty of families to a universal social issue that affects everyone and requires collective solutions.

In addition to a $50k grant toward the production of the film, the grantee will receive mentorship from studio executives, dedicated support submitting to film festivals, and a 1-year membership to Hollywood Radio & Television Society. Submissions must include a completed script or documentary treatment for a short film of 20 mins or less including credits, featuring the following:

Care visibly occurring within the context of a home or community setting.
A care worker who is an active character (may or may not be the protagonist).
At least one of the leading characters is portrayed as active members of a “care circle” – whether this be a professional care worker, family caregiver, and / or care recipient.

All genres welcome, especially narrative. We’re looking for unexpected and creative approaches that expand the way care is represented while capturing certain universal truths. Such as:

The essential nature of care (i.e. the work that makes all other work possible)
The false narrative that care is “women’s work”
Adapting to the role reversal when caring for a parent
That professional care work is skilled work

Timeline

The grant recipient will be announced in Spring 2024, with the goal of having the short film completed in time for the 2025 – 2026 festival circuit. Applications close on January 31, 2024.

To prepare for your application submission, download a PDF of the application questions, then return to this page when you are ready to submit your application.

Apply Now

Questions? Reach out to entertainment@domesticworkers.org