2026 Project Grants

2026 Project Grants is sponsored by Ellis-Beauregard Foundation. The Ellis-Beauregard Foundation announces project grants for Maine artists working in all genres. The grants support bold, compelling, risk-taking work in and outside of the standard exhibition venue.

Successful projects value unconventional approaches to art making, critical dialogue, collaboration, and new models of community interface. Applications may address a distinct chapter, aspect, or component of a larger project, and community engagement and collaboration in and outside the arts is encouraged.

Documentary Film Award - Ellis-Beauregard Foundation 2026 Documentary Film Award The Ellis-Beauregard Foundation, in collaboration with Points North Institute, is proud to announce the launch of the Ellis-Beauregard Documentary Film Award , an annual initiative supporting visionary nonfiction filmmakers.

EBF will provide one $50,000 award to a documentary project currently in post-production, and Points North will welcome the project to Maine for a creative editing retreat, to be timed with the 2026 Camden International Film Festival. Rooted in the Foundation’s mission to support bold artistic practice, this Award is designed to advance ambitious, creative nonfiction storytelling.

We are committed to supporting filmmakers whose work challenges convention, expands the language of documentary, and engages deeply with contemporary culture and the world around us.

We are seeking artist-driven, independent documentary films that reflect: Bold, risk-taking cinematic vision Experimentation of form and unconventional approaches to nonfiction A clear point of view and an engaged, critical relationship to the subject matter Collaborative, process-driven filmmaking , particularly director–editor partnerships Projects that will benefit meaningfully from support at the post-production stage The Award welcomes projects from both emerging and established filmmakers.

Priority will be given to films that demonstrate strong artistic potential and a clear path toward completion. The project must be on pace to have an assembly or early rough cut at the time of the retreat in September.

The selected filmmaker will receive: $50,000 in unrestricted funding to support post-production from Ellis-Beauregard Foundation An invitation for the director and editor to attend a dedicated Points North editing retreat , timed to coincide with the 2026 Camden International Film Festival (CIFF) Transportation from a location in the US and lodging provided for the retreat for Director and Editor.

During the retreat, the director and editor will share a work-in-progress in Ellis-Beauregard Foundation’s FLEX space on their new state-of-the-art campus. Points North will convene leading documentary editors, producers, and creative advisers in an intimate, supportive environment. The goal is to provide tailored feedback and rigorous conversation, to be metabolized and used to fuel editing progress for the project during the retreat.

Projects that are anticipated to be completed by Summer 2027 are preferred. Finished work will be considered for inclusion in the program at the Camden International Film Festival 2027.

Application & Review Process Applicants submit an application introducing their project and creative approach through the following materials: Project Logline (2-3 sentences) Project Synopsis (max 300 words) Filmmaker Statement (max 250 words) Project Stage (max 150 words) Work Sample 1 (a trailer or fundraising sample of less than 10 minutes ) Work Sample 2 (20 minutes of edited material reflective of the tone and content of the finished project) Short Bio(s) for Director and Editor The 20 minutes of edited material will only be reviewed if the project advances to the final stage of consideration.

Applicants will be reviewed by a panel of invited industry leaders, with selection based on artistic excellence, originality, clarity of vision, and creative potential. Be nonfiction, feature-length documentaries. Be in post-production at the time of application.

Be led by applicants at any stage of their career. Be submitted by an individual artist (funds will be disbursed directly to an individual, not an entity). The applicant must be the individual award recipient.

To be eligible for the Documentary Award, applicants must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States (i.e., green card holders). We are unable to consider applications from individuals on temporary visa statuses, including but not limited to work visas (H-1B, O-1), student visas (F-1), exchange visitor visas (J-1), or artist visas.

We recognize that immigration status can be a complex topic, and we appreciate your understanding of this requirement. Award funds may be considered taxable income, and awardees are responsible for any applicable taxes. At the awardee’s request, funds may be disbursed in installments across two fiscal years.

Projects previously supported by other artist development labs or funds are welcome. Applicants who are currently enrolled or will be enrolling in degree-granting programs are ineligible. Chloe Walters Wallace, Director, Writer, Photographer Ian Kibbe, Producer, Director, Editor Applications open on March 16 and close on April 16, 2026.

Cap of 300 applications Please submit your application through submittable page Join our newsletter to be the first to know about open calls and updates! Thank you for subscribing!