Philadelphia Student Mediamaker Fund Grant

The Philadelphia Student Mediamaker Fund, supported by the People's Media Fund, empowers students in the Philadelphia area to create digital media projects. Focused on inclusivity, the fund awards grants to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as young media makers aged 16-30, covering costs from pre-production to post-production. This initiative fosters creative expression while amplifying diverse voices and narratives, aiming to reshape the media landscape and enhance community storytelling.

People's Media Fund
The People's Media Fund is dedicated to transforming who tells stories, how they are told, and who holds power in media and digital access. Centering equity and justice, the Fund supports community-driven media that challenges dominant narratives and amplifies voices historically excluded or harmed by systems of oppression and media erasure. Grantees include community organizations, documentary filmmakers, digital storytellers, journalists, and grassroots media groups, with a priority on Greater Philadelphia-based media makers, small organizations, start-ups, and creators from marginalized communities. Through its Community Storytelling and Media for Movement Building programs, the Fund advances a more inclusive, liberatory media landscape that strengthens collective power and drives social change.
The Philadelphia Student Mediamaker Fund awards grants to Philadelphia area student media makers who want to produce a digital video or audio project.
The funds can cover any costs related to completion of the project. Generally these costs will be included in the following three areas:
Pre-Production Costs - These costs include travel and filming for research of story elements; writing, shooting and editing of a sample reel; grant writing consultants for fundraising, story development consultants, website construction; lookbook; other activities prior to principal photography and production start.
Production Costs - These costs include cast, crew, voice talent, meals, food, site rental, hard drive/storage; other activities related to principal photography and production.
Post-Production Costs - These costs include editing consultations; fine cut editing; sound mixing; scoring, color correction; Title design; Graphics/Animation/Illustration; dub titling; closed captioning; DVD authoring; DCP conversion, archival footage rights; master dubs; and duplication.

Eligibility

Any undergraduate or graduate student of any age currently enrolled at a college or university located in the Philadelphia region including schools located in eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Northampton, Bucks, and Lehigh counties) New Jersey (Camden, Burlington, Mercer, Gloucester and Salem counties) and Delaware (New Castle and Kent counties).Any media maker between the ages of 16 and 30 who is affiliated with a media making training institution in the region and can provide a mentor letter.All applicants must be at least 16 years old and enrolled in a degree granting institution of higher learning or be affiliated with a media making training institution.