NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre

The NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre provides grants to encourage and support the creation of digital, film, music, and live or online theatre content that reflects the voices and perspectives of all who identify as women.

The NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre (“Women’s Fund”), administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) in partnership with the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), is a signature initiative that addresses the underrepresentation of women in the entertainment industry. The Fund provides grants to encourage and support the creation of content that reflects the voices and perspectives of all who identify as women.

The $1.8 million to be awarded in the fifth cycle will bring the grand total of Women’s Fund grants to $9.3 million, allocated to a current total of 343 recipients (97 in Cycle 4, 89 in Cycle 3, 94 in Cycle 2, and 63 in Cycle 1).

2023 NYC WOMEN’S FUND FOR MEDIA, MUSIC AND THEATRE RECIPIENTS

THE PROGRAM PROVIDES:

  • Finishing grants* for film and digital projects
  • Funds for the creation of music recordings or videos
  • Production funds for live or online theatre

In addition to being made by, for, or about all who identify as women, projects are eligible if they feature a prominent woman perspective; and/or include a woman-identified director and/or producer and/or writer/songwriter and/or engineer (for recordings) and/or woman-indentified protagonist(s) or lead musical role. 

*To be eligible, projects need to have completed principal photography.

GRANTS WILL BE GIVEN IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

  • Fiction Feature (running time of 60 minutes or more) – up to $50,000
  • Fiction Short (running time of 59 minutes or less) – up to $25,000
  • Fiction Webisode/Webseries (all forms) – up to $20,000
  • Documentary Feature (running time of 60 minutes or more) – up to $50,000
  • Documentary Short (running time of 59 minutes or less) – up to $25,000
  • Documentary Webisodes/Webseries (all lengths and forms) – up to $20,000
  • Music (all categories) – up to $20,000
  • Theatre Production – up to $50,000

GRANT TIMELINE

Applications Closed
Recipients notified: March 2024
Funded Project completion: March 31, 2025

*Please note that the application form on Submittable will automatically close and stop accepting applications at this time.

INFORMATION SESSIONS

The NYFA Grants team will host a series of virtual information sessions designed to answer applicant questions and help artists build a stronger application. Each session will be held on Zoom; have a Q&A section where artists can ask NYFA Grants staff questions about the application process; and will be recorded for artists’ future viewing throughout the application period.

Registration via the above links will open a week before each Information Session. All sessions will be recorded and made available on NYFA’s YouTube page.

Anyone can apply and be awarded a grant regardless of actual or perceived sex, gender, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, partnership status, marital status, disability (including use of a service animal), race, color, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, military status, or any other class protected by City, State, or Federal law.

Image Credit: Courtesy the City of New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment