Independent Television Service (ITVS) announced today the first cohort of filmmakers selected for its ITVS Incubator Fund, a new initiative to support nonfiction features and short-form series.
In addition to editorial guidance and participation in a 3- to 12-month incubator aimed at helping move projects toward production and distribution, the fund is offering up to US$40,000 in development funding.
Chosen from 352 applications, the 10 selected projects cover a breadth of subjects—from Black romance novels and independent newspapers to college marching bands and indigenous sovereignty.
“These projects reflect the innovation and urgency that define the future of nonfiction storytelling, and we’re proud to support them at this critical stage,” said Royd Chung, senior vice president of programming and production.
The Incubator Fund continues ITVS’s long-standing mission of investing in storytellers at a time when early-stage development support is increasingly difficult to secure.
In an exclusive comment to Documentary, Chung added:
“What stands out across this group are the insightful perspectives on what stories need telling—whether a familiar chapter of American history filled out by deeper understanding and overlooked nuance, evolving current events that are actively shaping our understanding of democracy, or questions about culture and connection that shed light on where communities are headed. The filmmakers are bringing curiosity, imagination, and ambition to stories that have the potential to shift how audiences understand the world around them.”
See the full list of projects below, all from filmmakers who are receiving funding from ITVS for the first time.
A Little Gay on the Prairie
Director: Aliza Brugger
A Little Gay on the Prairie follows queer people seeking home and happiness in rural communities where they’re often assumed not to exist.
The Black Romance Writers Project (working title)
Director: Leola Calzolai-Stewart
This celebration of Black romance novels charts the genre’s cultural impact through its writers, readers, and scholars, while exploring the power of love as a form of liberation.
Deep, Fried
Director: Wyatt Cenac
Deep, Fried dissects how a chicken drumstick became a centuries-old racist punchline to a joke perpetuated at the expense of Black people in America.
The Democrat
Director: Tory Dahlhoff
When no one buys a rural county’s longest-running independent newspaper, the Harris family—whose only trade has been trucking—steps in to keep their town from becoming a news desert.
Fish Doorbell
Director: Carin Jin-Yi Leong
A livestream created to help migrating fish reach their spawning grounds unexpectedly connects a Dutch lock keeper with an isolated woman in West Virginia.
The LA-8
Director: Benedict Moran
The LA-8 tells the story of the longest immigration trial in U.S. history involving eight activists who defended immigrants and free speech.
No Handicap
Director: Derek Dabkoski
No Handicap follows players, families, advocates, and innovators working to remove barriers for gamers with disabilities, showing how accessibility can be built with intention.
Wahnish Keeps Me Free
Director: Jamil McGinnis
Through field recordings, archival and shot footage, Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 band brings to life the stories of the century-old trees surrounding campus.
Whoever Gets Fired the Most Times Wins
Director: Saleem Reshamwala
Government workers defend their agency against forces that aim to destroy it, demonstrating how collective action can protect democratic institutions.
Indian Country
Director: Rebecca Landsberry-Baker
The conviction of Muscogee citizen Patrick Murphy leads to a landmark Supreme Court case that stands to reestablish Indigenous authority over half of Oklahoma.
