IDA Emergency Assistance: Support for Documentary Filmmakers in Danger
Submit your Emergency Assistance Inquiry
IDA Emergency Assistance provides rapid-response financial support to independent documentary filmmakers facing threats from governments and other politically-motivated powers because of their work.
Now a permanent program following a successful and informative six-month pilot in 2026, IDA Emergency Assistance builds on our existing partnerships with international filmmaker protection organizations and reflects our ongoing commitment to advocacy on behalf of the documentary community.
Eligible filmmakers may request a one-time emergency grant of up to $5,000 USD. IDA will respond to all funding inquiries within one business day and can disburse funds within five business days of a granting decision. We handle requests with confidentiality.
Before submitting your funding inquiry, please review the eligibility criteria below.
Emergency Assistance Eligibility
Scope of the program
- Assistance will be in the form of small, one-time financial grants of up to $5,000 USD.
- Directors or Producers must request support for the project, but the funds can be used for any crew member or participant involved in the documentary.
- For this program, qualifying projects can be feature-length nonfiction films, shorts, or series, but the footage in question must be gathered with the express purpose of being made into a documentary film, not for reportage alone.
- Our program prioritizes supporting independent documentary filmmakers who have limited access to safety resources and financial support, rather than those working on commissioned or studio-sponsored productions.
Filmmakers are asked to demonstrate that:
- They are in immediate, escalated, and/or extreme danger (facing serious bodily harm, detainment, etc.) related to their documentary project—whether one in progress or one from the past.
- The threats they are facing come from governments and other politically-motivated powers.
- They can explain the safety considerations and measures taken throughout the lifecycle of the documentary.
- They have a concrete plan for how the funds will be used, how they will reach safety, and how their emergency will become a non-emergency as a result of this funding.
- They have a way to safely receive funds. A list of countries to which we cannot wire funds is below.
Additionally:
- While we do not provide financial support for visa/immigration issues simply for the purpose of completing a production, we will consider funding visas or other immigration paperwork when crossing borders is a critical part of reaching safety.
- We request at least two outside references who can verify the emergency, preferably from a professional contact or organization.
While IDA supports documentary filmmakers in a variety of ways through the full breadth of our programming, the following circumstances alone do not qualify for Emergency Assistance:
- Immigration/visa issues tied to travel unrelated to the emergency
- National-scale ongoing crises such as war, natural disasters, and political upheaval
- Smear campaigns and reputational threats
- De-platforming or censorship
- Loss of funding for the project
- Current incarceration
- Requests that cannot be corroborated or fact-checked
- Interpersonal disputes
If filmmakers’ circumstances fall outside these parameters, please contact us anyway. We may be able to help through public communications, advocacy, or by connecting filmmakers with partner organizations in documentary and other fields. We are building additional resources and partnerships to serve a broader range of needs.
Submit your Emergency Assistance Inquiry
For cases involving extremely confidential information, please contact emergency@documentary.org. You will be given instructions on how to share your information using an end-to-end encryption app, such as Signal.
Questions about eligibility?
If you're unsure whether your situation qualifies, please email emergency@documentary.org before submitting your inquiry. IDA recognizes that every case is different, and eligibility exceptions may be considered — reaching out first gives us the opportunity to discuss your circumstances.
Review Process
All applicants will receive an initial response within one business day of making a funding inquiry. Decision timelines vary based on the information provided for each case, though we aim to provide a decision within 2-4 weeks. If approved, funds can be transferred in as few as five business days.
Once received, eligible requests move through the following steps:
- Initial verification and fact-checking by IDA staff and researcher with legal expertise
- Reference checks with the contacts provided in your Intake Form
- A recommendation from IDA’s Artist Services team, followed by a review by IDA's Executive Director and members of our international Advisory Committee
- Notification to the applicant with an explanation of the decision
Payment Information
IDA can issue international payments via wire or PayPal.
- IDA cannot disburse funds directly to the following countries:
Afghanistan
Cuba
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Iran
Myanmar (Burma)
Russia
Somalia
Syria
restricted regions in Ukraine
Venezuela
Yemen
Zimbabwe
The list above was updated in June 2026. For the most up-to-date list of sanctions, please visit: https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information
Support IDA Emergency Assistance
This program exists because of our donors. Our pilot was made possible by the generous support of the IDA community during our 2025 Year-End Fundraising campaign. If you would like to support the future of IDA Emergency Assistance, please consider donating today.