Native Youth Media Project
Vision Maker Media’s Native Youth Media Project harnesses Native youth’s innate storytelling talent into storytelling skills for short-format media.
Image from FIRE TENDER.
Native Youth Media Project
Application period:
Open Year-Round
Vision Maker Media Native Youth Media Project empowers Native Youth to uplift the voices of their communities through the art of filmmaking and storytelling. Rooted in a generational prophecy, VMM envisions Indigenous knowledge and our Indigenous way of life as guiding light for a humanity movement this world so desperately needs. Through the Native Youth Media Project, young Indigenous voices are nurtured and celebrated, fostering a rich tapestry of narratives that contribute to the cultural mosaic of humanity.
The Native Youth Media Project partners with Native youth programs, working with youth ages 13-21 years, in Native organizations and communities. The partnership is collaborative where the partner has sovereignty over the progress of the project, while Vision Maker Media contributes resources for media production and community engagement.
The partnership between Vision Maker Media and Native organizations and communities work together to strengthen Native youth’s story development for short-format media. Youth produce short-format videos around such topics as science, health & wellness, climate & environment, education, art, culture, history, language, and empowerment. Finished videos are expected to be shared in a community engagement activity that is determined by the partner organization.
Together, We Are Vision Makers!
PROGRAM GOALS ARE TO HELP NATIVE YOUTH:
-Develop a creative outlet that can set ideas for a career and/or educational path in media
-Work with experienced Native American public media makers as mentors
-Conduct community engagement that empowers self-worth and nurtures artistic talent
For more information or questions, contact info@visionmakermedia.org or 402-472-3522.
In grateful appreciation, the Native Youth Media Project is supported by The Cotyledon Fund, The Kresge Foundation, and The NoVo Foundation.
public media fund
Supporting native media
Application period:
CLOSED
Vision Maker Media’s call for film and television production proposals for its Public Media Fund was January 4, 2022 to February 11, 2022. VMM seeks public media film and television projects that are intended and appropriate for Public Media Television Broadcasting, including Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) digital and streaming platforms, that represent the cultures, experiences, and perspectives of Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Support for the Vision Maker Media Public Media Fund is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Creative shorts fellowship
Application Period:
Closed
The Creative Shorts Fellowship supports Emerging Native filmmakers to produce a short film: documentary, drama, experimental, or animation piece; and supports a mentorship with a career professional film producer or director.
Emerging Native filmmakers find their own mentor for their project. Film professionals, Native or non-Native, may also submit a proposal—following criteria and eligibility—to mentor an Emerging Native filmmaker in the production of that emerging filmmaker’s short film. Emerging Native filmmakers must choose their mentor prior to applying and film professionals must choose their mentee prior to applying. Topic ideas may be about Native cultures, values, histories, contemporary life, environmental justice, social justice, youth, elders, and/or Native empowerment.
Selected shorts projects will be notified Spring 2022. For more information or questions, contact visionmaker@unl.edu or 402-472-3522.
Finished Acquisitions
Application period:
open year round
Vision Maker Media seeks provocative and engaging completed programs from independent or public television producers that represent the experiences, values and cultures of Native Americans and Alaska Natives.
Applicants will be required to create a user account and sign up. If you have any problems with the online application process, please contact Vision Maker Media at visionmaker@unl.edu or call 402-472-3522.
