From the Executive Director
This is a moment of silence.
This is a moment of silence and a declaration of solidarity for American citizens, residents, scholars, journalists, students, workers, travelers, artists, hopeful and loving immigrants who have suffered, been terrorized, beaten, or killed at the hands of our government and its “agents.”
We begin 2026 taking stock of 2025 and sharing our Impact Report. Our Mentor Network, the new Digital Archivist Apprenticeship and the MARKA Archive, the screenings, programs, workshops, labs, sponsorships, paid training opportunities — we are committed to this work and invite you to join us. Please reach out if you have any questions on the report or want to get involved.
Another bright spot in these dark times — we have been inspired by the extraordinary cohort of 2026 Power of Storytelling grantees, the artists who will engage and activate media from the NBCU archive with new and innovative approaches to storytelling while celebrating 100 years of broadcast history.
~ Wendy
Notes from the Field
| Notes from the Field Online Filmmaker Workshop with Lucrecia Martel: The Adventure/La aventura The preeminent filmmaker and screenwriter Lucrecia Martel will host an online workshop through Little Valley School titled The Adventure / La aventura. Martel is known for films including La Ciénaga, The Holy Girl, The Headless Woman, and her adaptation of Antonio di Benedetto’s novel Zama. In 2025, she premiered her first feature documentary, Nuestra Tierra, which examines the murder of an Indigenous activist while exploring histories of land conflict and colonialism in Argentina. The workshop takes place over two Sundays, February 8th and 15th, with an exercise proposed for the intervening week. Enrollment is $200 through February 8th; members of the Alliance for Media Arts & Culture receive 15% off with the code ALLIANCE. The workshop will be conducted in Spanish with English interpretation. Folklife Art Film Series to be Hosted by Wide Angle Youth Media On Friday, February 6th, Wide Angle Youth Media will host a screening of short documentaries produced by Wide Angle Productions celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary. The event will be followed by a reception featuring work from Make Studio, as well as a panel discussion with participating artists. The screening will take place at Wide Angle Youth Media in Baltimore, Maryland. |
Grants and Calls
Chicken & Egg Films Research & Development Grant
Filmmakers who are women or gender-expansive with documentary film projects currently in the research or development stage may apply for funding through the Chicken & Egg Films Research & Development Grant. The grant offers $10,000 to projects in the research phase and $20,000 to projects in the development phase. Applicants who have not raised a significant amount of capital will be favored. Directors must have completed at least one feature-length documentary.
Deadline: February 4th
National Endowment for the Arts Grants for Arts Projects
Nonprofit arts organizations, units of state or local government, and federally recognized tribes may apply for the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects program. Awards range from $10,000 to $100,000 and support public-facing arts projects across disciplines, with an emphasis on artistic excellence and community engagement.
Deadline: February 25th
National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Grant
Small nonprofit arts organizations with an operating budget below $250,000 can apply for the NEA’s Challenge America Grant. The grant offers a fixed $10,000 award and is especially focused on projects that use the arts to serve communities with limited access to arts resources.
Deadline: February 25th
Workshops, Festivals, Convenings
African Diaspora International Film Festival, November 28th–December 14th, New York, NY (and satellite venues)
Dances With Films, December 12th–14th, New York, NY
Palm Springs International Film Festival, January 2nd–12th, Palm Springs, CA
Sundance Film Festival, January 22nd–February 1st, Park City & Salt Lake City, UT
Denton Black Film Festival, January 28th–February 1st, Denton, TX
Media Policy Watch
by Priscilla Genet
As protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s aggressive operations in Minneapolis continue — aggravated by two recent fatal shootings by federal agents — federal forces have exercised violence towards protestors and observers, including incidents directly confronting journalists. Last week, a KARE 11 reporter, Jana Shortal, was pepper-sprayed while reporting on the aftermath of the shooting of Alex Pretti, and journalists for the Associated Press were confronted by officers from the Bureau of Prisons who threatened to arrest them despite their press credentials.
Two weeks ago, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez issued an injunction limiting federal agents’ use of pepper spray, tear gas, and arrests against nonviolent protesters and observers. Days later, the Justice Department appealed and a court of appeals paused the injunction pending review.
In related national news earlier this month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, claiming she had illegally come into possession of government materials. The search came after the Trump administration’s rescission of the Justice Department’s previous protections for journalists possessing and publishing leaked government materials, last April.
Job Bank
Mediaburn, Development and Communications Director, Chicago, IL
Programs + Media Assistant, Venice Arts, Marina Del Rey, CA
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Associate Arts Program Specialist, New York, NY
Associate Producer, Fresh Air, Philadelphia, PA