WETA and DC/DOX Open $250,000 Documentary Fund for Local Filmmakers
Documentary makers from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia can now apply for a share of $250,000 in new grants. WETA, the Washington public broadcaster, and the DC/DOX film festival announced the WETA+ and DC/DOX Film Fund, according to Deadline, which published the news on November 9, 2026.
The fund will support up to six documentary projects at different stages of production. Eligible filmmakers must come from the region, or make documentaries that tell stories connected to it.
The size of each grant depends on the length of the film. Short projects can request up to $25,000. Feature-length projects can request up to $100,000.
Applications for the first round open on November 16 and close on January 31, 2027. That gives applicants a little under three months to prepare a proposal.
Films chosen for the fund will be shown on the WETA+ streaming service, where viewers in the D.C. Metro area can watch them.
DC/DOX was founded in 2022 by Jamie Shor and Sky Sitney. The festival has become a regular showcase for documentary work, and the new fund adds a grant program alongside it. Grants like these can help pay for filming, editing and other costs before a film is finished.
For local filmmakers, the offer combines money with a guaranteed place to be seen. Few regional grant programs promise a streaming home for the finished work, and that makes the deal worth a close look for anyone with a project in progress.
Full eligibility rules and the application process are set out by the organisers, so interested filmmakers should check those details before they apply.
