The Chicago Digital Media Production Fund is a grant designed to support Chicago-based filmmakers and digital media artists whose work encourages social change. Since 2012, Chicago Filmmakers has awarded a total of $937,000 to 82 Chicago-area artists through the CDMPF, made possible through the support of Voqal. Productions funded by the CDMPF have included award-winning web series, groundbreaking short documentaries, interactive media projects, and more. Learn about the grant application criteria and process here.

Productions funded by the CDMPF have been viewed online for free by over a million viewers, have been screened at festivals such as Outfest, Newfest, San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival and museums such as the Brooklyn Art Museum, Smart Museum of Art, National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, and online on platforms such as Tribeca Film.com and Open TV. Projects have been featured on more than 100 media outlets, among them Elle Magazine, Forbes, The Atlantic, Variety, IndieWire, Vice, Ebony, NBC News, ABC News, After Ellen, The Guardian, and Jet Magazine. Brown Girls, which is currently in development with HBO, was a nominee for the Emmy Award and the International Academy of Web Television Awards.

Browse through all of our past grantees and view completed projects below!

2022 Funded Projects

2021 Funded Projects

2019 Funded Projects

2018 Funded Projects

2017 Funded Projects

2016 Funded Projects

2015 Funded Projects

BEYOND BLIND by Matt Lauterbach

LACES by Darrell Judon

McTUCKY FRIED HIGH by Robin Carnilius

MOVING by Lori Felker

RIGHTS LAB by Yana Kunichoff and Scrappers Film Group

WOLF LAKE by Andy Resek

YOU’RE SO TALENTED: SEASON 2 by Sam Bailey

WAR ON CHICAGOANS: PEOPLE’S HISTORY OF CHICAGO POLICE VIOLENCE by Jacob Klippenstein and Women's All Points Bulletin

2013 Funded Projects

ADVENTURE SANDWICH by Lily Emerson

CITIZEN PRIMER by Eric Patrick

CHICAGO GLOVE PROJECT by Olivia Curry

CHICAGO SHAREEF by Nushmia Khan

DETROIT LIGHTS by Alexander Hughes

FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS: PUBLIC SCHOOL CLOSINGS IN CHICAGO by Rachel Dickson

I LIVE FOR TRANS EDUCATION by Andre Perez and the Trans Oral History Project

LES OISEAUX by Jeff Perlman

RIGHTS: THE MOMENT by Carley Mostar

2014 Funded Projects

THE SCHOOL PROJECT by Bob Hercules and Media Process Group

MUSLIMAHS IN THE CITY by Fahima Mohamood

NATURAL LIFE by Tirtza Even

SEX OFFER LAWS IMPACT YOUTH by Jo Anne Smith

BATTLE FLAG by Logan Jaffe

BLOCK ZOMBIES by Leon Kelsick

DRIFTING TOWARD THE CRESCENT by Laura Stewart

FOR THE RECORDS by Anuradha Rana and Doris Rusch

McTUCKY FRIED HIGH by Robin Carnilius

THE FORUM by Benjamin Jaffe

THE HALF-LIFE OF WAR by Kyle Henry

UPTOWN, 2084 by Drew Dir and Manual Cinema

2012 Funded Projects

BARBERSHOP DOCUMENTARY (Untitled) by Janelle Vaughn Dowell

BODY (THE) IMAGE by Hillary Bachelder

THE BULLET by Brittany Douglas and Community Television Network

GETTIN’ GROWN TV by Aaron Greer

THE GRID by Brian Ashby

RAINBOW ROOTS by Luiz Magana

PRESERVES by Anuradha Rana

THE YEAR I BROKE MY VOICE by Madsen Minax