1. Do I need to be Muslim to apply? No, you do not need to be Muslim to to submit an application
2. How does the fund quantify a U.S. Muslim story? Projects need to tackle subject matters or topics that resonate with and touch on the U.S. Muslim perspective and community. Does your film widen the aperture on what it means to be Muslim in the U.S.? Does your film center Muslim(s) protagonists? Does your film lead with the intention of creating a film that awakens the point of view and narrative(s) of Muslims in the United States? If yes, your film qualifies.
3. What if my film is also filmed overseas? Your film can be filmed overseas, but we need to know in your written materials how your film’s international components help illustrate the understanding of the U.S. Muslim community. If your film is entirely shot overseas, it likely does not meet the requirements of the grant.
4. What if I am applying for Research & Development and don’t yet have visual materials? You may submit a deck on top of a visual sample in which you were a former director and/or producer on. If you were a producer on the former visual sample, make sure to explain what part of the sample you helped create; were you in the field? Did you conduct research? Did you conduct casting? Be specific in your role(s).
5. Can co-directors apply? Yes. Co-directors must write a dual statement and explain how they are sharing the responsibility of directing the project.
6. What should my visual sample be? Your visual sample should be no more than 15 minutes if you are applying for R&D and/or production funding. Your sample should NOT be a pitch reel. It can be a scene(s), a trailer and/or a string of scenes that demonstrate your story structure, tone of your completed film, visual style, and intended editing style. In all, your visual sample should be the closest example of what your final film will look and feel like.
7. What do you mean by “full length rough cut?” If you are applying for post-production funds, we require a full-length rough cut to be submitted. By this, we mean the film should be close to completion and the running time of the rough cut should be comparable to the final length of the film (26:46, 56:46, 1:26:46 or 1:56:46). We do not accept trailers, selects, demo segments, or assemblies as sample work for post-production.
8. Will I hear back if I make it into the second round? Maybe. Sometimes we need further updates from filmmakers if they make it into the next round and sometimes we do not. Regardless, if you are awarded a grant, you will be notified at the end of the review process regarding the status of your project.
9. If I am not awarded a grant, will I receive feedback? Yes! CAAM is committed to demystifying the grant application process and providing project feedback to ALL filmmakers who applied for the fund. The program manager will connect with every filmmaker to sign up for one-on-one verbal feedback sessions AFTER the conclusion of the grant review process.
10. Do I need a fiscal sponsorship to apply? No.
11. Does the Building Bridges Fund include broadcast rights? No. If you are awarded funding it does not include a distribution agreement.
Requirements:
CAAM recognizes the International Documentary Association’s (IDA) documentary CORE application and has incorporated most of the standardized application requirements.
- Project Title
- Logline
- Story Synopsis (no more than 2 pages and no less than 1 page)
- Topic Summary (no more than 2 pages and no less than 1 page)
- Connection to the Story
- Artistic Approach
- Intended audience
- Distribution strategy
- Production timeline
- Explanation of use of funds
- Full line item budget in USD (If you are applying for R&D a line item R&D budget is only required).
- Total secured and pending funds
- A 15-minute visual sample (if applying for R&D and production funding). A full rough cut (if applying for post-production funding). If you do not have a visual sample, please include a prior example of your work and speak to how this work reflects your intention for your submitted project. If you are R&D and don’t have a visual sample please include a prior work sample AND a visual deck of your current film.
- Team bios
The application review process takes approximately six months. Finalists in the 2025 Call for Submissions will be notified in September 2025. Due to the high volume of applications we cannot answer emails regarding status updates.
