Reference Guide

July 30, 2010 - Media Fund Rolling Call Deadline

The goal of Pacific Islanders in Communications is to support the development of national public broadcast programming that enhances public recognition of and appreciation for Pacific Islander history, culture, and society. PIC accomplishes this by nurturing and supporting filmmakers through its Research & Development (R&D), Production, and Completion funds. PIC staff is available to help throughout the application process and to provide feedback on all film proposals. PIC's producers also have access to opportunities such as travel grants, conferences, and workshops. Applications to the PIC Media Fund are the beginning of what PIC hopes will be a long and successful relationship.

The Reference Guide is available here.

Timeline

  • Phase 1: All applicants will receive notification by e-mail upon PIC's receipt of their proposal materials.
  • Phase 2: The proposals will be sent to the Independent Review Panel (IRP) for evaluation. The IRP will recommend a small group of selected proposals for the PIC Programming Committee to review.
  • Phase 3: Upon receipt of the IRP's recommendations, the PIC Programming Committee will review the proposals and recommend funding a portion of these projects.
  • Phase 4: PIC staff will contact the applicants to inform them whether or not their proposals received funding.

Note: The entire review process takes up to two months. It is not unusual for a proposal to go through many funding calls before it is awarded funding.

What PIC Is Looking For
PIC's Independent Review Panel considers the following issues when reviewing projects for funding:

  • Compelling storytelling.
  • Programs that shed light on the Pacific Islander experience.
  • Programs that provoke thoughtful dialogue about the subject.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the subject as well as a thoughtful and sensitive approach.
  • Programs to be shown on national public television.    
  • Programs in the R&D, Production, and Completion (Post-Production) phases.
  • Effective production and fundraising plans.
  • Competent creative and production teams that can complete the program within budget and on schedule.
  • Programs in which Pacific Islanders hold key creative or production positions.
  • Programs that adhere to PBS standards of objectivity and balance.
  • Single programs of standard broadcast length [56:46 or 26:46; in rare cases, when the story warrants it, PIC will consider feature-length programs] in accordance with PBS broadcast specifications.

Who Is Eligible
Independent producers or entities producing television, film, or video programming are eligible to apply providing they follow these guidelines. Applicants must:

  • Hold artistic, budgetary, and editorial control and must own the copyright to the proposed project.
  • Be at least 18 years of age and be citizens or legal residents of the United States or its territories.
  • Have previous film or television experience as demonstrated by the sample work.
  • Provide a video sample that demonstrates their ability to tell a story through the visual medium.
  • If applying for Production or Completion funds, have a Fiscal Sponsor, which is a non-profit 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt entity. This Fiscal Sponsor:
    • Must agree to accept funds from PIC and is responsible for redistributing the funds to the project as needed.
    • Must maintain a ledger for all funds accepted and provides PIC with financial accounting when requested.
    • May require a fee for their services, which is usually a percentage of the funds awarded.
    • May have an extensive review process for accepting new projects.
Who Is Not Eligible
Applications with the following criteria will not be eligible for funding:
  • Programs that are not standard broadcast length [56:46 or 26:46; in rare cases, when the story warrants it, PIC will consider feature-length programs] in accordance with PBS broadcast specifications.
  • Programs in which the exclusive domestic television broadcast rights are not available.
  • Programs intended solely for theatrical release or that are commercial in nature.
  • Thesis projects or student films which are co- or solely owned or copyrighted, or otherwise editorially or fiscally controlled by the school.
  • Producers or production entities that are foreign-based, owned, or controlled.
  • Industrial and promotional projects.
  • Producers who are current signatories of a PIC-funded project may not enter into a new PIC contract until final delivery on their previous program is approved.
Funding Contract Terms
The award is not a grant. It is an exclusive four-year (six releases), domestic and territorial broadcast rights license for national public television. The license agreement requires that the producer adhere to a schedule of deliverables and meet PBS technical and journalistic standards. In addition, PIC will have the right to premiere the program in the Pacific and the first right to negotiate an educational distribution contract. 

If awarded, the producer agrees to complete the program according to the proposed timeline, project description, and budget, and agrees to receive regular feedback from PIC in good faith. The producer also retains a percentage of net revenues from ancillary distribution and shares with PIC a pro-rata percentage of net revenues of net distribution income.

Before Applying
Please contact PIC staff at (808) 591-0059.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Do I need a lawyer to review the PIC contract?
Yes. PIC strongly encourages producers to have their lawyer review the contract. PIC's funder, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), dictates the bulk of the contractual requirements that pertain to broadcast rights and revenue sharing. These requirements are non-negotiable. 

Do I have to be a Pacific Islander to apply for this award?
No. PIC funds authentic, well-told stories about the Pacific Islander experience. It is strongly suggested that all filmmakers, Pacific Islander and non-Pacific Islander, who were not raised in the culture whose story they are telling, form a cultural panel or hire a cultural consultant to ensure accuracy when depicting the cultural elements of the story.

Who is considered a "Pacific Islander"? Are Filipinos (or Indonesians, Malaysians, et al.) Pacific Islanders? 
PIC is interested in stories of the Pacific and the Pacific Islander experience in particular. For the purposes of the Media Fund, "Pacific Islander" is defined as one whose ancestors were the indigenous people of Polynesia, Micronesia, or Melanesia—in particular, Hawai'i, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. If the project is specifically Filipino, Indonesian, etc. in subject matter, contact the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) at (415) 863-0814 or visit their website at www.asianamericanmedia.org.

If I am not a U.S. citizen, can I still apply? 
No. In order to be able to receive funding from PIC, the applicant must either be a U.S. citizen or a legal resident and must be the producer of the proposed project. PIC is not allowed to disburse monies to foreign production companies or non-legal residents.

Who are the judges and how is the proposal reviewed? 
The Independent Review Panel is composed of cultural experts, academics, national television programmers, and/or independent producers. Panelists change each year, but the award criteria remain the same. An effective proposal is comprised of a compelling story, concept, or treatment; an experienced production team; a reasonable, factual budget; and a solid sample work. The panel is always looking for innovative material. One word of caution: find out if a similar proposal has been recently produced or funded by PIC in the past. If it has, the chances of receiving funding are reduced.

If applying for Production or Completion funding, what if I am awarded and do not have all my funding in place? 
PIC requires that producers have raised not less than 50% of the total Production budget or 80% of the total Completion budget before an award payment can be made. If a producer has not raised this percentage of the budget, PIC requires that a deal memo be signed within three months of the award notice. This deal memo secures the funding for the project so that additional fundraising can take place. The contract must be signed within 12 months of the signature of the deal memo. If a contract is not signed within that period, the secured funding is forfeit and the award is returned to the Media Fund.