FINDING FUNDING AND DEVELOPING YOUR DOCUMENTARY

FINDING FUNDING AND DEVELOPING YOUR DOCUMENTARY

FINDING FUNDING AND DEVELOPING YOUR DOCUMENTARY

Saturdays, May 2 and May 9, 2026
10:00am to 5:00 pm.
OSU-Tulsa
In Person

Do you have an idea for an original documentary or docuseries? In this workshop, learn how to find funding and create essential partnership relationships to get your project off the ground.

Participants will gain exposure to funding strategies for documentary production, and develop an industry standard proposal for their film to submit to potential funders.

This is an in-depth look at the essentials of documentary research and development.  You will learn about:
  • writing your story,
  • artistic strategies, 
  • community collaboration,
  • and audience engagement of your non-fiction project
 
Featuring Instructor:  Colleen Thurston
Colleen Thurston is a documentary storyteller and film curator from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Colleen has produced for the Smithsonian Channel, Vox, PBS, and federal, tribal, and non profit organizations.

Her work has screened at international film festivals and broadcast nationwide. She has received support for her work from Firelight Media, the Sundance Institute, Patagonia, ITVS, the Redford Center and Creative Capital. 

Colleen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma, the project coordinator for the Indigenous video series, Native Lens, and is a programmer for Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and Make Believe Seattle. She’s curated film programs for institutions such as the Momentary (Bentonville, AR),  UCLA Film and Television Archives and Vidiots (Los Angeles, CA), and the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.). Colleen is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
 

This 2-day workshop will be held on the Saturdays, May 2 and May 9, 2026 from 10:00am to 5:00 pm.

Registration for this workshop will close at 5:00 pm on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
 

Price:

$225.00