Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant, in partnership with Jackson Wild, is an exclusive grant opportunity for past and current Jackson Wild Fellows

Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant

The Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant is a comprehensive opportunity exclusively for Jackson Wild Fellows, providing funding for a film project and 360 support during the production process. From start to finish, the selected grantee will receive support from Curiosity's experienced team to create budgets, refine the story, and learn about the editing and production process. This program is designed to provide participants with an immersive experience in all aspects of working with a commissioner to bring their film idea to life.

Program Details

  • All Jackson Wild Fellows are eligible to apply.

  • One project/recipient will be selected for this cycle.

  • Proposed ideas should be compelling natural history stories, including behavior, science, solutions, etc., located in any region of the world. 

  • Projects will be allocated $1,000 USD per minute, in addition to full support from Curiosity’s team, which will provide mentorship and resources throughout the entire process, including post-production and distribution.

  • Length

    • The ideal length for Curiosity premium content is at least 13 minutes, with a maximum of 52 minutes.

  • Payment

    • Payment is always finalized during the contracting period. In short, Curiosity will work with the grant recipient to create a milestone-based payment schedule. Curiosity’s goal is to set you up for success!

  • Distribution

    • This is a commission, so Curiosity retains the rights. That said, as noted in the FAQ, Curiosity is open to alternative funding models. If a third party contributes funding and requests rights, they simply need to be informed in advance so they can work through the details with the finalists.

    • The film will be available globally on Curiosity’s flagship SVOD service, Curiosity Stream, and on the linear television channel Curiosity Channel, which is distributed worldwide through partners and reaches more than 25 million subscribers in 175 countries.

Eligibility

The following Fellows are eligible for the Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant:

  • Media Lab Fellows

  • Summit Fellows

  • ACV Fellows

  • Latinx Film Lab Fellows

  • Cinematography Lab Fellows

  • Santiago Wild Fellows (Partner Fellows)

Timeline

  • June 16, 2025: Application opens

  • July 21, 2025: Application closes

  • July 22 to September 28, 2025: Review process

  • September 29 to October 2, 2025: The recipient is announced at the 2025 Summit

About the 2023 Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant Recipient film, Little Penguin Love Island

Things are heating up down under! The world’s smallest penguins are looking for love on Australia’s biggest island, but cars, cats, and camera-wielding humans are killing the mood. Will these little penguins persevere and find mates or spend the breeding season alone?

We were delighted to announce Annie Roth, a 2019 Summit Fellow, as the recipient of the inaugural Curiosity Emerging Filmmaker Grant. Annie, alongside Running Wild Media’s Alex Goetz and Justin Grubb, created a 33-minute film on the remote island state of Tasmania, Australia where they follow a recently injured male blue penguin, “Tib” (short for “tibia,” the bone that he broke when his home was destroyed by vandals), who hopes to get a second chance at love with Harmony, a female that brings peace wherever she goes.

Photos Courtesy of Running Wild Media

Running Wild Media

We inspire conservation through visual storytelling.

Running Wild Media is a multi-award-winning production company focused on wildlife, conservation, science, and community storytelling. We've plunged into remote coral reefs to capture newly unearthed species. We've bivouacked in the bayou to unveil the world's rarest wolves, climbed great heights to document hornbills in dense jungle canopies, and journeyed across the savannah to film Africa's greatest predators. Our mission? To share incredible tales of conservation worldwide through broadcast, digital platforms, exhibits, classrooms, libraries, and impactful social campaigns to inspire environmental stewardship and empower community conservation.

  • Annie Roth

    2019 Jackson Wild Summit Fellow

    Annie Roth is a science journalist, filmmaker, and children's author who enjoys telling stories about animals and the people who study them. Her writing has been published on the front page of The New York Times and on the cover of National Geographic Magazine. Her films have received over a dozen awards, including "Best Short" at New York Wild. Annie's latest children's book, "Earth's Incredible Habitats: Ocean," is currently available wherever books are sold. Through storytelling, she strives to make the world a better place for humans and non-humans alike.

  • Alex Goetz

    Co-Founder/Director of Running Wild Media

    Alex Goetz is a wildlife filmmaker and photographer, and co-founder of Running Wild Media. He has contributed to outlets such as National Geographic, BBC, PBS, CNN, and CuriosityStream.

    An Ohio native, some of his extensive travels have taken him from the countryside of Tasmania, filming Tasmanian devils, to boating throughout the vibrant Marshall Islands, and road-tripping around four amazing African countries, filming wildlife and conservation efforts. 

    Alex is a 2019 Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leader, 2019 NAAEE 30 under 30, TEDxToledo 2017 speaker, a winner of the National Geographic WILD "Wild to Inspire" film competition, and a 2013 graduate from Bowling Green State University with a degree in Film Production and Environmental Science

  • Justin Grubb

    Co-Founder/Director of Running Wild Media

    Justin Grubb is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, published writer, naturalist, and co-founder of Running Wild Media. Justin earned his B.Sc. in Biology at Bowling Green State University and his Master of Biology at Miami University. With years of international wildlife field research and formal/informal teaching experience, Justin combines these two fields with media to enhance science communication. Justin’s love for nature and passion for the outdoors has brought him to some of the most extreme habitats on earth to study and film critically endangered wildlife.

    He is a 2017 Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leader, a Nat Geo Wild "Wild to Inspire" award-winning filmmaker, a Fellow National of the Explorers Club, an Emerging League member of the International League of Conservation Photographers, and a TEDx Speaker. 

FAQ

  • Applicants can submit up to two projects for this year’s cycle.

  • Yes, although the review team may skim it if it becomes too long. Keeping it short is in the applicant's best interest.

  • It is important to understand the full scope of the proposed arrangement. In a previous instance, equipment was provided and acknowledged through an on-screen credit; however, no rights were granted as part of that agreement. If a similar setup is being contemplated in this case, clarification is required regarding whether any rights would be conferred.

  • Preferably, the film will be in 4K, but Curiosity can adjust if it’s in HD.

  • Only conventional films are accepted, as 360-degree formats present limitations for distribution.

  • Yes, you may apply as a team. In fact, we encourage this as everyone’s specialties complement each other.