Sacramento Film + Media Grant 2025 Round 2

The Sacramento Film + Media Grant Program aims to support and expand the film and television industry within the City of Sacramento by alleviating production-related costs. This includes subsidizing permit fees, reducing expenses for city safety personnel, and reimbursing qualified expenditures incurred during production and post-production activities within city limits. For the fiscal year 2025, a total of six production grants worth $10,000 each and two post-production grants worth $5,000 each will be awarded across two funding rounds. Unused funds from a previous round due to ineligibility or lack of applications may roll over into the subsequent round. The grant program focuses on both production and post-production activities. Production grant funds may be used for city-required services such as police, fire, permits, parking, and also for expenses such as hotel stays, local hires, and rental services when these are incurred within Sacramento. Post-production grants are offered for activities conducted at least 75 percent within the city, enabling support for editing, sound mixing, and related services. To qualify, at least 50 percent of a production must be filmed in the Sacramento region with two or more locations in the city, or, for post-production grants, 75 percent of post-production must take place in the city. Projects eligible for funding include a range of formats such as films, series, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. Applicants may only apply for one grant per round and a maximum of two grants within a twelve-month period. Submissions must be made prior to beginning production in Sacramento (except for documentaries), and post-production applicants must have completed 75 percent of principal photography. Applications for Round 2 are accepted from March 15 to May 15, 2025. Submissions must be made via Submittable and include detailed supporting documents such as a treatment, budget, shooting schedule, vendor and crew lists, hotel nights, and prior work samples. Applications are reviewed for completeness and eligibility before undergoing evaluation by a panel of industry peers and city economic development professionals. The evaluation process allocates up to 100 points based on three criteria: economic impact (20 points), community impact (40 points), and feasibility (40 points). Specific metrics such as hotel nights, local hires, subject matter inclusivity, local cast/crew percentages, and planning preparedness are considered. Top-scoring projects will be awarded grants, with tie decisions made by panel majority. Award recipients must sign a funding agreement within 30 days, meet city insurance requirements, and obtain necessary business documentation. Reimbursement submissions must be made within 90 days of expense, and a detailed final report is required within 60 days post-wrap. All application materials are considered public records, and Sacramento Film + Media may use applications for training purposes, excluding proprietary or confidential information.