Applications for the MPI Documentary Storytelling Workshop are now open. This eight-week program is designed for documentarians ready to push their projects further—refining ideas, clarifying intent, and strengthening the way their stories take shape on screen.

Led by MPI filmmaker and Oscar-nominated documentarian Elizabeth Mirzaei, the workshop offers hands-on guidance from working professionals. Filmmakers accepted into the program receive a $1,000 grant, with select projects advancing to the MPI Production Lab, where they are funded and mentored through the entire production process.

We will prioritize short film projects, ranging from 10–30 minutes, that can be shot, edited, and released within one to two years from the completion of the workshop. 

The MPI Documentary Storytelling Workshop unfolds across three stages:

Stage 1

Virtual Sessions: In a multi-week series of virtual sessions, filmmakers develop their documentary concepts and learn directly from working documentarians. The workshop is designed so filmmakers can prepare for their documentary production including refining the documentary concept and subject(s), learning critical story fundamentals, determining specific production needs (equipment, releases/clearances), and more.

Stage 2

Potential Acquisition and Production: MPI may acquire and produce, as an MPI Original Film, one or more short documentary concepts.

Stage 3

Film Festival, Marketing, and Distribution: Once complete, the films developed and produced in the MPI Documentary Storytelling Workshop are prepared for release. MPI creates film assets—including a one-sheet (poster), electronic press kit, and website—and then submits the projects to film festivals and supports a full festival run. Finally, MPI creates a distribution and marketing plan to ensure the film reaches a broad audience.

Past MPI-supported documentaries have earned industry recognition, such as appearing on the Academy Awards shortlist for best documentary and screening in festivals including SXSW, Telluride, and DOC NYC.

to apply

MPI’s mission is to promote human freedom through film. Though we are open to a wide range of documentary subjects that advance our mission, at this time, we are particularly interested in stories that explore the following themes:

• Exposing hypocrisy and/or confronting corruption of power (e.g., we supported the feature documentary Incarcerating US about over-incarceration in America); 
• Individuals fighting against government abuse/tyranny (e.g., we supported the feature documentary Battle for Brooklyn about eminent domain abuse in New York City); 
• Policy failures in education (e.g., we supported The Rubber Room) and solutions to K–12 education in underserved communities (e.g., we made mini-documentaries following student recipients of scholarships explored in our feature narrative Miss Virginia);
• Freedom of speech/expression (e.g., we supported the feature documentary Los Últimos Frikis about Cuba’s most famous metal band); 
• Entrepreneurship success stories and the American Dream (e.g., we supported the feature documentary Dog Days about immigrant street vendors in Washington, DC, and produced the MPI Original documentary Andrea’s Gambit about an international chess star in pursuit of her dreams); 
• Innovations and technology solving problems (our feature documentary Project Home: 3D Printing the Future explores how 3D-printed homes can help solve homelessness).

The application deadline is March 1 at 11:59 p.m. (PT). Learn more about the workshop and apply here.