Evoke supports stories that don’t just speak to like-minded audiences but are well-suited to spark dialogue among people with differing perspectives. When submitting, consider:

• What audience(s) would your project need to reach in order to bridge divides and/or create change? How do you plan to reach them?

• How does your story invite understanding across lines of difference?

• What creative choices make your project engaging for the intended audience?

Evoke supports entertainment-first projects that subtly engage with societal divides, particularly racial, religious, and gender-based divides. Rather than leading with an issue, the stories draw audiences in through compelling characters, humor, or drama—and then, like a Trojan horse, spark empathy, reflection, and deeper understanding across lines of difference. 

We are constantly looking to expand our portfolio by supporting a wide range of topics and voices. Applicants are encouraged to review our existing portfolio to understand our current scope and identify potential gaps. Projects that revisit familiar subject matter are still welcome when they offer a unique or compelling approach.

While strong creative work is essential, we prioritize projects led by teams committed to impact beyond the work itself.

We do not fund advocacy or educational films, propaganda, or projects intended to influence public elections. Explicitly issue-driven projects, as well as historical or biographical stories, are also less likely to be a good fit for Evoke.

Evoke works with partners across a wide range of project stages, from early development and pre-production through distribution and impact campaigns. 

Because our involvement is highly project-specific, there isn’t a single “right” moment to apply. We aim to meet projects where they are: sometimes supporting early conversations around framing and collaborators, and other times helping position a project as it moves toward distribution, audience engagement, and impact.

Possibly! If you’re working on another creative endeavor that reflects our commitment to bridge-building storytelling, you’re welcome to fill out our submission form.

We review projects year-round. Please take a moment to read the rest of our FAQs and peruse our website to determine whether your project aligns with our funding priorities.

We understand the work that fundraising requires. To help reduce that burden, we use a three-step submission process based on the Nonfiction Core Application developed by the IDA and Sundance Institute, with input from other nonprofit media organizations.

The first step is completing our online application form. We encourage applicants to share as much detail as possible, as thorough responses help our team gain the most well-rounded understanding of your project and review it thoughtfully.

If we are interested in learning more about your film, the second and third steps will include additional questions from the Nonfiction Core Application and a conversation with our team.

The Nonfiction Core Application (v.2022) is a collaborative field-wide effort by funders, producers, fiscal sponsors, artist collectives, and artist support organizations to standardize a set of questions used in non-fiction funding, fiscal sponsor, or artist support opportunities. Led by Sundance Institute, in partnership with the IDA, the goal of the Nonfiction Core Application Proposal Checklist Initiative is to alleviate the burden of proposal re-writing on applicants, foster greater access to sources of creative and financial support, and build toward a more equitable and transparent nonfiction field.

We review projects year-round. Please take a moment to read the rest of our FAQs and peruse our website to determine if your project aligns with our funding priorities. If it does, head to our submission form to tell us more.

The more information and materials you can share, the better we can understand your project and review it thoughtfully.

We encourage applicants to include media samples to help our team understand your project. You may provide: 

• Film or video: 1-2 scenes totaling 2-20 minutes, or a teaser if available.

• Audio or podcast: 1-2 episodes or segments, up to 20 minutes in total.

• Other media formats: Any relevant work that demonstrates your project’s concept, style, or storytelling approach.

Links to hosted content (Vimeo, SoundCloud, Google Drive, etc.) are preferred over large file uploads.

If you do not yet have a sample, we encourage you to share a sample of previous work.

Projects will be evaluated according to the following: 

• Artistic excellence

• Contemporary relevance

• Storytelling

• Journalistic rigor 

• Ability to reach and engage with its target audience

• Commitment to impact

• Potential to bridge divides and create connections

Yes, after you hit submit, our team will review your application, and you’ll hear from us within 4-6 weeks to let you know whether it is a fit for us.

Due to the high volume of inquiries and proposals, we do not offer individualized feedback on submissions.

The best way to be in touch is by filling out our contact form or emailing info@weareevokemedia.com.