Austin PBS Digital Originals Grant
Austin PBS is launching our inaugural Digital Originals grant where we’ll award two (2) creators $35,000 each to complete a web series! The non-fiction web series (we’re not accepting narrative-scripted series at this time) will be 6-8 episodes and will be a reflection and exploration of life and culture in Central Texas. We’re looking for culturally insightful, personality driven content with high production value and a unique point of view! Both winner’s series will premiere on Austin PBS’s YouTube channel in 2026.
Apply Now!Eligibility:
Applicants Must:
- Be 18+ at the time of submitting the application
- Reside in an Austin PBS viewing area (see eligible zip codes here)
- Produce the series in Austin PBS viewing area
- Have key member of producing team with relevant experience and a demonstrated ability to complete projects
Note: We strongly encourage submissions from traditionally underrepresented points of view!
We’re Looking For:
- Personality driven
- Professionally produced
- A unique point of view
- Culturally insightful
- Some basic examples:
- docuseries (cooking, traveling within Central TX, etc.)
- informational (historical, topic deep dives, video essays, etc.)
- vodcasts (video podcasts)
Bonus points if it’s educational!
How to Submit for the Grant
The application process consists of two rounds and includes multiple required materials. All Round I submissions will be reviewed by Austin PBS, and up to 10 finalists will be selected to move forward to Round II. A panel of external industry professionals will then evaluate the Round II finalists and select two winners.
Round I – NOW OPEN – Due Date: May 30, 2025
Application Requirements:
Short Essay Questions: Tell us about yourself as a creator, your series idea, and your creative vision. We want to understand why this project matters, why you should tell this story, and why now is the right time. You’ll include insight into your editorial approach.
Preliminary Budget Overview: Provide a top-level production budget. If your project exceeds the $35,000 grant amount, explain where you’ll seek additional funding.
Round II – Materials Due: July 7, 2025
Application Requirements:
Pitch Deck: A visual and creative overview of your series concept, including your core team and stylistic approach.
Episode Breakdown: A detailed outline of each episode, including topics, potential guests, locations, and other relevant details (template will be provided).
Finalized Budget: A detailed production budget following a provided template.
Key Dates:
April 25th - May 30th: Grant application open for submission
June 13th: Notification of Advancement to Round II
July 7th: Round II Materials Due
Early August: Winners notified
Please note: projects must go into production by February 2026. Final cuts will be due to Austin PBS by July 2026 and the winner’s series will premiere on the Austin PBS YouTube channel in or around August of 2026.
Judging Criteria:
ORIGINALITY: how unique is your idea and point of view
FEASIBILITY: is there a path to completion, is the budget aligned with the scope, is there a key team member with relevant experience
CENTRAL TEXAS CONNECTION: does the filmmaker have an authentic connection to Central Texas and how does this project reflect the lives of Central Texans
SIGNIFICANCE: does this story need to be told now and is this the team to tell it, how are the filmmakers connected to the story
AUSTIN PBS ALIGNMENT: is the project in alignment with Austin PBS’s core mission and values
Ready to Apply?
Information Session
Save the date for our grant information session and filmmaker meetup on Sunday, May 4th at 6:00pm. This event is free with RSVP and will take place at Hyperreal Film Club! In this session, we’ll go over the grant in more detail and answer any questions you may have.
Judging Committee
Our external judging committee is made up professionals working in an array of industries including public media, non-profit media, and the film industry. All of them either are or were local to the Austin area and have invaluable experience that will help us make our final selection. We’re so honored to have them be a part of our inaugural Digital Originals Grant!
Courtney B. Cook, PhD (they/she)
Courtney has been working at the intersections of impact and education at American Documentary/POV for five years. They work as a freelance producer, helping non-fiction filmmakers sharpen their stories, reach audiences, and achieve their impact goals. Courtney also supports artists, researchers, and writers across genres at varying stages of their creative processes and is eager to nurture emerging artists in their work.
Rakeda L. Ervin (she/her)
Rakeda is the Director of Community Education at the Austin Film Society, where she oversees the organization’s educational initiatives, including AFS Creative Careers, a workforce development program for emerging creators. She has produced award-winning documentaries and series airing on CNN, VH1, NBC Universal, and A&E Networks during her twenty-year career as a writer for TV and digital content. From Los Angeles to Austin, Rakeda stepped into the educational space to inspire the next generation of creative professionals. Her passion is mentoring and coaching emerging creatives and making sure diverse voices are heard
Joe Hanson, Ph.D. (he/him)
Joe is an internationally-recognized science communicator living in Austin, TX. He is the creator, host, producer, and head writer of Be Smart, an award-winning YouTube science education show from PBS. He has won numerous awards for his work in web video and science journalism, and is dedicated to developing new and impactful ways that digital storytelling can help people think more deeply about science and the universe they live in.
Estefania de Leon (she/her)
Estefanía de León is based in Arlington, Va. where she works as Assistant Director of Multiplatform Programming at PBS. She plays a pivotal role in driving the organization's mission to bridge linear programming and digital projects. With a primary focus on the intersection of traditional and digital media, Estefanía works to oversee day-to-day editorial and audience development strategy with a focus on content for the PBS Flagship and PBS Food YouTube channels, social video content, and other digital formats.
Tamar Price (she/her)
Tamar is an executive producer focused on bringing unique and diverse stories to the forefront. Her background in production and digital content marketing has served her efforts in print and digital media, ad agency production, and the development of cultural art initiatives. Her work has been distributed via PBS Digital (Dead and Buried and Roots of Resistance) and HOORAE’s YouTube channel and has been screened at SXSW, Palm Springs ShortFest, Indy Shorts Fest, and more.
Andrew Vela (he/him)
For the past three years, Andrew has worked in the film commission space, supporting productions with locations, finding studio space, and working with various vendors to ensure operations run smoothly in the regions he has represented. Now at Visit Austin, which houses the Austin Film Commission, Andrew is passionate about the local industry and watching it continuously grow and thrive.
Minh Vu (he/him)
Minh was born to refugee parents in West Texas and was raised in Central Texas. His passion for storytelling and building community fueled his education and career path. At an early age, he found refuge in television and the arts which inspired him to embark on a career that has focused on championing the stories of the underrepresented in the film, television and tech industries. In 2022, he launched the podcast, Asian in Austin and joined Indeed’s Social Impact team. Prior to this, he spent time at NBCUniversal, the Texas Film Commission and supporting underrepresented startup founders and nonprofits.
Questions?
Please email us at greenlights@klru.org
Please note, this is our inaugural grant initiative - we’ve never done this before! That said, we aim to leave space in our process for a bit of flexibility, while prioritizing support for our filmmakers and helping them release work that is authentic, fresh, and values driven.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. I’ve never made anything, should I apply?
As long as someone in a key role on your team (producer, executive producer, or director) has the relevant experience to demonstrate that the series can be complete within one year, then you should apply! Relevant experience means that person has previously worked on (produced or directed) a project (of any length) that was completed and released.
2. I’m planning to hire a producer if I win the grant, but they’re not attached yet. Should I apply?
We strongly encourage you to apply once you have a team member with relevant experience attached to the project.
3. Who will own the series’ copyright when it’s complete?
You will! We want you to own the content you create.
4. Do I have to premiere it on the Austin PBS YouTube channel?
Yes. A part of the agreement will be that the series will premiere on the Austin PBS YouTube channel.
5. Can I upload my series to other places? What about my own YouTube channel?
Yes, there will be an exclusive 2 year holdback, but after that, you are free to upload your series anywhere you wish - including your own YouTube channel or with other companies that you may strike distribution deals with.
6. What sort of paperwork will I be signing?
A grantee agreement and a license agreement. The licensing agreement will grant us two years of exclusivity.
7. How and when will the money be dispersed?
We will release the funds on an ongoing basis, as certain status updates are met. We will discuss the relevant details with the winners.
8. Will my series be on tv?
We will certainly promote your series on Austin PBS as it relates to speaking about the grant. In regards to broadcasting the series, it depends on our programming needs. We will have those conversations during the winners post-production, prior to their release.
9. What is Austin PBS’ editorial involvement going to be?
We want our grantees to creatively express themselves in an authentic way. An important part of our selection process will be ensuring that your creative vision is something we believe in and can get behind. We will be here to support you throughout every step of the way in your process and will likely engage our marketing team so that we can support the release strategy/process, including, but not limited to: selecting episode thumbnails, episode titles, etc.).
10. Will you be my fiscal sponsor?
No, unfortunately that is not something we have the bandwidth to do.
11. Does it have to be a certain amount of episodes and length?
Yes, winners will need to make at least 6-8 episodes. The length of the content will vary depending on content type. For example, a docu-series might have shorter lengths while a vodcast might have longer lengths.
12. Can I use space at the Austin Media Center (Austin PBS) for my project?
It depends on many factors. If you need in-kind support from Austin PBS, this will need to be noted in your application. We cannot guarantee that we’d be able to accommodate.
13. Will you provide me with production insurance, clearances, permits, etc.?
Any project related items will be the responsibility of the producers and should be considered and accounted for as a part of your budget and pitch. However, we will add you to our E&O insurance prior to the series release.
14. I have multiple ideas. Can I submit multiple applications?
We encourage you to submit one (1) application for the project that you are most passionate about and has the greatest chance of being produced and released within 1 year as well as creating an impact.
15. Do all of my episodes need to be shot in Austin?
We’re looking for a reflection and exploration of life and culture in Central Texas. So, yes - plan to film all episodes within Central Texas.
16. I already have a web series/podcast - can I apply for this to continue an existing series?
We’re looking for original ideas/stories, so if you have an existing series, we strongly encourage you to modify and enhance it for this opportunity. Or perhaps this is an opportunity to try something new altogether!