Documentary Film in the Public Interest Fellowship
Forecasted
Documentary Film in the Public Interest Fellowship supports filmmakers, journalists, and scholars in researching documentary and nonfiction media to inform public knowledge and civic engagement.
Funder: John F. Kennedy School of Government
Due Dates (Anticipated): March 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Unpaid fellowship lasting one semester to a full academic year
Summary: Supports individual research and interdisciplinary inquiry into documentary and nonfiction media in a changing information environment.
Description
The Documentary Film in the Public Interest Fellowship at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center brings together filmmakers, journalists, scholars, creators, and industry leaders to advance research and innovation in documentary and nonfiction media. The program supports original, self-directed research while fostering shared inquiry across professional and scholarly fields.
The initiative’s current research agenda centers on the future of public media and civic infrastructure, and documentary’s evolving role within online media ecosystems. Fellows explore the boundaries, opportunities, and dilemmas of public-interest documentary practice. Their research is intended to inform practitioners, policymakers, funders, and academics concerned with the health of the information ecosystem and documentary’s role in public knowledge and civic engagement.
