It’s been a stressful year for Firelight Media , the nonprofit that supports documentary filmmakers of color. In September, the company lost 41% of its annual funding when monies provided by PBS shrank and federal funding agencies such as the NEA and Corporation for Public Broadcasting shut down.

“The total 41% covered a lot of our programming and a lot of our institutional infrastructure,” says Loira Limbal, President and CEO of Firelight. “Some of that money was used to provide mentorship and to create programs and retreats. Some of it was for our overhead, and some of it was for re-granting.”

Founded in 2000 by producer Marcia Smith and her husband, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson, Firelight Media has been an instrumental part of the doc community, providing resources inclu

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