Field Of Vision

What Field Of Vision does

Field of Vision is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco that produces, funds, and distributes short-form documentary films (typically 5 to 39 minutes) on political, social, and human rights subjects. The organization operates a catalog of more than 100 short documentaries organized into thematic series such as Our 100 Days (with Firelight Media), The Journey, Our Allies, and #ThisIsACoup, and makes all content available for free streaming on its website. Its films have earned industry recognition including a 2018 Webby Award for Public Service & Activism and a 2017 World Press Photo Award for Short Form storytelling.

Beyond content production, Field of Vision runs a portfolio of free filmmaker support services: virtual Mentorship & Consultation (with 200+ office-hour slots booked for the documentary community), a Digital Security Clinic operated with Freedom of the Press Foundation (now in its fifth installment and spun out into a standalone platform at digitalsecurity.film), a free Legal Clinic for documentary freelancers, and an Apprenticeship Program. Its IF/Then sub-brand, integrated in 2020, focuses specifically on funding and mentoring underrepresented filmmakers and runs the IF/Then x Hulu Short Documentary Lab, which provides $25,000 production grants in partnership with Hulu Documentary Films.

The organization is grant-funded, became a structurally independent nonprofit in January 2023, and operates with an 11-person team led by Co-Founder & Executive Director Charlotte Cook. Its distribution model is multi-channel: free digital streaming via its own platform, theatrical releases through Alamo Drafthouse and IFC Center, festival screenings (e.g., NYFF), media co-productions with The Intercept, and partnership distribution with Firelight Media and Hulu. No revenue, funding round, or commercial pricing data is disclosed; all content and services are provided free of charge to end users.

Name

Field Of Vision

Website

https://fieldofvision.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Field of Vision is a San Francisco-based independent nonprofit, founded in 2015, that produces and distributes short documentary films (5–39 minutes) and provides free filmmaker support services including mentorship, a Digital Security Clinic, a Legal Clinic, and an apprenticeship program, with a focus on underrepresented documentary talent.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Filmmaking (Nonprofit Media)

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA), Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)

Keywords

• Short documentary production
• Documentary film distribution
• Filmmaker mentorship programs
• Nonprofit media organization
• Digital security training

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Nonprofit Funding and Grants: Field of Vision operates as an independent nonprofit organization (as of January 2023) and receives funding through grants and organizational support. The organization is seeking new partners, organizations, and individuals to support their operations.
2. Film Investment and Production Support: Field of Vision invests in films while maintaining equitable ways of working with filmmakers. They provide funding and distribution support for short films.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Field of Vision is a nonprofit organization that produces and distributes short documentary films (typically 5–39 minutes) on social justice, political, and human rights topics, while providing free filmmaker support services including mentorship, a Digital Security Clinic (in partnership with Freedom of the Press Foundation), a Legal Clinic for documentary freelancers, an Apprenticeship Program, and grant funding through its IF/Then initiative. All films and support services are offered free of charge to filmmakers and audiences.

Product overview

Field of Vision is a documentary filmmaking organization that operates as a single unified offering centered on producing and distributing short documentary films. The portfolio consists of their core documentary shorts (ranging from 5-39 minutes), supplemented by filmmaker support services including free Mentorship & Consultation, Digital Security Clinic, Legal Clinic, Apprenticeship Program, and the IF/Then Shorts initiative for underrepresented voices. Documentary content is organized into thematic series such as Our 100 Days, The Journey, Our Allies, and #ThisIsACoup. The organization became an independent nonprofit as of January 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IF/Then: A program providing funding and mentorship specifically for short documentary filmmakers, focused on underrepresented voices.

Products and services

• Short Documentaries Short documentary films, typically 5 to 39 minutes in length, covering social justice, political, and human rights topics. Produced and distributed free of charge to global audiences through the Field of Vision website and partner channels.
• Mentorship & Consultation Services Free virtual mentorship and consultation services for the documentary community offering guidance on project development, distribution, digital engagement, editing, technology and digital security, festival strategy, and career guidance.
• Digital Security Clinic Free digital security training and consultations for documentary filmmaking professionals, in partnership with Freedom of the Press Foundation. Covers footage security, communication security, device security, and field/travel security.
• Legal Clinic Free legal clinic for documentary freelancers in the US providing pro-bono legal support on contractual and freelance practice issues.
• Apprenticeship Program Apprenticeship program supporting emerging filmmakers in developing their craft through hands-on experience with Field of Vision productions.
• IF/Then Shorts Funding and mentorship initiative for short documentary filmmakers with emphasis on underrepresented voices. Includes the IF/Then x Hulu Short Documentary Lab, which provides $25,000 grants to selected filmmaking teams, with Hulu Documentary Films having the right to review projects for potential acquisition.
• Documentary Series Thematic documentary series produced and distributed through Field of Vision, including Our 100 Days (7-part), The Journey (6-part), Our Allies (3-part), and #ThisIsACoup (4-part).

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ filmmakers provided mentorship through virtual office hours
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Hulu Documentary FilmsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2021IF/Then Shorts partnered with Hulu Documentary Films for the IF/Then x Hulu Short Documentary Lab, creating a pipeline for diverse talent. Hulu has the right to review projects for potential acquisition or further development.
• Alamo DrafthousemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 September 2017Alamo Drafthouse theaters across multiple US cities (Kansas City, Yonkers, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Austin) hosted theatrical screenings of A Night at the Garden across 22 screens.
• IFC CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 24 September 2017IFC Center in New York screened A Night at the Garden before the 12:30pm showing of The Unknown Girl.
• Firelight MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirelight Media is a key partner for series like Our 100 Days, which aims to tell stories from vulnerable communities and explore threats to US democracy. The partnership involves joint production and distribution of documentary content.
• Freedom of the Press FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreedom of the Press Foundation partners with Field of Vision on the Digital Security Clinic for Filmmakers, providing group training sessions and individual consultations on topics including footage security, communication security, device security, and field travel security.
• The InterceptcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField of Vision and The Intercept collaborate on joint reporting projects, including Project X (with Laura Poitras and Henrik Moltke) which reveals the inner workings of a windowless skyscraper in Manhattan based on classified NSA documents.
• Jeanie Finlay (Independent Filmmaker)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJeanie Finlay opened her time to mentoring filmmakers after an upcoming film shoot was cancelled, inspired by Field of Vision's virtual mentorship initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Intercept: Investigative journalism outlet with a visual/documentary arm that collaborates with Field of Vision on joint reporting (e.g., Project X); operates adjacent documentary and short-form video work.
• Tribeca Film Institute: Nonprofit that funds, mentors, and distributes independent film and documentary projects from underrepresented creators; closely mirrors Field of Vision's grant-plus-mentorship model.
• Firelight Media: Documentary-focused nonprofit supporting filmmakers of color; Field of Vision and Firelight Media co-produce series such as Our 100 Days, making them direct collaborators and closest functional peer.
• IDA (International Documentary Association): Member-based nonprofit serving the documentary community with grants, mentoring, and advocacy; closely aligned mission and overlapping filmmaker constituency.
• Freedom of the Press Foundation: Press-freedom nonprofit that co-runs Field of Vision's Digital Security Clinic for Filmmakers; serves an overlapping community of journalists and documentary filmmakers.
• Sundance Institute Documentary Fund: Provides grants and creative support to nonfiction filmmakers globally; competes for the same documentary grant applicants and curatorial pipeline that Field of Vision serves.

Broad incumbents

• ITVS (Independent Television Service): Public-media funder and distributor of independent documentary to PBS; larger incumbent offering similar filmmaker-support and distribution services for the documentary community.
• POV (PBS): Long-running PBS documentary showcase that commissions and broadcasts independent short and feature documentaries; competes for the same festival-circuit filmmakers.
• New York Times Op-Docs: NYT's short-form documentary division publishing opinion-driven nonfiction films; operates a directly comparable short-form documentary offering with much larger distribution reach.

Others

• Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Theatrical exhibitor and channel partner that hosted Field of Vision screenings across multiple cities; functions as a downstream distribution counterpart rather than a direct content peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fieldofvision
• Facebookfacebook.com/FieldofVisionUnit
• Instagraminstagram.com/fieldofvision
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/field-of-vision

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Field Of Vision