As people around the world are coping with the coronavirus pandemic, companies, nonprofits, and other government and non-government organizations are stepping up to help those in need. For filmmakers, actors, and other creatives in the U.S. uncertain about how to sustain their livelihoods during (and after) the pandemic, we wanted to highlight some resources that may be able to help.
For more helpful information, check out the SAGindie virtual panel Working Through: Indie Filmmaking in the Age of COVID-19, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Please Note: This list does not represent SAGindie’s endorsement of any organization but is simply an informational listing. Please do your due diligence and research before donating or applying for any assistance.
[UPDATED: 1/11/21]
For Actors and Performers
- COVID-19 Updates and Resources (SAG-AFTRA)
- COVID-19: Safety Protocols (SAG-AFTRA)
- SAG-AFTRA Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund
- The Actors Fund Emergency Financial Assistance
- Emergency & Disaster Grant (Broadcasters Foundation of America)
For Filmmakers and Other Artists
- COVID-19: Safety Protocols (SAG-AFTRA)
- Independent Producers: COVID-19 Safety Protocols (SAG-AFTRA)
- The Safe Way Forward (DGA/SAG-AFTRA/IATSE/Teamsters)
- COVID Safety Protocols For Producing Independent Productions (Producers Guild of America)
- COVID-19 Emergency Relief Funds (Motion Picture & Television Fund)
- WGAW Good and Welfare Emergency Assistance Loans (Motion Picture & Television Fund/Writers Guild of America West)
- Applying for Federal COVID-19 Relief as a Filmmaker – Webinar (ITVS/IDA/Firelight Media)
- Artist Relief
- Behind the Scenes Grants (Behind the Scenes Foundation)
- Bernie Myerson Emergency Grant (Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation)
- Coronavirus Active Response and Engagement Service (C.A.R.E.S.) (IATSE)
- COVID-19 Resources for Artists and Arts Organizations (National Endowment for the Arts)
- Documentary Freelancer Relief Fund (Field of Vision/Topic Studios)
- The Documentary Impact Producers Relief Fund
- Emergency Filmmaker Support Fund (Film Independent)
- Feed the Freelancers
- Film & Entertainment Emergency Logistics (F.E.E.L.)
- Freelancers Relief Fund (Freelancers Union)
- Global Production Alert (Association of Film Commissioners International)
- Keeping Your Story Alive: Financial Support to Help Fight COVID-19 Setbacks (Forest Road Company)
- Sundance Co//ab (Sundance Institute)
- Writers’ Emergency Fund (PEN America)
For Musicians
- AGMA Relief Fund (The Actors Fund/American Guild of Musical Artists)
- Corona Relief Fund (Equal Sound)
- Creative Community Fund (Winston House)
- CV19 Emergency Aid Grant Program (Musicians Foundation)
- DGF Emergency Grants (Dramatists Guild Foundation)
- MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund (Recording Academy)
- Music Covid Relief
- Music For Relief COVID-19 Response Fund (Entertainment Industry Foundation)
- Music Maker Relief Foundation
- State-by-State Resource Guide (Billboard)
- Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW)
For Theaters, Exhibitors, and Film Festivals
- Art-House America Campaign (Art House Convergence/Criterion Collection/Janus Films)
- @homeArts (Salt Lake Film Society)
- COVID-19 Preparedness Resources (Art House Convergence)
- Film Festival Alliance
- Film Festival Survival Pledge (Seed&Spark)
- Pioneers Assistance Fund (Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation)
Local Resources
- Alabama
- Alabama CARES About the Arts: Emergency Relief Grants (Alabama State Council on the Arts)
- Individual Artist Emergency Relief Grant (Arts Huntsville)
- Arizona
- California
- Artists Now
- Citywide COVID-19 Emergency Response Program for Individual Artists (Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs)
- Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund (Music Fund of Los Angeles)
- COVID-19 Relief Funds (Center for Cultural Innovation)
- COVID-19 Resource Center (FilmLA)
- COVID-19 Resource Page for LA Dance Artists (Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles)
- LA Young Creatives Fund (Mission Asset Fund/Snap Foundation)
- Colorado
- Colorado Artist Relief Fund (RedLine)
- Colorado Music Relief Fund
- COVID-19 Arts & Culture Relief Fund (Bonfils Stanton Foundation/The Denver Foundation)
- Denver Actors Fund DEAR Program
- NoCo Music Relief Fund (Bohemian Foundation)
- Rocky Mountain Music Relief
- Florida
- Hillsborough Artist Relief Program (Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts)
- Oolite Arts Relief Fund for COVID-19
- Recommendations for Clean & Healthy Production Sets (Film Florida)
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- COVID-19 Guidelines for the Film Industry in Honolulu (City & County of Honolulu/Honolulu Film Office)
- Idaho
- Writer Relief Grants (The Cabin)
- Illinois
- Arts for Illinois Relief Fund (3Arts Chicago)
- The Dancers’ Fund (Chicago Dancers United)
- Restore Illinois: Film Production Guidelines (Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity)
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Artist Relief Trust (ELEVATOR Artist Resource)
- Louisiana
- Creative Relief Louisiana
- Creative Response Relief Fund (New Orleans Creative Response)
- Motion-Picture Production Return to Work Guidelines (Louisiana Entertainment)
- Maine
- Maine Artist Relief Fund (ArtEngageME)
- Maine COVID-19 Production Safety Forum (Maine Production Safety)
- Maine Musician Relief Fund (SPACE)
- Maine Visual Artist Emergency Grants (SPACE)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Boston Artist Relief Fund (City of Boston Arts & Culture)
- Boston Music Maker COVID-19 Fund (The Record Co.)
- Cambridge Artist Relief Fund (Cambridge Community Foundation)
- COVID-19 Relief Fund (Mass Cultural Council)
- Reopening Massachusetts (Massachusetts Film Office)
- Michigan
- Michigan Artist Relief Fund (Michigan Music Alliance)
- Red Bull Arts Microgrant Program
- Minnesota
- Artist Grants for COVID-19 Relief (Northwest Minnesota Arts Council)
- Minnesota Film Community Emergency Relief Fund (FilmNorth)
- Personal Emergency Relief Fund (Springboard for the Arts)
- Mississippi
- MAC CARES Emergency Grants (Mississippi Arts Commission)
- Shoot Healthy: Best Practices for Production During COVID-19 (Mississippi Film Office)
- Missouri
- Futures Fund (The Luminary/Andy Warhol Foundation)
- A Safe Return to Production: Recommended Guidelines and Best Practices for the KC Film Industry During COVID-19 (KC Film Office)
- Montana
- Filming in Montana During Our Phased Re-Opening (Montana Film Office)
- Montana CARES (Montana Arts Council)
- Nevada
- CARES Act Grants (Nevada Arts Council)
- Production Safety Guidelines (Nevada Film Office)
- New Mexico
- Back2One: New Mexico’s Film & Television Production Health Safety Initiative (New Mexico Film Office)
- NM CARES (New Mexico Arts Commission)
- New York
- COVID-19 Dance Relief Fund (Dance/NYC)
- Emergency Resources (New York Foundation for the Arts)
- Musicians’ Emergency Relief Fund (Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM)
- Rauschenberg Emergency Grants (New York Foundation for the Arts/Robert Rauschenberg Foundation)
- Reopening New York: Media Production Guidelines for Employers and Employees (New York State Department of Health)
- North Carolina
- Artist Emergency Relief Fund (Arts Greensboro)
- Chatham Artist & Arts-Worker Relief Effort (CAARE) (Chatham Arts Council)
- Footcandle Filmmaker Grant Fund
- NC Artist Relief Fund
- Ohio
- COVID-19 Emergency Relief for Artists (Greater Columbus Arts Council)
- Film Columbus COVID Film Production Guidelines
- Oklahoma
- Filming During COVID-19: Considerations for Oklahoma Filmmaking (Oklahoma Film & Music)
- Red Dirt Relief Fund
- Oregon
- Gimme Shelter Performers Emergency Fund
- Portland Area Artist Emergency Relief Fund
- Recommended Post-COVID19 Production Standards & Practices for Work Within Oregon (Oregon Media Production Association)
- Re:Imagine Artist Fund (Portland Art Museum/Northwest Film Center)
- Pennsylvania
- COVID-19 Arts Aid PHL
- Emergency Fund for Artists (Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council)
- Puerto Rico
- COVID-19 Assistance (Archivo Virtual del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña)
- La Cuarentena 2 (Kilometro)
- Rhode Island
- Artist Relief Fund (Rhode Island State Council on the Arts)
- South Carolina
- Arts Emergency Relief Grants (South Carolina Arts Commission)
- Principles, Key Recommendations and Recommended Departmental Protocols (IATSE Local 600)
- South Dakota
- Artist Emergency Relief Fund (Arts South Dakota)
- CARES Act Emergency Operating Grants (South Dakota Humanities Council)
- Tennessee
- Artist Emergency Fund (ArtsMemphis)
- Artist Relief Fund (Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville)
- Media Production Guidelines (TN Entertains)
- Texas
- Artists Emergency Relief Fund (Austin Creative Alliance)
- Creative Industry Relief Fund (United Way of Tarrant County)
- Houston Music Foundation
- Minimum Standard Health Protocols: Checklist for Media Production (Open Texas)
- Utah
- COVID-19 Updates (Utah Film Commission)
- Vermont
- Vermont Rapid Response Artist Relief (Vermont Arts Council)
- Virginia
- COVID-19 Artist Grants (RIFF Arts Institute)
- COVID-19 Arts and Culture Relief Fund (Richmond CultureWorks)
- Virginia CARES Emergency Relief Grant (Virginia Commission for the Arts)
- Washington
- COVID-19 Response & Recovery Resources (Artist Trust)
- King County Cultural Relief Fund
- Washington State Set Safety Requirements (Washington Filmworks)
- Wisconsin
- Artist Relief Fund (ImagineMKE)
- Wyoming
For General Assistance and Information
- COVID-19 Safety Tips (SAG-AFTRA)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- HealthCare.gov
- Medicaid.gov
- Unemployment Insurance Provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (National Employment Law Project)
- Unemployment Help (USA.gov)
- Disaster Loan Assistance (U.S. Small Business Administration)
- Paycheck Protection Program (U.S. Small Business Administration)
——
If you know of a COVID-19 relief resource for film industry professionals, send us a tip at blogadmin@sagindie.org.