• What is Open Call?
• Do you only have one Open Call per year?
• What is the Open Call selection process?
• When will I be notified of being selected for funding and when would I receive the first installment of funding?
• What kind of programs is LPB looking for?
• Do all of the projects have to be Latino themed or relate to Latinos?
• Does LPB fund all types of genres?
• Do I need to submit a sample tape with the proposal?
• How many projects does LPB fund a year?
• Can a producer submit more than one project at a time?
• What if a producer is involved in more than one project?
• Does LPB fund at any stage in production?
• What is outreach?
• Can LPB review and give feedback on the proposal prior to deadline?
• Where can I find out about E&O insurance and closed captioning?
• How much money can I apply for?
• Must I raise a certain amount of money before I submit for funds with LPB?
• Am I required to have a fiscal sponsor?
• How long do I have to complete my funded film?
• On the “Budget Summary Form,” what is the difference between "Amount to Raise" and "Expected Income"?
• On the “Budget Summary Form,” do I add the totals for "Actual" and "In-Kind" for Total Project Cost?
• Who has editorial control of the project?
• Does LPB help secure a broadcast on public television?
• When producing for PBS are there any standards or requirements that one must follow?
• Can my program be distributed in other areas beside public television?

Open Call is an open invitation to independent producers to submit proposals for a public television program or series on any subject that relates to or is representative of Latino Americans.

Yes, LPB only has one Open Call per year. It is usually held the first Monday of every June.

After submissions are received, the Open Call process consists of two rounds. In the first round each submission is sent to readers for the initial evaluation. Through this round most proposals are narrowed down and recommended for further review. In the second round, the remaining proposals are reviewed by a panel comprised of professionals including programmers, independent producers, academics and other funding organizations.

Recipients are usually announced by the first week of November. Depending on negotiations some funding can be seen as early as December.

LPB is looking for stories that have not been told before. At the current time LPB is very interested in biographies.

LPB's mission is to support programs that are representative of Latino people or addresses issues of particular interest to Latino Americans. Non-Latino producers who apply are required to submit projects that are Latino themed or relate to Latin Americans and have Latinos on the production team. However, Latino producers are allowed to
submit projects that are NOT Latino themed but may be of interest to Latino Americans.

Yes, including drama, comedy, animation, experimental and documentaries.

No, sample tapes are not to be submitted with the initial submission of the proposal. Only submit a sample tape upon request.

The number of proposals funded varies every year. On the average LPB funds between 10 to 15 projects, about 10 percent, per Open Call.

No, a producer can only submit one project per Open Call.

A producer can submit only one application per Open Call. That same producer can serve on the production team of another project, but cannot be an applicant.

We fund at any stage of production including research and development, production, post-production and also fund for outreach.

Outreach is the marketing and promotion of the program out to the community and targeted audience. This can take shape in the form of publicity (press kits, posters, etc.), the completion of a web site and screenings to support the broadcast of the program.

LPB cannot review or comment on proposals prior to deadline. We suggest that applicants have another filmmaker or mentor review the proposal for feedback prior to submitting it to LPB. LPB does give feedback to applicants on proposals that were submitted to Open Call after the process has been completed. The producer must submit a written request for feedback within six months of receiving their notification letter from LPB.

For information about closed captioning visit the National Captioning Institute at www.ncicap.org. There are several insurance companies that offer E & O insurance but there is no specific company that is recommended. The following is a brief list of companies that offer E&O insurance:

D. R. Reiff & Associates, Inc.
New York, NY
(800) 827-7363
www.reiffinsurance.com

Global Entertainment Insurance
Coral Gables, FL
(877) 669-3223
www.globalentins.com

United Agencies Insurance
Pasadena, CA
(800) 800-5880
www.unitedagencies.com

Roeder & Moon, Inc. Entertainment Insurance
Dallas, TX
(800) 580-3545
www.roedermoon.com

Funds range from $5,000 -$100,000, depending on the project.

No, your project doesn’t need a certain amount of money, but if you are applying for production LPB does like to see at least fifty percent of the total funding in place, but it is not a requirement.

A fiscal sponsor is not mandatory. It is up to the producer whether or not they feel a fiscal sponsor is necessary.

Normally, the average time producers have to produce and complete a project is one to two years.

“Amount to Raise” is the total amount of funding that still needs to be raised. The “Amount to Raise” can be calculated by subtracting the “Income to Date” from the “Total Project Cost.” “Expected Income” is the total amount of funding anticipated from other grants, but have not been awarded.

No, do not add “Actual” and “In-Kind”, Total Project Costs are actual amounts.

The producer has editorial, creative and financial control. The producer owns the copyright. LPB contracts a license agreement for exclusive domestic television rights, which are usually 6 releases in four years. LPB does serve as a presenter of the program to PBS and other public television entities.

LPB makes every effort to get its projects onto public television. LPB offers a project to PBS or other public television entities and works with public television programmers in securing a broadcast.

Yes, there are standards and requirements that are set by PBS. For the latest information, please review the PBS Redbook. A version of the book is available online at www.pbs.org/producers/redbook/ .

An LPB project can only be broadcast on public television within the U.S. The program is not eligible for broadcast to any other network, television station or cable channel.