NEH and U.S. Department of State Sign Interagency Film Agreement

Acting Chairman Carole Watson of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine of the State Department today signed an Interagency Agreement (IAA) to collaborate to provide international audiences with increased opportunities to view NEH-grant funded films and related content.

Under the IAA, NEH will require its “America’s Media Makers” grant recipients to provide films free of any license fees for public diplomacy purposes. By making these films accessible to audiences overseas, the interagency collaboration will multiply the reach of NEH-funded documentaries and expand international understanding of American society, history, culture and values.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) will coordinate with NEH-funded filmmakers to obtain films and other media used for diplomatic outreach conducted by embassies and consulates. Past NEH-funded films under the “America’s Media Makers” grant program include PBS’ Dust Bowl, HBO’s civil rights drama The Loving Story, and American Public Media’s American Routes radio series. NEH’s grant program supports the production of an average of 12 major documentary films and multi-media projects each year.