FundingFree help & guides
Free legal and business help for filmmakers
Volunteer lawyers and accountants, clinics, and the best how-to guides on film finance.
27 sources · Checked Oct 18, 2026
Every route
Free help & guides
27 sources| Program | Where | Amount | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh Arts Artist Opportunity Board ↗︎Fresh Arts · Free to browse; aimed at Houston and regional artists. | Houston | Free listings of grants, fellowships, calls for entry, gigs and jobs, plus a monthly Artist Resource Newsletter | Updated weekly |
| Governor's Office of Small Business Assistance ↗︎Office of the Texas Governor · Small and medium Texas businesses and startups. | Statewide | Free permitting, licensing and compliance help, resource referrals and webinars | Year-round |
| North Texas SBDC ↗︎North Texas Small Business Development Center network · Small businesses and entrepreneurs in North Texas. | North Texas (Dallas–Fort Worth region) | Business advising and training | Year-round; register online |
| Northwest Texas SBDC ↗︎Northwest Texas Small Business Development Center network · Business owners and entrepreneurs in its 95 counties. | Northwest Texas (95 counties, including Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene and Wichita Falls) | No-cost, confidential business advising plus training | Year-round |
| SCORE Austin ↗︎SCORE · Entrepreneurs and small business owners. | Central Texas (Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Bell, McLennan, Burnet and nearby counties) | Free mentoring; most workshops free, some paid | Year-round |
| SCORE Dallas ↗︎SCORE · Entrepreneurs and small business owners. | Dallas–Fort Worth plus North, East, West and Panhandle Texas | Free mentoring; workshops | Year-round |
| SCORE Fort Worth ↗︎SCORE · Entrepreneurs and small business owners. | Tarrant County and North and West Texas (including Abilene) | Free mentoring; workshops | Year-round |
| SCORE Houston ↗︎SCORE · Entrepreneurs and small business owners. | Greater Houston and the Upper Gulf Coast | Free, confidential, lifetime mentoring; low-cost workshops | Year-round |
| Texas South-West SBDC Network ↗︎University of Texas at San Antonio · Small businesses and startups in its region. | South and West Texas (San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Rio Grande Valley, Corpus Christi and more) | Business advising and training | Year-round |
| UH Law Center Trademark Prosecution Clinic ↗︎University of Houston Law Center · Mainly small business owners needing trademark help; acceptance not guaranteed. | Houston | Free trademark searches, filings and counseling by supervised law students | Request help through the clinic's online form |
| UH Texas Gulf Coast SBDC Network ↗︎University of Houston SBDC · Small businesses and pre-venture founders in its 32-county region. | Southeast Texas (32 counties, Houston area) | Business advising and webinars (webinars are free) | Year-round; register, then request an appointment |
| UT Law Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic ↗︎University of Texas School of Law · Texas small businesses, social enterprises and artists without significant outside investment, with household income under $83,000 (up to $130,000 considered); low-income-serving Texas nonprofits. Austin-area counties get priority. | Statewide | Free legal work; clients pay filing fees | Applications year-round; new cases open fall and spring terms. Not taking new clients until Nov 1, 2026 |
| Angel Capital Association member directory ↗︎Angel Capital Association · Anyone looking for angel groups. | National | Free directory | Year-round |
| Artist Communities Alliance directory and open calls ↗︎Artist Communities Alliance · Artists looking for residencies. | National | Free directory and monthly residency-deadline newsletter | Year-round |
| Candid free funding research access ↗︎Candid (Foundation Directory) · Anyone; free access at partner libraries and nonprofits. | National | Free at partner locations (Foundation Directory is otherwise a paid subscription) | Year-round |
| Creative Capital Artist Opportunities ↗︎Creative Capital · Free to browse. | National | Free listings of grants, residencies and emergency funds, filterable by state including Texas | Updated continuously |
| Fintage House collection account management ↗︎Fintage House · Producers, financiers and profit participants sharing a film's revenue. | National | Fee-based | Year-round |
| Fiscal Sponsor Directory ↗︎San Francisco Study Center · Anyone looking for a fiscal sponsor. | National | Free to search | Year-round |
| Freeway Entertainment collection account management ↗︎Freeway Entertainment Group · Rights holders, financiers, production partners and talent sharing a production's revenue. | National | Fee-based | Year-round |
| HB Communities for Change ↗︎Husch Blackwell LLP · Small businesses and nonprofits in under-resourced communities that can't afford a lawyer. | National | Free business legal help | Apply between the 1st and 15th of any month |
| Impact Field Guide ↗︎Doc Society · Free to use. | National | Free | Online, always available |
| M-AAA Artist INC ↗︎Mid-America Arts Alliance · Artists of any discipline; cohorts of 25 chosen by application. Artist INC Express is free with registration. | National | Eight-week professional development program on the business side of an arts practice | Runs in rotating cities; it has run in Austin and Houston. Current cohorts are in Kansas (Lawrence apply by Oct 21, 2026; Wichita opens Nov 11, 2026) |
| Non-Fiction Core Application ↗︎International Documentary Association with participating funders · Documentary filmmakers. | National | Free template | Always available |
| SAG-AFTRA low-budget theatrical agreements ↗︎SAG-AFTRA · Producers of films shot entirely in the US who sign with the union. Tiers: Micro-Budget, Ultra Low Budget (budgets up to $300,000), Moderate Low Budget and Low Budget. | National | Reduced union scale tied to budget; a security deposit is required | Apply 4–6 weeks before the first work day |
| SBA Veterans Business Outreach Centers ↗︎U.S. Small Business Administration · Veterans, service members, Guard and Reserve members, military spouses and family members starting or growing a business. | National | Workshops, business-plan help, counseling and mentoring | Year-round; find the nearest center by ZIP code |
| SBA Women's Business Centers ↗︎U.S. Small Business Administration · Women entrepreneurs, and others, starting or growing a small business. | National | Business counseling and training | Year-round; find the nearest center by ZIP code |
| Sundance Collab ↗︎Sundance Institute · Anyone; free to join. | National | Free membership and free events; courses mostly $395–$750, with limited need-based scholarships | Year-round |
Programs change: confirm on each one’s own page before you apply. Not legal or financial advice.