The City of Atlanta awarded more than 125 grants to creative entrepreneurs through the Creative Industries Grant Fund, a joint program of the Mayor’s Office of Film and Entertainment and Invest Atlanta to assist the city’s independent content creators and creative entrepreneurs. The program offered $5,000 to $20,000 for local creative entrepreneurs to ensure Atlanta’s creative industries thrive here for years and decades to come.

“The Creative Industries Grant Fund gives us an additional tool to support a large and growing sector of jobs and talent to further strengthen Atlanta’s burgeoning reputation as a global entertainment hub,” said Mayor Andre Dickens. “In the initial loan program, the City provided creative entrepreneurs more than $700,000 in funding, a footprint we look forward to increasing.”

The Creative Industries Grant Fund program supports the City of Atlanta’s Economic Mobility Plan objectives, including stimulating growth of Atlanta’s economy, industry sectors and businesses, and creating pathways that strengthen the ability of entrepreneurs and small business owners to create and maintain thriving businesses. Grant awards can be used for production, post-production, distribution, marketing outreach, touring, prototype development, product development and sales and attraction for their creative projects.

“Creatives have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic as performing arts centers closed, events were called off, and studios were temporarily shuttered,” said Dr. Eloisa Klementich, president and CEO of Invest Atlanta. “Eighty-four percent of creatives who responded to a 2020 Invest Atlanta survey said their income fell, and we recognize that many are still working to regain their footing, which makes this round of funding especially impactful.”

Awardees include independent content creators and creative entrepreneurs located within the city of Atlanta who plan to create content within the city of Atlanta; independent record, management labels and their talent which are located within the city of Atlanta; and independent businesses who provide educational resources and platforms to creative entrepreneurs, including creative accelerators and incubators.

Originally opened in 2017 as a loan program administered by Invest Atlanta on behalf of the City of Atlanta, the Creative Industries Grant Fund was converted to a fund to support creative professionals as they recover from economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We are ecstatic to be receiving a grant from Invest Atlanta,” said Kiah Clingman, producer, KiahCan Productions. “When you commit your life's journey to being an independent filmmaker, you automatically commit to the hustle of exhausting every resource possible to bring a project to life. Whether it's through investors, grants, loans or asking family and friends, the financing part of filmmaking proves to be a tedious one. Without grants and access to funding like the opportunity Creative Industries Grant Fund extended so graciously, it would be significantly more challenging to execute creative projects like ours, especially one as vital as women's health.”

For more information on other funding resources, visit www.investatlanta.com.