Building a Sustainable Future for
Documentary Storytelling in New Mexico
www.nmdig.org - SUMMER 2026 -
PARTNERSHIP SUMMARY
The New Mexico Documentary Incubator Grant (NMDIG) supports
emerging and early-career filmmakers through direct grant funding,
creative guidance, and access to resources and filmmaking networks.
The program is committed to fostering and growing documentary and
non-fiction storytelling that engages with the communities, cultures,
and most pressing issues unique to New Mexico.
mission

history
by the numbers...
Established in 2024, at a time when New Mexico had become a major production hub for
outside film and television projects, NMDIG’s presence emerged as a vehicle to ensure
that our local filmmaking talent had opportunity to shape and tell their own stories.
NEW MEXICO’S
PREMIER PIPELINE
FOR EMERGING
DOCUMENTARY
TALENT
what is nmdig?
1
19 $67K 300+
Home-grown
filmmakers funded
& supported
All while amplifying emerging faces in the NM film community...
Awarded in
direct-to-film
maker funding
Minutes of new
stories told about
New Mexico
2

program growth
2.2xyear-over-year
THE
DEMAND
IS
REAL
3

Annie now works as an editor at a production company
having learned budgeting and project-pitching skills
through her NMDIG experience while pursuing her next
environmental documentary film project.
PAST & CURRENT FILMMAKER PROFILES
Annie Ersinghaus
The Land of Sacrifice
-2025 NMDIG cohort-
Documents the human and
ecological impact of the oil
and gas extraction in the
Permian Basin.
"The NMDIG grant allowed me to make my first film while
forging new connections with fellow filmmakers and
audiences throughout New Mexico."
4
Makayla comes to the 2026 NMDIG program as an
award-winning filmmaker and multimedia artist enrolled
at the Institute of American Indian Arts and focuses on
culturally-driven storytelling, community engagement,
and empowering underrepresented voices.
Between Home & College
-Current 2026 NMDIG cohort-
Follows Navajo college students
navigating higher education
while maintaining cultural
connections.
Makayla Yazzie
who nmdig supports

Following his NMDIG funded project, Dylan began a
Erasmus Mundus funded master’s degree program at
DocNomads producing documentaries in Portugal,
Lithuania, and Belgium. Dylan also became a founding
member of Albuquerque Cinema Club screening films in
conjunction with local political education projects.
PAST & CURRENT FILMMAKER PROFILES
Dylan Haworth
"The experience with the grant program was one of support
and care, as they not only uplifted us as artists but human
beings searching to express ourselves."
The End of History
-2024 NMDIG cohort-
Documents residents as they
attempt to recover from the
devastation of the Hermit's
Peak fire.
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Michael has worked with the immigrant community for
over a decade. In 2020 he received a film technician
certificate from CNM and went on to participate in
screenwriters labs. Michael's documentary was recently
screened at the New York Documentary Film Festival.
Fractured Narratives
-2025 NMDIG cohort-
Delves into the role of
misinformation in shaping public
perceptions about immigration
policy & its effects in New Mexico.
Michael Santillanes
who nmdig supports

• direct support
• creative development
• a home for local stories
Micro-grants put resources directly into the hands of
emerging filmmakers for expedient, quality deliverables
Mentorship, technical guidance, cohort exchange and
professional feedback help filmmakers move projects forward.
NMDIG creates opportunities for New Mexicans to develop
above-the-line talent and tell our own nonfiction stories.
NMDIG'S MODEL UNIQUELY PROVIDES:
contact: Greg Polk - 505.977.2504 // nmdig.info@gmail.com
a model for success
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LET'S BUILD THIS TOGETHER
NMDIG has demonstrated outsized impact in just three years. We are now looking to
build relationships with individuals, businesses and organizations who share our vision
for a thriving New Mexico creative community.
We'd welcome the opportunity to introduce you to NMDIG, our filmmakers, and our
vision for the years ahead: