Impact Fund for Global South Creators Launches at Toronto With Focus on Distribution and Audiences (EXCLUSIVE)

A new impact fund backing creators from the Global South launched at the recently concluded first edition of the Toronto Film Festival market, with a model built around getting films in front of audiences as well as getting them made.

The Culture Fund was established by Product of Culture, a media, marketing and distribution company with bases in New York and Los Angeles. It combines philanthropic funding with the company’s more than 10 years of work in audience research, cultural strategy, marketing and distribution. Instead of limiting itself to production finance, the fund plans to step in at key stages of a project’s life, where money can help secure distribution, grow an audience and raise a film’s profile.

Its investments will cover film, media and wider cultural projects. Starting in early 2027, it will release short films of cultural significance through digital distribution and help their makers raise their profiles and connect with the industry. Submissions are open via FilmFreeway.

“There is extraordinary work being made all over the world, and there are audiences who genuinely want to discover it,” said Archana Misra Jain, founder of The Culture Fund and CEO of Product of Culture. “But making great work is only part of the journey. So much depends on funding, distribution, strategy and people who are willing to open a door. We created The Culture Fund to bring those pieces together and to start every investment with the question most funds ask last: who is this story for, and how do we reach them?”

The launch was celebrated with a reception at TIFF Lightbox, co-hosted with the global programs arm of Women in Film, Los Angeles (WIF). Billed as WIF International + The Culture Fund Present: Celebrating Global Cinema, the event drew a mix of funders, creatives and entertainment executives, and honored Global South and diaspora filmmakers with work in this year’s Toronto Film Festival lineup.

Andria Wilson Mirza, WIF’s director of international programs, said it was an honor for the organization to keep working with Product of Culture as the company widens its reach with the new fund. “Our research shows that filmmakers don’t just need resources to get their films made, they need investment, strategy and support to get those films seen,” she said. “The Culture Fund will be a game changer for our distribution ecosystem.”

WIF, founded in 1973, launched its international programs in 2024 on the back of a multi-year grant. The initiative prioritizes collaboration between Hollywood and the Global South.

Product of Culture runs strategy and operations for the fund. Over the past decade, the company has worked on more than 100 films and projects from storytellers across upward of 18 countries, with work covering cinema releases, awards pushes, online platforms and community outreach. Alongside independent and international titles, it has collaborated with Netflix, Amazon, Universal, Sony Pictures, HBO, Lionsgate, Magnolia Pictures and Neon.

The fund is also backing films during the current awards season, putting money into building audiences, raising profiles and industry outreach at key moments.