The Micheaux Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 tax exempt arts foundation which was founded in 1993.  The Foundation consists of professional filmmakers and legal and financial professionals who share the common goal of supporting and promoting emerging independent screenwriters/directors and their films through production grants, workshops, and an annual film festival.  The Micheaux Foundation was named in honor of Oscar Micheaux, an African American, and a pioneer of independent filmmaking in the early 20th century, who was known as the most creative and radical filmmaker of his day.  He wrote, produced, directed and edited up to fifty powerful films.  By displaying positive and heroic images of African Americans between the years of 1919 and 1948 with the financial support of the African American community.

To provide a strong catalyst for the expansion of the Washington D.C. area film industry by increasing local film production and exhibition activities with the cooperation and the support of the Washington D.C. Government Film Production Office.  The Foundation will finance and produce feature length and non-commercial dramatic short films and documentaries by under-represented filmmakers from around the world with an emphasis on Washington D.C.; filmmakers with the films to be shot on location in the Washington D.C.  area.  To assist in the creation of a Washington D.C. area film industry that will provide the same career opportunities for filmmakers that have traditionally been available exclusively in the New York and Los Angeles film industry markets.

The Micheaux Foundation is structured into a five member board of directors.  The five members of the board are part of the local creative and financial community.  Affiliated filmmakers provide creative input to the board of directors.  For the past nine years, the foundation has been pursuing financial support and has placed four feature film projects into development.  A portion of the distribution proceeds from these commercial feature films will provide financial self-sufficiency for the foundation's programs.  Production fundraising activities are currently underway.