Currently 11 active film and video grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in the EU. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Mezipatra, Central Europe's leading queer film festival, screens in Prague and Brno each November. International queer-themed films can submit until 20 July 2026 (the free early-bird window ended 31 May; a small fee now applies). Selected films are notified by 12 October 2026.
The Reykjavik International Film Festival accepts shorts (under 60 minutes) and features across all genres including documentary and hybrid work, completed after 1 January 2025, requiring at minimum an Iceland premiere. Late deadline 24 July 2026; submission fee 7,600 ISK (approx. EUR 60) via FilmFreeway.
The Fondazione Prada Film Fund is an annual initiative supporting independent cinema, with an annual endowment of EUR 1.5 million backing up to 14 feature film projects across development, production, and post-production. The Fund imposes NO restrictions on geography, theme, genre, or language and does not participate as a co-producer, guaranteeing complete artistic freedom to filmmakers. It supports both established authors and new talents, as well as research projects. SELECTION is based exclusively on quality, originality, vision, and the strength and reliability of the applicant structure; projects are evaluated by independent readers and external consultants, with final selection and grant amounts determined by a committee appointed by Fondazione Prada. ELIGIBILITY: applications may be submitted only by a production company involved in the project (the applicant company remains solely responsible for meeting all requirements); open worldwide. DEADLINES (2026 call opened 30 June 2026): projects in production 6 August 2026; projects in development and post-production 10 September 2026 (this card uses the earliest deadline). Post-production projects may submit a rough cut until 20 November 2026. Selected projects announced February 2027. Application documents are on the Fondazione Prada Film Fund page; questions to filmfund@fondazioneprada.org.
QueerCineMad (formerly LesGaiCineMad), organized by Fundacion Triangulo in Madrid, is a Goya- and Feroz-qualifying LGBTI+ film festival offering prizes up to EUR 2,500. International submissions close 15 August 2026 via Festhome or FilmFreeway (platform fees vary).
Cheries-Cheris, France's largest LGBTQIA+ film festival, screens at MK2 cinemas across Paris. Films must have an LGBTQIA+ theme or perspective. Regular deadline 31 August 2026 (USD 8 shorts / USD 20 features); late deadline 20 September 2026 at higher fees.
Berlinale Talents is the Berlin International Film Festival's talent-development program: a week of workshops, the Talents Lab and the Talent Project Market during the February 2027 Berlinale, plus access to the festival's industry network. ELIGIBILITY: international working film professionals with at least 1 feature, 2 shorts, or a widely screened or streamed series, across 15+ disciplines including directing, sound design, editing, production, cinematography and screenwriting. Participation itself is free; there is a EUR 15 application service fee (EUR 10 early bird before 19 August 2026) and travel and accommodation are not covered. Deadline 2 September 2026, 12:00 CEST. Apply via the Berlinale Talents portal.
Guardian Documentaries and arte.tv have opened a short documentary film fund on the theme 'Democracy at Stake in Europe', supporting the development and production of a character-led documentary short exploring threats, pressures and challenges facing democratic societies across Europe. The aim is to amplify personal stories that help audiences understand democracy in Europe today and to stimulate public debate; suggested areas of focus include press freedom, civic trust and democratic participation. AWARD: one project receives GBP 10,000 in production support; alongside the financial award, the selected filmmaker receives editorial and creative input from the partners, with distribution through Guardian and arte.tv platforms. The funding can be used for work linked to the film's development and production, such as research, filming and post-production, subject to the applicant's proposed budget and plan. ELIGIBILITY: open to European filmmakers aged 18 or over; the call is focused on a single short documentary and is intended for projects where individual experience and perspective are central to telling a wider story about democratic life in Europe. Deadline 14 September 2026.
Call for short films (1-10 minutes) involving human/AI hybrid creation, from the We Are Human Foundation in Paris. Three cash awards: Grand Prix EUR 5,000, Best Screenplay EUR 3,000, and an Ethics Award EUR 2,000. ELIGIBILITY: international, applicants 18+; films must have been completed after 1 June 2025 and involve human/AI hybrid creation; a mandatory Ethics Notebook accompanies each submission. No submission fee. Festival screening at Forum des images, Paris, on 24 November 2026. Apply via FilmFreeway; deadline 30 September 2026.
Work stipends for women film and video artists under the Berlin Senate's Kuenstlerinnenfoerderung (women artists' funding program). ELIGIBILITY: women film and video artists based in Berlin. Deadline 1 October 2026, 11:00 CEST, per the Senate's official deadline calendar. NOTE: research-sourced from the Senate deadline calendar; the stipend amount was not published there, so confirm details on the Senate funding pages before applying.
The Basel House of Film, run by the Verein Filmhaus Basel und Umgebung, offers a three month residency for emerging artists working in film and television. Residents receive housing at the Filmhaus in the Basel old town plus a stipend to cover travel and living costs. There is no obligation to produce work, and residents can use the open schedule to write a script, prepare a film, draw storyboards, or edit. The facility includes a clubhouse, meeting room, office space, a small cinema with VR equipment, and an editing and grading suite. The program targets up and coming filmmakers, and both national and international applicants are welcome. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the online form, followed by a CV, motivation letter, and portfolio sent to the residency email.
Pink Screens, Brussels' queer film festival run by Genres d'a cote, accepts international films completed 2024 or later that were not previously submitted. Submissions are free via the festival's own form on pinkscreens.org (the FilmFreeway route may charge). No exact deadline is published, but the call is in its late phase, so submit soon.