Currently 14 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.
Subscribe: RSS feed · Calendar (.ics)
AFTER THE PALACE: Resonance 2026 is an international video mapping competition and outdoor showcase that asks digital media artists to creatively reinterpret the dissonant heritage of socialist-era architecture in the context of the history, cultural identity and memory of Krakow's Nowa Huta. Artists, animators, motion designers, creative teams and studios worldwide are invited to create original site-specific projections for the courtyard facade of Building Z of the New Administrative Centre, formerly part of the Lenin Steelworks. Organised by the University of the National Education Commission in Krakow as part of the international artistic and research project unLoc. TECHNICAL: 2D/3D video mapping with sound, 1 to 8 minutes, MP4 (H.264/AAC) in 4K at 25 fps, minimum 40 Mbps, audio 48 kHz/16-bit, built on the dedicated building mapping matrix from the document package. Generative AI tools are permitted provided their use is fully disclosed in the application form and the applicant holds rights to the source materials. TIMELINE: submission deadline 30 October 2026, 23:59 CET; results by 10 November; outdoor showcase and award ceremony 23 November 2026 in the courtyard at 1 Ujastek St, Krakow. TO APPLY: submit the online application form with a download link to the work; the full regulations and mapping matrix are at unloc.art. Contact unloc@uken.krakow.pl.
The European Media Art Platform (EMAP/EMARE) is a network of leading European media-art organisations offering fully funded two-month production residencies for artists working with digital media, including media art, bio art and robotic art. Each residency provides a EUR 4,000 grant to the applying artist (including subsistence), a EUR 4,000 project budget, host-provided accommodation, travel covered according to EU ceilings, and access to technical facilities and media labs; a collaborating artist receives an additional EUR 2,000 (EUR 6,000 total for a duo). Residencies take place at one of 15 host institutions across Austria, France, Slovakia, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, Germany and Poland. ELIGIBILITY: applicants must be EU residents or taxpayers in an EU member state, or residents/taxpayers of one of the eligible non-EU countries (Netherlands-based artists qualify). Undergraduate and Master's students are not eligible; PhD candidates and emerging artists of any age and academic background may apply. IMPORTANT: applicants must apply as a duo or collective, or propose a collaborative project, rather than as a purely solo applicant. The 2027 open call runs from 3 September 2026 to 6 November 2026 at 14:00 CET. Apply online at call.emare.eu. No application fee.
A development lab for XR and new media projects at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival's industry section AGORA, for emerging storytellers working across film, digital media, new technologies and performing arts. Lead mentor: Vassiliki Khonsari (co-founder, iNK Stories). Up to five projects are selected. FORMAT: online preparation and project-enhancement workshop in mid-January 2027, then the lab in Thessaloniki on 6-11 March 2027 with industry meetings scheduled from professionals' requests and the AGORA team, plus online meetings on 12 March. ELIGIBILITY: teams of at least two creative members (creator-creator or creator-producer), any development stage; one lead can submit up to two projects; previously rejected projects only with substantial changes. Both core members must attend the January workshop and at least one must attend the full lab. Completed projects must credit the lab. APPLICATION: English online form (not editable after submission) plus one English PDF with logline, synopsis (max 2 pages), format and audience thoughts, team bios, financing plan if available, visual material and past work. Notification early January 2027. DEADLINE: 25 November 2026. Contact: Rafaela Karagianni.
The MEDIA Slate Development call (CREA-MEDIA-2027-DEVSLATE) funds established European independent production companies to develop a slate of audiovisual works with cross-border potential: fiction, animation, creative documentary and immersive projects. WHO: a single applicant only, an independent European production company with a recent international track record; a company can coordinate only one of Slate Development, Co-Development, mini-slate or Video Games and Immersive Content Development in the same year. WHAT YOU GET: a slate grant of EUR 90,000 to EUR 510,000, built from fixed lump sums per project type, from a total budget of EUR 22,374,320. APPLICATION: via the EU Funding and Tenders portal. DEADLINE: 1 December 2026, 17:00 CET (Brussels).
Go Short, the international short film festival in Nijmegen, is open for entries for its 19th edition (6 to 11 April 2027). A small, approachable Dutch festival that programmes fiction, documentary, animation and experimental shorts. COMPETITIONS: the European Competition (fiction, documentary, animation, experimental), the Dutch Competition, and the New Arrivals Competition for European film school projects, plus a Music Video Competition and a separate strand for video games, VR/XR, performances and installations, which makes it a natural target for expanded-media and installation-based video work. DEADLINES AND FEES: early bird 15 September 2026 (EUR 12.50 per film; EUR 8 per installation/VR/game project), regular 15 November (EUR 15 / EUR 10), late 15 December 2026 (EUR 20 / EUR 12); music videos EUR 7.50 flat. Awards include Best European Short, Best Dutch Short, the New Arrivals Award and an Audience Award. Read the festival regulations for length and completion date requirements before submitting.
The European Media Art Festival (EMAF) in Osnabrueck invites submissions for its 2027 edition in three sections: Film (experimental films of all lengths and any theme), Installation (installative, interactive, spatial or sculptural media art works) and Expanded (performances, live events or workshops). WHAT YOU GET: all films selected for the International Selection are equal winners of the EMAF Award with EUR 400 prize money each; films in the Features section (over 60 minutes) receive a EUR 250 screening fee; curated programmes pay EUR 80-250 depending on length; installations and expanded projects receive a EUR 500 fee with production costs paid by the festival. Selected artists are invited to the festival with free accreditation, three hotel nights (potentially longer if setting up is required) and a contribution to travel costs. RULES: maximum 2 works per artist; only works completed in 2026 or 2027 are eligible; no premiere status required; works entered at previous editions will not be reconsidered. Films up to 60 minutes are viewed for the International Selection, films over 60 minutes for Features. Installation entries should relate to the 2027 festival theme of the archive (as an instrument of knowledge production, a site of critical intervention and a space for alternative visions of the future); Installation and Expanded entries must include a comprehensive description, tech rider, cost calculation and visual materials. Non-English-language works must have English subtitles for the selection screening. Submit digitally via the EMAF registration portal (no DVDs or physical media). Selection decisions are emailed from mid-March 2027. DEADLINE: the call closes as soon as 2,200 entries have been received, or at the latest on 15 December 2026, so submit early. No entry fee.
One of the best-known international artist residencies: established artists live and work in Berlin for a year (six months for film) and become part of the city's cultural scene. Applications are open in literature, music and sound, and film; visual arts fellows are nominated by a jury and cannot apply. ELIGIBILITY: established artists with their own voice and standing, no upper age limit; students and recent graduates are not eligible (doctoral students are). German nationals and artists residing primarily in Germany are excluded, with narrow exceptions for German dual nationals abroad and recent arrivals. Alumni cannot reapply. Window opened 19 October 2026; deadline 15 December 2026, 23:59 CET.
NewImages Festival, the Paris festival for XR and immersive creation, opens three competitions for its 2027 edition. XR COMPETITION: works completed in 2026 or 2027 in VR, AR, mixed reality, narrative video games and hybrid performances; Grand Prize EUR 6,000, Impact Award EUR 3,000; fee EUR 75 Early Bird / EUR 100 Last Call (individual talents EUR 45 / EUR 60). FULLDOME COMPETITION: native fulldome (360-degree projection) works completed after 2023; Dome Award EUR 3,000; same fees as the XR Competition. VIRTUAL WORLDS COMPETITION: social VR platforms, independent worlds, multiplayer art spaces and interactive installations in virtual environments; Virtual Worlds Award EUR 3,000; free to enter. No premiere status required for any competition. Selected works receive festival presentation, two accreditations and industry visibility. Separate Industry Days calls (XR Development Market with a EUR 1,000 Best Project Award, Immersive Art Fair, XR Partners, Industry Sessions) run on the same dates. DEADLINES: Early Bird 10 December 2026, Last Call 22 December 2026.
The MEDIA strand's Innovative Tools and Business Models call (CREA-MEDIA-2027-INNOVBUSMOD) funds tools and business models that strengthen the competitiveness of the European audiovisual and video games industries. WHAT IT FUNDS: tools for subtitling, accessibility, discoverability and recommendation; automated rights management and data analytics; business models linking festivals, cinemas and VOD; new modes of production, financing or distribution using AI, big data, blockchain, virtual worlds or NFTs; and greening the audiovisual and video games industry. WHO: a single organisation or a consortium of two or more, established in a MEDIA country; individuals cannot apply. WHAT YOU GET: grants at an 80 percent funding rate from a total budget of EUR 14,000,000. APPLICATION: via the EU Funding and Tenders portal. DEADLINE: 14 January 2027, 17:00 CET (Brussels).
The 73rd International Short Film Festival Oberhausen (27 April to 2 May 2027), one of the oldest and most influential short film festivals, opens its call for films across five competitions: International (max 35 minutes, produced outside Germany, German festival premiere required), German (max 45 minutes, produced in Germany, no premiere requirement), NRW (max 45 minutes, produced or co-produced in North Rhine-Westphalia), International Children's and Youth Film, and the MuVi Award for music videos produced in Germany (max 15 minutes). ELIGIBILITY: works produced after 1 January 2026; screening formats 35mm, 16mm, Super 8 and DCP (MuVi: DCP). PRIZES: from the EUR 8,000 Grand Prize of the City of Oberhausen and EUR 4,000 Principal Prize through German, NRW, children's/youth, FIPRESCI, Ecumenical and audience prizes, awarded to the directors, plus European Film Awards and ECFA nominations. FEES: the first five submissions per submitter are free of charge; from the sixth, a EUR 20 handling fee per film applies. HOW TO SUBMIT: online entry form with preview link via kurzfilmtage.filmchief.com; selection results announced mid-March 2027. DEADLINE: 18 January 2027 for all competitions (17:00 UTC per the listing), except the MuVi Award: 22 February 2027. No extensions.
The MEDIA Co-Development call (CREA-MEDIA-2027-CODEV) supports European independent production companies developing a work together: feature films, shorts, series, creative documentaries and narrative VR or immersive projects intended for cross-border audiences. WHO: consortia of at least two independent European production companies from two MEDIA countries; the coordinator needs a recent international production track record (since 2020). A company can coordinate only one of CODEV, Slate Development, mini-slate or Video Games and Immersive Content Development in the same year. WHAT YOU GET: a lump-sum grant at a 70 percent funding rate of up to EUR 120,000 for two partners plus EUR 60,000 per extra partner, or up to EUR 200,000 plus EUR 100,000 per extra partner for drama series budgeted at EUR 20 million or more; total budget EUR 12,500,000. APPLICATION: via the EU Funding and Tenders portal. DEADLINE: 2 March 2027, 17:00 CET (Brussels).
First edition of a competitive film festival in Arboga, Sweden, run by production and distribution company Dorobantu Film & Television, dedicated to the concept of art for art's sake: original, innovative films whose main goal is creative contribution rather than commercial entertainment. AWARDS: Great Ars Award for Best Film (SEK 4,000 plus trophy); Best Feature Film and Best Short Film (SEK 2,000 plus diploma each); cash prizes split equally between director and producer and paid within six months after the festival. Official diplomas for Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Debut Film and a Special Award for Outstanding Creation across both sections. DISTRIBUTION: every submitted film, not only selections, is considered for potential film sale or distribution agreement proposals. SCREENING: selected films get one public screening at the festival plus secure jury and press screenings. FORMATS: shorts (1 to 59 min) and features (60 min and up); fiction, documentary, animation, experimental and hybrid; any production year and premiere status; TV series, educational and advertising films excluded. FEES: USD 5 to 17 for shorts and USD 6 to 18 for features depending on deadline tier. FINAL DEADLINE: 19 April 2027; results by 19 May 2027.
The Creative Innovation Lab (call CREA-CROSS-2027-INNOVLAB) funds innovative tools, models and solutions applicable across the audiovisual and other cultural and creative sectors. Every project must involve the audiovisual sector (video games included) plus at least one of music, books or museums. The 2027 call is explicitly aligned with the EU Apply AI Strategy, including AI for content discoverability, and covers virtual worlds, AI-, data- and blockchain-based business tools (rights management, monetisation, data analytics) and greener practices. WHO: a single organisation or a consortium of two or more, established in a Creative Europe country; individuals cannot apply. WHAT YOU GET: an actual-cost grant at an 80 percent funding rate from a total budget of EUR 7,183,502, with financial support to third parties of up to EUR 60,000 each allowed. APPLICATION: via the EU Funding and Tenders portal. DEADLINE: 22 April 2027, 17:00 CET (Brussels).
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.