Currently 5 active film and video grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in the Netherlands. 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)
The Netherlands Film Production Incentive is the Film Fund's automatic cash rebate for feature films, animated films and documentaries, returning up to 35 percent of qualifying Dutch production costs. It is designed to keep production spend in the Netherlands and is assessed on a points system rather than artistic panel review. WHO CAN APPLY: only Dutch producers representing independent production companies. The company must be legally registered in the Netherlands (including Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba) for at least two years, operate continuously in film or audiovisual production, and be represented by a producer who has produced at least one majority film with a budget of EUR 500,000 or more that had a Dutch cinema release. PROJECT THRESHOLDS: feature films and animated films need a minimum production budget of EUR 1 million and at least EUR 150,000 in qualifying costs; documentaries need a minimum budget of EUR 250,000 and at least EUR 100,000 in qualifying costs. FURTHER CONDITIONS: a guaranteed Dutch cinema release with a minimum 12-week window, at least 50 percent of the budget unconditionally promised in writing by third parties, at least two unaffiliated financiers, and a minimum score of 75 points on the automatic assessment system. Deadline 26 October 2026 at 17:00 CET.
The High-End Series strand of the Netherlands Film Production Incentive extends the Film Fund's 35 percent cash rebate to high-end drama, documentary and animated television series, returning up to 35 percent of qualifying Dutch production costs. WHO CAN APPLY: independent production companies based for at least two years in the Netherlands, an EU member state, the EEA or Switzerland, producing audiovisual content on a continuing basis, and represented by a producer who has produced either a majority film with a minimum budget of EUR 500,000 and a Dutch cinema release, or a majority television series in the same category. Note that despite the broader basing rule, only applicants from the Netherlands, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba may actually apply. PROJECT THRESHOLDS: minimum production budget per broadcast minute varies by category, at EUR 4,000 for documentary and EUR 8,000 to EUR 12,000 for drama and animation. FURTHER CONDITIONS: at least 50 percent of the production budget secured in writing from third parties, a guaranteed television or VOD broadcast in the Netherlands (or in two or more countries for co-productions), and a minimum score of 75 points on the automatic assessment system. Deadline 26 October 2026 at 17:00 CET.
Movies that Matter, the human rights film festival in The Hague (19-27 March 2027), is open for 2027 submissions. The festival screens poignant fiction films and revealing documentaries that stir debates about human rights, sustainability and the fight against injustice, and feeds several competitions: the Grand Jury Documentary Competition (eight documentaries, EUR 5,000, winner eligible for Academy Award consideration for Best Documentary Feature), Grand Jury Fiction (EUR 5,000), Shorts (EUR 1,500), plus Activist Lens, Justice Frame, Dutch Focus, an Education Award and an Audience Award. ELIGIBILITY: films of any length, completed or world-premiering in 2026 or 2027, addressing human rights and/or social or environmental issues; English commentary/dialogue or English subtitles required; the film must not have been released in Dutch cinemas, broadcast on Dutch television, made freely available online, or submitted to the festival before. A world premiere is not required but may be taken into account in selection. FEES: EUR 25 normal fee until 30 September 2026, EUR 35 late fee from 1 October; final deadline 1 November 2026. Selection is announced at the end of February 2027. Submit via the festival's own submission database at database.moviesthatmatter.nl. Note the festival also runs a separate Take on Film & Impact industry programme (deadline 11 October 2026) for feature documentaries in late/post-production, but it carries no cash and participants fund their own travel, so it is not listed on the desk.
The 30th Roze Filmdagen, Amsterdam's LGBTQ+ film festival, is accepting short films, feature films, documentaries and animations with a clear connection to LGBTQ+ themes and sexual, gender and cultural diversity, for its edition of 10-21 March 2027. AWARDS: Jury and Audience Awards with cash prizes in three categories (best feature, best documentary, best short) and the Hivos-initiated Free to be Me Award, also with a cash prize; the festival nominates for the Iris Prize in Cardiff. Submit via FilmFreeway. DEADLINE: 1 December 2026.
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.