Currently 19 active paid film and video grants, fellowships and residencies. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Every entry is funded, no exposure-only calls. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Grant programme for feature documentaries and episodic docuseries at any stage of production (must have sample footage; films in early development without footage or that are picture-locked are ineligible). Projects must be about or intersect with an environmental issue and a proposed or activated solution, and must have clear impact goals and a developed idea for an impact campaign. Awarded teams (up to 2 applying team members, one of whom is the director) join a cohort fellowship for a year. Encouraged stories: intersectional environmental issues and solutions; leadership, hope and innovation that move past defeatist narratives; fresh viewpoints challenging conventional environmental storytelling; equitable, inclusive and diverse environmental movements centring underrepresented and historically excluded voices; systemic bias and injustice in environmental policy; cultural practices honouring traditional and ancestral knowledge; community power and civic engagement at the intersection of environmental justice and planetary health; protection and restoration of land, water, biodiversity. Applicants must be 18+; previous filmmaking experience highly recommended. US citizenship not required (but US residency for at least one team member is). Application uses the Nonfiction Documentary Core Application format. Deadline 14 May 2026 at 23:59 PST (Submittable cutoff 9:00 AM 15 May 2026). Recipients notified and funds awarded by October 2026.
The largest granting body for independent narrative feature films in the US. Supports films that address social-justice issues (distribution of wealth, opportunities and privileges) in a positive and meaningful way through plot, character, theme or setting, and that benefit the Bay Area filmmaking community professionally or economically. Three tracks, all up to $25,000: Screenwriting (open to filmmakers anywhere in the US or internationally; FilmHouse residency included), Development (for producers of narrative features needing to engage with the Bay Area to develop and package the film; FilmHouse residency included), and Post-production (no Bay Area residency required). Eligibility: 18+, key creative role (screenwriter, director or producer), feature-length fiction film only (no shorts or documentaries), project budget $3M or under. Not work-for-hire. Stories may be set anywhere; applicants do not need to live in the Bay Area. Regular deadline 8 May 2026 (application fee $30); final deadline 22 May 2026 (application fee $50). Application fee waived for SFFILM members. Apply via the SFFILM Grant Platform; multiple narrative-grant submissions allowed for one fee per application. Past grantees include Sean Wang's Dìdi, Savanah Leaf's Earth Mama, Joe Talbot's The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You, Chloé Zhao's Songs My Brothers Taught Me, Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station and Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Fund providing financial and professional support for Palestinian filmmakers worldwide, established by the Palestine Film Institute in May 2025 to ensure Palestinians have the right to tell their own stories. Two submission rounds per year (Autumn opens early September; Spring opens April). Spring 2026 round: applications open 1 April 2026, close 24 May 2026 at 23:59 Palestine time. Decisions within 10 to 12 weeks of the deadline. What is funded: Short films up to 30 minutes at any stage (development, production, post-production) and Feature-length films (longer than 30 minutes) at Development or Post-production stage only (production stage NOT eligible). Eligible forms: fiction, documentary, animation, hybrid, experimental, essay. Projects must be original, artistically serious, and intended for television, cinematic and/or public presentation. The Fund prioritises filmmakers in the most challenging circumstances: based in Palestine, in lower-income countries, and in regions facing barriers to traditional funding. Streamlined application accepted in English and Arabic; selections by a revolving international selection committee.
Annual short film grant from Black Film Space, a 501(c)(3) supporting the careers of independent Black filmmakers, in partnership with cliveRd., a deeptech and arts studio founded by Danielle Bennett. One winner receives $8,000 plus access to a private Jamaica estate as a free shooting location. 2026 cycle has a nature-as-character mandate: the project must include nature as a setting, character, supporter/obstacle, or theme. Narrative scripted shorts only; documentaries and non-fiction excluded. Script must be under 20 pages and serve as a teaser/proof-of-concept for a planned feature. Application requires: visual sample of previous work, completed short script, feature treatment, production/casting/team/postproduction/festival plan, and a US bank account. Submissions opened 21 April 2026 and close 31 May 2026 (11:59PM ET); semifinalists notified mid July, winner announced live at the BFS Awards on 20 September 2026, funds disbursed early October. cliveRd. and BFS must be credited as producers on the resulting short. $35 submission fee (free for Black Film Space members). Selection considers script quality, merit of previous work, and financial need.
Project market for filmmakers with feature projects in active development, with industry meetings, financing pathways and bundled grants. Selected projects are eligible for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fast Track Grant (science/technology fiction features) and the Climate Entertainment Development Grant ($25K, climate-focused fiction features). Same $10K fellowship pool (Cayton-Goldrich, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, Sony Music Vision) applies. International fellows are also eligible for the Dolby Institute Fellowship ($50K post-production grant utilising Dolby Vision and Atmos). Fast Track alums become eligible to apply to the Amplifier Fellowship for Black filmmakers ($30K unrestricted plus year-long support). Non-member deadline 8 June 2026; Film Independent member extension to 22 June 2026.
Long-running fund supporting feature documentaries (52+ minutes) on contemporary topics with budgets under $1.2m USD (excluding distribution). Worldwide eligibility but proposals must be in English with budgets in USD; films may be in any language but visual materials must be subtitled in English. Excludes: NGO/advocacy/educational films, branded content, and historical/biographical films unless they show clear contemporary relevance or innovation in form. Submissions accepted year-round but reviewed in four cycles per year; the next concentrated open call window is 18 May to 15 June 2026 with no extensions. Decisions take up to eight months. Worth tracking for any documentary project on AI-enabled surveillance, algorithmic systems, or critical-tech themes that has a cinematic feature treatment (form-driven, not advocacy-driven).
Talent-development track for self-taught Dutch-based directors or artist collectives without formal film-school training, making a distinctive short film. Comes with development money, individual coaching, workshops and matchmaking with producers. Applicant must live and work in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Deadline 16 June 2026 at 17:00.
Supports development, production and distribution of radio programmes, podcasts and documentary films that engage general audiences with humanities ideas. Proposals must build on sound humanities scholarship, present multiple perspectives, involve external humanities scholars at all phases, involve appropriate media professionals, use accessible formats, and show potential to attract a large public audience. Development awards (up to $75,000) cover scholar meetings, preliminary interviews, treatments and scripts, work-in-progress trailers, outreach planning and archival research.
Inaugural Sofia Coppola Short Film Award run by Decentralized Pictures, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit co-founded by Roman Coppola and members of the American Zoetrope family that uses a community-voting model for film financing. One winner receives a $20,000 production grant, mentorship from Sofia Coppola, and a guaranteed DCP+ distribution slot. Submission window 30 April to 30 June 2026, with possible extension if a minimum submission count is not reached; community review ends 14 days after submissions close, and the recipient is announced ~14 days after that. Application requires a short video sample representing the filmmaker's voice (scene, visual excerpt, or proof of concept) and a one-page project description (synopsis, visual references); pitch video optional but encouraged. $25 submission fee covers moderation and peer review. Open worldwide via account on app.decentralized.pictures.
$500,000 CAD funding programme from the Indigenous Screen Office supporting Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian storytellers developing XR projects. Individual creators and Indigenous-owned production companies may apply for up to $40,000 CAD in development funding or $80,000 CAD in production funding. Applications open 30 May 2026; deadline 30 June 2026 at 17:00 PST.
Talent prize for recently graduated bachelor filmmakers from a Dutch film or art academy (documentary, fiction or animation). Winners receive a small development purse to start a new short film, and a much larger realisation budget once they have a producer attached. Annual round; deadline 7 July 2026 at 17:00.
Signature fellowship program offering career opportunities to filmmakers from communities typically underrepresented in film and entertainment. Selected fellows are eligible for a stack of bundled fellowships: Amazon MGM Studios ($10K), Climate Entertainment Commissioning Grant ($25K to write a new climate-focused fiction feature), LAIKA Animation Track (production grant + stipend across 2 years for 5 stop-motion fellows), Panavision Fellowship ($60K camera package for an outstanding cinematographer), Sony Pictures Entertainment ($10K), and University of Arizona TFTV Fellowship ($10K for a TFTV alum). International fellows are also eligible for the Dolby Institute Fellowship ($50K post-production grant utilising Dolby Vision and Atmos). Project Involve alums become eligible to apply to the Amplifier Fellowship for Black filmmakers ($30K unrestricted plus year-long support; six fellows annually). Applications open 18 May 2026; non-member deadline 13 July 2026; Film Independent member extension to 27 July 2026.
Funding for the development, realisation and distribution of artistically high-quality, immersive and/or interactive media productions by both independent and established producers. Collaboration between the Creative Industries Fund NL and the Netherlands Film Fund, with applications submitted to the Stimuleringsfonds. €250,000 is available per round from each fund; in round 2, the Dutch Foundation for Literature provides an additional €100,000. 2026 grant period: 24 June to 25 August 2026. Applications open at 15:00 CEST on the start date and close at 16:00 CEST on the closing date.
Competitive screenwriting lab for emerging feature screenwriters. Selected fellows are eligible for the Climate Entertainment Development Grant ($25K, climate-focused fiction features) and the same bundled $10K fellowship pool available across Artist Development programs (Cayton-Goldrich, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, Sony Music Vision). International fellows are also eligible for the Dolby Institute Fellowship ($50K post-production grant utilising Dolby Vision and Atmos). Lab alums become eligible to apply to the Amplifier Fellowship for Black filmmakers ($30K unrestricted plus year-long support; six fellows annually). Applications open 29 June 2026; non-member deadline 31 August 2026; Film Independent member extension to 14 September 2026.
Intensive program for emerging episodic (TV/series) directors, with mentorship, set shadowing opportunities and industry access. Selected fellows are eligible for the same bundled $10K fellowship pool (Cayton-Goldrich, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, Sony Music Vision) available across Artist Development programs. Applications open 27 July 2026; non-member deadline 28 September 2026; Film Independent member extension to 12 October 2026.
Annual screenwriting fellowship from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) administered through The Black List, awarding $20,000 each to three writers to revise a feature screenplay or pilot that engages with climate change in a compelling way. Submission and selection happen on The Black List platform; applicants should review program eligibility and any associated hosting/submission fees on blcklst.com before applying. Strong fit for narrative writers using fiction to dramatise climate, ecology, energy, or environmental-justice themes (rather than documentary). Deadline 4 December 2026.
One-off film grant awarding a single filmmaker $4,500 to support an independent narrative project in 2026. Application is free to submit. Centerpiece of the application is a production book built on the IMGN platform: script breakdown, schedule, coverage, and pre-visualization for the project (tutorials are provided inside the application). Eligibility: US-based filmmakers in the 50 states plus DC, aged 18 and older. If the project is already completed before funds are disbursed, the grant is paid as a reimbursement upon submission of a final cut of the film. Winner announced and funds disbursed by end of January 2027.
Travel grant for directors and/or producers of Dutch films (or Dutch majority co-productions; modified scheme for minority co-productions) invited to attend the screening of their film at festivals on the SEE NL Travel Grant List. The festival must extend an official invitation and offer at least one of the invitees (director or producer) at least 3 nights of hotel accommodation. Maximum two travel grants per film per festival (1x director, 1x producer, in a single application). Up to two festivals per film per year. Apply at least 4 weeks before the festival start by emailing international@eyefilm.nl with the official festival invitation that confirms the number of accommodations offered. Sustainable travel rewarded: train travel within Europe gets +€100 (halved if train used only one direction). Costs already reimbursed by SEE NL or third parties are not eligible; ticket changes, cancellations, local transport and taxis at destination are not claimable. Budget allocated quarterly across the year and finite; applications considered as long as resources remain. Rolling/continuous application via email.
Grant for research projects relevant to the Dutch professional film sector, open to individual researchers (natural persons) as well as organisations. At least two third-party co-funders required. Results must be made publicly available. Applications accepted on a continuous basis (no fixed rounds).