Currently 57 active paid film and video grants, fellowships and residencies. 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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Short film competition from Day Job Films created to give auteur directors full creative freedom, awarding a production budget of up to GBP 7,000 to make a short film with no producer interference or commercial agenda. Open to animation, live-action and documentary projects. Runs in three rounds: (1) a pitch deck outlining concept, story, key characters and visual style; (2) a full script for those who progress; and (3) an interview to discuss the vision and execution. A panel of industry professionals judges the pitch deck, script and interview, with at least one team member reading each pitch deck and script in full. The winner receives full creative control over the project. ELIGIBILITY: applicants can be from anywhere worldwide, but all production must take place in the UK; applicants must have a producer on board who is separate from the director/writer. Applicants may optionally include a plan for adapting the script into a feature-length film (this does not affect the outcome). Submissions open February 10, 2026 and close August 10, 2026. Enquiries: hello@dayjobfilms.com.
Sea Change is a seven-month professional development programme from Screen Argyll for six UK-based women and marginalised gender animators developing animated feature film projects, with environmental storytelling at the centre of the brief. It runs a project from concept toward screen: online workshops in early September 2026, a residential lab on the Isle of Tiree from 15 to 22 September 2026, monthly mentoring from October 2026 to February 2027, a project showcase at MOVE Summit in February 2027, and final submissions in March 2027. WHAT PARTICIPANTS GET: GBP 150 per day for 20 days of participation, which comes to GBP 3,000; accommodation covered during the residential lab; travel support; and industry passes for MOVE Summit and Glasgow Film Festival 2027. ELIGIBILITY: UK resident, over 18, a woman or marginalised gender animator, not in full-time education when the programme begins, with prior experience making short-form or longer animation, and a feature project at early-to-mid development stage. NOTE THE TIMING: the deadline is 10 August 2026 and selected projects are notified on 17 August 2026, so this is a short-turnaround application.
Discovery is the debut-director production strand of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, awarding up to GBP 1 million towards fiction features budgeted between GBP 1 million and GBP 3.5 million. It backs first-time feature directors working alongside experienced producers, and is structured so creative risk sits with a team rather than a lone filmmaker. ELIGIBILITY: applications must be made through a limited company registered and centrally managed in the UK, so unincorporated individuals cannot apply. A dedicated lead producer with an established track record must submit, and that producer must be someone other than the writer or director. The director must be making their first fiction feature, meaning no prior feature at or above a GBP 1 million budget and no prior commercial UK or Ireland theatrical distribution of a fiction feature. At least two people must be credited across the writer, producer and director roles, all aged 18 or over and not in full-time education. Projects need a fully developed script and a runtime of at least 70 minutes. LIMITS: one application per production company, producer and director per round, and applications must arrive at least 20 weeks before the proposed first day of principal photography. ROUNDS: Round 2 closes at 5pm on Thursday 13 August 2026. Round 3 opens Thursday 12 November 2026 and closes Wednesday 16 December 2026. Successful applicants must publicly credit BFI National Lottery support.
The Bloomberg Green Docs competition is open to all eligible filmmakers competing for a $25,000 grand prize for a short climate documentary. The call seeks films that explore our climate future and reveal the world we are making today: ecosystems being restored, tomorrow's zero-carbon communities being formed, and habitat extremes warning of cascading climate consequences. REQUIREMENTS: films must address the urgency of climate change and run under 10 minutes including credits. The jury awards a $25,000 grand prize, announced at the Bloomberg Green Docs Film Festival in New York City on 22 September 2026, where the top five documentaries will be screened. Check the official rules on the competition site for eligibility details. DEADLINE: submissions accepted through 14 August 2026.
Annual grants from the Altercine Foundation (Montreal) to support the production of a documentary project, awarding roughly CAD 10,000 and CAD 5,000 each year. ELIGIBILITY: the grant is aimed at filmmakers BORN AND LIVING IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH (Africa, Asia or Latin America) who want to direct a documentary in the language of their choice that respects the Foundation's aims. APPLICATION (in French, English or Spanish): an application form, a synopsis (max 5 pages) covering content, characters, theme, treatment and style, a Vimeo link to a previous completed documentary (subtitled/versioned in FR/EN/ES, or with a transcript) plus supporting visual material, a detailed production budget and financing plan including the grant, and ideally two support letters. Submit all documents as a single PDF (max 5MB) by email to altercine@videotron.ca. Deadline 15 August each year; decisions communicated before 31 December.
Future Vision XPRIZE is a sci-fi film competition challenging filmmakers to portray an optimistic, abundant future for humanity rather than a dystopian one. CHALLENGE: create a 3-minute sci-fi trailer that depicts a bold, original, hopeful vision of progress. PRIZES: USD 3.5 million-plus total; the grand prize winner gets USD 2.6 million-plus to turn their trailer into a feature film, plus over USD 1 million in prizes for runners-up. BACKGROUND: launched by the nonprofit XPRIZE and funded by Peter Diamandis, with Google and Range as partners; inspired by the optimism of Star Trek and intended to give storytellers a hopeful 'north star' for builders. ELIGIBILITY: open to all filmmakers globally. TIMELINE: competition launched 9 March 2026; submission deadline 15 August 2026; finals on 25 September 2026 in Los Angeles (finalists attend in person). APPLY: register and read the rules on the contest website at futurevisionxprize.com.
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).
The GFX Challenge Grant Program, sponsored by FUJIFILM and running since 2021, awards 5 Global Grant Awards (USD 10,000) and 10 Regional Grant Awards (USD 5,000) to help aspiring creatives bring imaging projects to life. It is designed to nurture emerging and promising content creators, giving them the opportunity to create content on topics with significant meaning to them while gaining experience with FUJIFILM GFX System gear, including the GFX ETERNA 55 filmmaking camera. Proposed projects may be submitted as still photography or in movie format. AWARDS: both tiers include complimentary use of a GFX System camera body and two GF lenses for the duration of the project, plus mentoring and technical assistance from Fujifilm technicians and product experts. At the end of the production period in May 2027, recipients' final content is showcased on fujifilm-x.com, with a series of exhibitions planned in various countries. ELIGIBILITY: open to both amateur and professional photographers and videographers who are residents of the countries/regions listed in the Entry Submission section of the program page; not open to employees or officers of FUJIFILM and its subsidiaries. TO APPLY: combine three items into a single PDF: (1) the preformatted cover letter (downloadable from the program page); (2) the project proposal covering descriptive plan, objectives, evaluation and outcome measures, communications, how you will use the Fujifilm partnership and mentoring, schedule, and budget; (3) a portfolio for each individual involved. Proposals must be in English (optionally accompanied by a version in your own language; language proficiency is not judged). Entry period 16 June to 17 August 2026.
Drone film competition open worldwide to filmmakers aged 16+. Films must be at most 5 minutes (documentaries up to 10) with at least half the footage captured by drone; 12 categories including News/Documentary, Cinematic FPV, Single Take, and 360/VR. Regular deadline 27 July 2026; late deadline 17 August 2026. Entry via FilmFreeway.
The Legalization Project is running a nine-month programme for experienced content creators who want to make engaging, accessible work about U.S. immigration law, policy and the issues affecting immigrant communities. Rather than commissioning one-off pieces, it pairs a USD 10,000 stipend with actual legal grounding: training in U.S. immigration law and policy, ongoing updates from immigration attorneys and advocates, and continuous feedback on the content you make. This suits creators already working in video, social or short-form documentary who want to report accurately on a fast-moving legal area rather than guess at it. ELIGIBILITY: experienced content creators who are immigrants. The programme is explicitly open to immigrants of ALL statuses. APPLICATION: preliminary applications are due 17 August 2026, through the programme page at legalizationproject.notion.site/icc-program (also circulated as bit.ly/icc-program). Being a preliminary application, expect a second stage after this date.
Sundance Collab and Merrell are selecting five filmmakers from around the world to each make an original 60 to 90 second vertical film for social platforms, built around Merrell's 'It Starts Outside' brand platform. The brief is not a commercial: it asks for a complete, emotionally resonant human story in which the outside acts as a catalyst for change, exploring how stepping outside is an antidote to increasingly screen-locked, indoor lives. Stories should reflect transformation (a moment of reset, reconnection or personal shift), connection (belonging, community, renewed relationship) and human truth (an observed, emotionally grounded moment). The strongest entries show what changed in a person because they went outside, emotionally, physically, mentally, creatively, spiritually or psychologically, rather than a final achievement. Selected filmmakers enter a three-day online intensive in September on collaborating with a brand, then receive USD 20,000 to produce and deliver their greenlit concept, cutdowns (:06, :15, :30) and stills between October and December, with scheduled check-ins. One participant also receives a covered hotel stay to join the team at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2027. APPLICATION: one entry per person; all submitted materials must be created by the submitter; all answers and materials must be in English or carry English subtitles. The core submission is a written response of up to 500 words on how you would approach the brief. CRITICAL GUIDELINES: design for vertical with a strong hook in the first five seconds; prioritise human, observational storytelling over polished commercial aesthetics; feature real people and authentic moments; treat the outside as context rather than the hero; favour everyday, intimate moments over epic outcomes; avoid overt brand narration; no competitor products (Merrell product is provided but must not be the focus); no AI-generated content in consumer-facing materials. Selection criteria are originality, emotional arc, a distinct point of view and cultural relevance. TIMELINE: submissions opened 28 July 2026; deadline 11:59 p.m. PT on Tuesday 18 August 2026 (08:59 CEST on 19 August); selected artists notified by 16 September 2026. An Insider Session with Merrell Creative Director Alex Ho and Sundance Collab Director Patty West runs on 11 August. Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services for participants with disabilities; email accessibility@sundance.org to arrange services.
The London Short Film Festival (24th edition) accepts short films of all genres under 45 minutes, with dedicated experimental and artists' moving image strands and an international category. Deadline reported as 18 August 2026; confirm exact tier dates and fees on FilmFreeway.
The Doc Society Climate Story Fund, run by Doc Society's Climate Story Unit, provides grants of up to USD 125,000 to support non-fiction projects in late production and the implementation of impact campaigns for both completed and in-production projects. The fund supports compelling independent media storytelling and impact strategies aligned with the Fund's mission around climate justice and biodiversity. This call has no set theme, welcoming applications across all areas aligned with the Fund's mission. Since 2021 the fund has distributed more than USD 4M to over 50 projects, with grantee work reaching distribution through outlets including BBC, POV, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Spotify, YouTube, and WhatsApp. WHAT YOU GET: up to USD 125,000 to support non-fiction projects in late production and impact campaigns. WHO IS ELIGIBLE: open to filmmakers of any nationality. DEADLINE: 24 August 2026. TO APPLY: see the fund page and apply via the Doc Society application. Questions: climate@docsociety.org.
The fifth iteration of transmediale's Digital Art Residency, run with the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, awarded to one individual or collective working in digital art practices at the intersection of media arts, performance, sound and moving image. THEME: the 2027 programme sits under transmediale's 40th-anniversary framework RFC 40, named after the early internet Request for Comments series, and treats the festival as a counter-infrastructure: the call asks how a network stays legible to itself while surrounding structures break down, and how technical paradigms can be reconfigured into new cultural protocols outside extractive logics, moving from critique to construction. Proposals should offer alternatives to how we understand, respond to and shape the technological conditions we inhabit. WHAT IS OFFERED: an artist fee of CHF 2,000 per month for two months; a CHF 15,000 production grant supporting a new work or the continuation of an existing project, open to all formats and building on the research begun during the residency (the project must be completed by December 2027 at the latest); travel and accommodation for the festival and the residency; a shared modular working space at transmediale studio; connections to Berlin institutions and stakeholders; a public presentation in transmediale's year-round studio programme; and the option of an online publication in transmediale's journal. STRUCTURE: kick-off with a presentation of the residency projects during transmediale 2027 (26 to 31 January 2027, attendance optional but strongly recommended); onboarding and the first hybrid stretch in May 2027; the mandatory on-site month in Berlin in June 2027; and a second hybrid stretch including reporting in July 2027. Availability for the festival week and for the whole of June in Berlin are treated as key prerequisites. TIMELINE: open call 16 July to 28 August 2026 (23:59 CEST); selected residents announced October 2026. Applications are only accepted via transmediale's submission forms. Contact: info[at]transmediale.de.
Third edition of transmediale's residency in collaboration with Arts Council Korea (ARKO), awarded to one person of Korean nationality (based in Korea or elsewhere) working in digital art and moving image practices, design, sound and media theory. Open to artists, researchers, practitioners, designers and sound artists across all formats. The two-month residency comes with an artist fee of EUR 1,500 per month, additional production support, and travel and accommodation support for the festival and residency; duos and collectives are welcome but share the same fee. Part of transmediale's 2027 programme (40th anniversary, themed 'RFC 40'), which seeks proposals offering alternatives to how we understand, respond to and shape our technological conditions, moving from critique to construction outside extractive logics. Deadline: 28 August 2026, 23:59 CEST.
Eighth edition of RTM Pitch, IFFR's open call for Rotterdam film talent. Submit a plan for a film between 5 and 20 minutes long; a jury of film experts and IFFR programmers selects one filmmaker to receive EUR 25,000 to realise the film (with coaching and an IFFR 2028 premiere) and a runner-up to receive a EUR 5,000 development budget co-funded by QISSA. All filmmakers are welcome; this edition especially encourages genre films (horror, science fiction, thriller, fantasy) that use genre conventions for a distinctive personal vision. Submit a written film plan (story, setting, team, budget and financing, cinematography vision, with optional supporting material) or a video pitch of no more than three minutes (Vimeo or YouTube link) via the application form. Deadline: Sunday 30 August 2026, 23:59 CEST.
The Atlas Workshops are the Marrakech International Film Festival's industry and talent-development programme, running since 2018 and now in its 9th edition. This track is for feature films already in shooting or post-production. Selected teams get personalised mentoring tailored to each project across scriptwriting, production, distribution, editing and scoring, plus access to the festival's industry network, and compete for cash prizes decided by a dedicated jury. ELIGIBILITY: directors and producers who are from, or in the diaspora of, the Arab world or the African continent, working on their first, second or third feature (fiction, documentary or animation), with a production company attached. Open across that whole region, not restricted to Morocco. There is a separate Projects in Development track whose deadline (6 July 2026) has already passed for this edition. Deadline 31 August 2026.
Atlas Station is the Marrakech International Film Festival's professional development strand running alongside the Atlas Workshops, aimed at building the Moroccan film industry. The producers track offers structured mentoring, industry sessions and access to the festival's international network during the 9th edition. ELIGIBILITY IS RESTRICTED: open to Moroccan producers only, not to international applicants. Deadline 31 August 2026. See also the Atlas Station short film track (deadline 14 September 2026) and the internationally open Atlas Workshops track for films in shooting or post-production.
Grain is a cookbook of critical and creative AI literacy exercises for educators in film and the wider audiovisual and creative field, co-produced by AIxDESIGN and the Netherlands Film Academy and led by Nadia Piet. It publishes in March/April 2027, digital and print, under CC BY-SA 4.0. The current open call is to propose a recipe by the end of August 2026 and join as a launch contributor. WHAT THEY WANT: tried-and-tested group exercises you have actually run with people in teaching or workshops, specifically in the context of film, audiovisual work, time-based media and storytelling. Hands-on or analog, 15 minutes or a full day, beginner or advanced; the one hard requirement is that another educator can read your recipe and run it themselves. What that might look like: hands-on experiments with specific AI tools (image generators, chatbots, code assistants, video models); analog activities that reveal computational logic through embodied practice; critical readings, watchings or listenings with structured discussion; provocations, games or role-plays that get at how AI sees, thinks or makes; and exercises that help people work out how they want to relate to AI in their own practice. WHAT MAKES A GOOD RECIPE: it helps a room of people think together and trusts the room to be smart given the right container; it emerges from real practice rather than an untested idea; it is specific about what participants do, step by step, so a stranger could pick it up and adapt it to their group, time, tools or context; it has at least one designed social moment where the thinking happens between people rather than privately; it is about something larger than technique (how a machine sees an image, where your values bump up against what the tools want from you, what a film's rhythm looks like laid out in space instead of time); it takes a position without telling people what to think; and it points beyond itself with references, reading and reference projects. Published example recipes include Image Forgery: Archival Mimesis with AI (Artefacto), Machine Ways of Seeing (Nadia Piet), AI Film Now: A Close Watching Exercise (Nadia Piet) and Outside the Timeline: Spatial Grid + Visual Clustering (Artefacto), alongside a root recipe template. WHAT LAUNCH CONTRIBUTORS GET: your recipe in the first edition, print and online, credited to you; a print copy when it lands and an invite to the launch event in Amsterdam in spring 2027; support turning your exercise into a recipe, via Recipe Press (their LLM helper), the cook-along, or directly with the team; and a need-based fee of EUR 150 per recipe for freelance and independent practitioners, which you request in the proposal form. After this round contributions stay open but web-only: no fee, no dedicated support, no print. COOK-ALONG: one live 30-minute online session on Wednesday 12 August 2026 at 16:00 CEST, where you bring a rough exercise and turn it into a recipe on the spot with Recipe Press (sign up at luma.com/84w148in). HOW IT WORKS: (1) propose your recipe through the proposal form (who you are, what the exercise is, where you have run it, and whether you are requesting the fee); a short pitch is enough, and if it is already written you can just link your draft; (2) they reply on a rolling basis, with one reply covering both whether it is a match for the first edition and the fee if you requested it, so the earlier you send the earlier you hear back; (3) once it is a yes, write it up using the structure on the Contribute a Recipe page, with Recipe Press or at the cook-along. TIMELINE: proposals open until the end of August 2026, reviewed as they come in; accepted recipes due in full by mid-September 2026; Grain publishes March/April 2027. Questions to hello@aixdesign.co.
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.
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.
Hiding in Plain Site is an international public art short film festival accepting film, video art, XR, and explicitly AI-generated or AI-assisted moving image works of 2 to 20 minutes, screened in public space. Free to submit; selected filmmakers receive a modest stipend whose amount is revenue-dependent and not yet confirmed. Deadline 10 September 2026.
PhotoVogue's global open call invites photographers and video makers to use image-making as a form of rebellion - to challenge indifference, disrupt conventions and expand visual storytelling. It asks not for a theme but for a position in relation to the world. Open to photography, video and multimedia projects across all genres (fashion, documentary, portraiture, fine art, experimental). Three artists share $12,000 in grants ($6,000 Outstanding Vision, $4,000 Vision, $2,000 Rising Voice for an emerging artist), with festival presentation, potential Vogue publication and portfolio reviews. ELIGIBILITY: open to all artists worldwide aged 18+; submissions are free; previous PhotoVogue applicants may submit a new project. SUBMIT: a series of up to 15 images, or images plus video for multimedia, and/or a 60-second trailer, via Picter. IMPORTANT: AI-generated works are NOT eligible. Open 14 May to 11 September 2026 (11:59 PM CET).
The UAL AKO Storytelling Institute, with the Power of Pop Fund, is recruiting six Storytelling Research Fellows to run independent research projects on how storytelling in popular culture shapes attitudes, behaviour and public discourse. Fellows work across media including television, film, gaming, podcasts and digital culture, are supported by the Institute's Head of Research and a peer cohort, and produce actionable findings for creative practitioners, funders and social-impact organisations, presented at a closing public symposium. ELIGIBILITY: experienced researchers with a PhD or equivalent research expertise gained academically, independently or through professional practice, with a track record of delivering high-quality research and working with external partners. Practice-based and non-academic researchers are explicitly in scope. APPLICATION: CV, record of publications, a research proposal of 1,000 to 1,200 words, and a supporting statement including at least one example of a research project you designed and delivered. Applications via the UAL jobs portal; closes 11 September 2026.
The short film strand of Atlas Station, the Marrakech International Film Festival's professional development programme for the Moroccan film industry, running alongside the 9th Atlas Workshops. Selected directors receive mentoring and industry access during the online and onsite sessions. ELIGIBILITY IS RESTRICTED: open to Moroccan directors with a short film in shooting or post-production that has not yet premiered. Not open to international applicants. Deadline 14 September 2026.
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.
image+nation, Canada's oldest LGBTQ+ film festival, accepts international submissions for its 39th edition in Montreal. Deadline 15 September 2026 via FilmFreeway.
100 Voices of Florida is a grant for filmmakers and screenwriters that awards up to USD 5,000 in unrestricted funds, which winners can use for finishing funds, festival submission fees, cast and crew reimbursements, production, or anything else. Applicants submit either a short film (under twenty minutes) or a script (twenty pages or less); films in other languages must include accurate English subtitles, and scripts must be in English. The grant is open to writers, directors, and producers who are at least 18 years old, and creative teams may submit, though only one entrant receives the award. A panel of judges with professional filmmaking experience evaluates entries, and the winner also receives a meeting with an industry professional. The deadline for the current cycle is September 20, 2026.
The Creative Challenge Fund does not fund films directly. It funds the organisations that run project-development programmes for UK creatives working on narrative, documentary or animation features, or on narrative immersive media projects. The BFI's stated aim is to decentralise development away from a small number of London-centric gatekeepers and build a wider, more resilient ecosystem of talent-development providers across the UK, with a recently added emphasis on independent producers. ELIGIBILITY: only legally constituted UK-based organisations may apply. Individual filmmakers seeking development money should look to the BFI Filmmaking Fund's Development strand instead. TIMING: Round One closed in March 2026 and has made its first awards. Round Two closes Monday 21 September 2026, with funded programme activity required to begin between 1 January and 30 June 2027. NOTE: award amounts are not published on the fund page. Successful applicants must prominently credit BFI National Lottery support.
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.
La Résidence of the Festival de Cannes (part of Cinéma de Demain, formerly La Cinéfondation) invites 12 directors each year to write their screenplay in Paris. The programme provides a place of residence in the heart of Paris, a personalised programme accompanying the writing of their scripts, and a collective programme of forums with film industry professionals. The 12 directors from the two annual sessions present their projects at the CNC pavilion in Cannes, giving 10-minute presentations to an audience of professionals and a jury of three film industry personalities; the CNC then awards a EUR 5,000 grant to one director from each session, based on the project that most inspires the jury. The Cinef & Résidence offices serve as a hub where directors meet and schedule private meetings with potential producers. ELIGIBILITY: open to young filmmakers who have made one or several short films and no more than one feature film; candidates must NOT be residents or citizens of France. Selected filmmakers must stay at the Résidence in Paris for the full session. SESSIONS: two per year, each lasting four and a half months, the first running 15 March to 31 July and the second 1 October to 15 February. Artistic fields: film, writing, interdisciplinary. Deadline: 30 September 2026 at 16:00 UTC. Free to apply.
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 Pandora Short Film Grant is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that awards an annual $12,000 grant to an early-career US filmmaker for the production of a narrative short film. Projects at script stage or already filmed and seeking finishing funds are both eligible. The winner also receives a Panavision camera package (about $15,000), an optional $1,000 Kodak Film Grant, mentorship from an award-winning filmmaker (2026 mentors include Alma Har'el, Lila Neugebauer, Lauren Wolkstein, Sarah Elizabeth Mintz and Chris Merola), and fiscal sponsorship; three finalists receive mentorship, fiscal sponsorship, Panavision New Filmmaker Program consideration and discounted production insurance. ELIGIBILITY: open to all early-career US filmmakers; applicants are asked NOT to apply if they have directed a feature film with a budget over $250K or directed or produced television. Selection is blind, based on script and pitch materials, weighting artistic vision over industry resume. TIMELINE: submissions open 30 May 2026, close 1 October 2026, notifications 15 November 2026.
Scotland's leading short film festival marks its 20th edition in March 2027. International entries compete for the Bill Douglas Award for International Short Film; films must be completed after 30 September 2025 and run 40 minutes or less. Deadlines: earlybird 4 August 2026 (GBP 10), regular 22 September 2026 (GBP 14), late 27 October 2026 (GBP 18).
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.
The Nebraska Arts Council's Individual Artist Fellowship awards up to $5,000 for a one-year period to support professional development: creating new work, presentations, training and/or research. The fellowship rotates among three umbrella categories; the 2026 round accepts Performing Arts applications in theater/playwriting, choreography, filmmaking/screenwriting, and music/sound. ELIGIBILITY: Nebraska resident for at least 24 months before application, remaining resident during the fellowship year (attestation required); 19 or older; not enrolled in an undergraduate program in the discipline applied for (graduate and certificate programs allowed); applicants must be the originator of the submitted work, not an interpreter. Previous winners may reapply after three years with new work if prior grant requirements were completed. SUBMISSION: artist biography, artist statement (name redacted; themes, influences, techniques), and five work samples with descriptions or synopses. Questions: meagan.dion@nebraska.gov. DEADLINE: 17 November 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).
The Fondo para el Desarrollo Cinematografico, created by Colombia's Law 814 of 2003 and administered by Proimagenes Colombia, channels at least 70 percent of its resources into film production. The automatic stimuli are the non-competitive strand: rather than pitching against other projects, applicants qualify by meeting defined criteria. Six lines are open for 2026, all closing 11 December 2026: film distribution in theatres, Colombian shorts and features selected for approved festivals, films nominated for approved awards, projects selected for approved industry encounters, individuals selected for approved training workshops and advisories, and promotion of national features or coproductions of at least 70 minutes premiering in 2026. A separate competitive strand (estimulos por concurso) runs 17 modalities on its own calendar. ELIGIBILITY IS RESTRICTED: Colombian natural persons and Colombian legal entities, though a Colombian company may have a foreign legal representative. Contact convocatoriafdc@proimagenescolombia.com.
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.
The New Media Film Festival in Los Angeles champions stories told with new technology and was among the first festivals to screen AI-generated content; it has a dedicated AR / MR / AI / TECH category. Open worldwide in all formats. Deadlines: 6 December 2026 (USD 80), 6 February 2027 (USD 85), final 6 April 2027 (USD 95).
Visual Anthropology Center (VAC) in Belgrade invites filmmakers, visual anthropologists, artists, and researchers to apply for its residency programme. The residency specialises in visual anthropology but is also open to individual and collaborative projects in experimental ethnography, creative documentary film, and other artistic mediums. Residents may apply with a project aimed at a public showing, or use the time and space to reflect, research, or write without a specific outcome. WHAT IS PROVIDED: accommodation and studio space in central Belgrade; additional workspace and community connection through Community Center KROV (an independent creative hub hosting lectures, events, and exhibitions); project guidance and mentorship from film professionals, ethnomusicologists, producers, artists, curators, and anthropologists; connections to local cultural and academic institutions, archives, galleries, and exhibition spaces; access to camera equipment, translators for fieldwork or editing, fixers, and project-specific services or materials; opportunity to exhibit a final project as an exhibition, installation, screening, workshop, or lecture. Eligible projects may be promoted through VAC's platforms and partner networks, including the Vizantrop Film Festival, for regional and international visibility. ELIGIBILITY: filmmakers, visual anthropologists, artists, and researchers; individual and collaborative projects welcome. Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
The British Council's standing Travel Grant Fund helps early to mid-career UK filmmakers and XR creatives represent their work abroad, build networks, reach new audiences and raise the international profile of new and emerging UK film and immersive talent. Supported by BFI National Lottery funding in partnership with BFI NETWORK and the BFI International Fund. WHAT IT FUNDS: travel to attend international film festivals, showcases, training and development labs, and co-production forums, across five strands: short film festival grants, feature film festival grants, interactive/XR grants (including VR, immersive storytelling experiences and installations), lab grants and co-production forum grants. AMOUNTS: short and feature festival grants GBP 150 to 1,500 (typically up to GBP 750); XR travel-only grants GBP 150 to 1,500; large XR grants GBP 1,500 to 5,000; lab grants up to GBP 6,000; co-production forum grants up to GBP 2,000. WHO CAN APPLY: UK residents or citizens aged 18+; applicants can be directors, producers or writers attached to the selected project. KEY CONDITIONS: the festival, lab or forum must appear on the British Council's Key Lists of eligible events, and the project must be registered on the British Council's UK Project Database. DEADLINE: rolling, no fixed deadlines; submit at least two weeks before the event starts (retrospective applications for past events are not accepted). Free to apply.
Impact is the higher-budget production strand of the BFI Filmmaking Fund and carries the largest award available in the current BFI portfolio at up to GBP 1.25 million. It sits above the Discovery strand in scale, serving experienced directors with production budgets from GBP 1 million to GBP 15 million, and debut directors whose budgets exceed GBP 3.5 million. UNLIKE DISCOVERY, Impact accepts applications on a continuous rolling basis with no round structure and no published closing date, though applicants must submit at least 20 weeks before principal photography begins. SELECTION is explicitly criteria-driven: projects must address at least three of the BFI's stated aims, covering equity and inclusion, audience or cultural impact, talent development, creative risk, production activity across the UK nations and regions, and environmental sustainability. ELIGIBILITY: applications must come from a limited company registered and centrally managed in the UK, so individuals cannot apply. A dedicated producer is always required, though unlike Discovery the writer and director may be the same person. Directing credits must be evidenced. No explicit nationality or residency test for the director or writer is published. NOTE: the BFI cautions that maximum-level awards are rare, so realistic requests will typically fall well below the GBP 1.25 million ceiling.
Development Funding is the earliest-stage strand of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, supporting original live action and animated feature films through script and package development to the point where they are viable candidates for production finance. It is aimed at distinctive fiction projects from what the BFI calls 'adventurous storytellers', across a wide range of genres rather than a single house style. UNLIKE DISCOVERY, it does not operate in rounds: applications are accepted year-round, with the only fixed interruption being an annual closure through the month of April, plus occasional short pauses during periods of high demand or holidays. ELIGIBILITY: the application must be made by a producer through a limited company registered at Companies House, so unincorporated individuals are ineligible. Nationality and residency requirements are not published on the fund page. NOTE: award amounts are not published, so the ceiling should be treated as unknown rather than assumed. Successful applicants are required to publicly acknowledge National Lottery support in project credits and materials.
The Audience Projects Fund distributes GBP 19.7 million of National Lottery money over three years to widen UK audiences for film and immersive work, covering exhibition, distribution, festivals, touring programmes and sector-support initiatives. It reopened in November 2025 and runs continuously with no closing date, which makes it one of the more accessible large BFI pots for organisations working on the audience-facing rather than production side. AWARDS are tiered: small pilot projects receive GBP 10,000 to GBP 20,000, while full projects can receive GBP 20,000 to GBP 500,000 per year, with immersive projects permitted to include up to GBP 150,000 of production cost inside that envelope. ELIGIBILITY is strictly institutional. Applicants must be legally constituted organisations centrally managed in the UK and not more than 50% foreign-owned. Eligible types include limited companies (not classed as 'large' under the Companies Act 2006), community interest companies, LLPs, UK local or statutory authorities, and registered UK charities or trusts. Individual practitioners cannot apply. Applicants must evidence experience in marketing, festivals, distribution, immersive installations, cultural programming, touring or sector support. TIMING: there are no deadlines but lead times are enforced. Single-film distribution projects must apply at least 10 weeks before release; all other projects at least 16 weeks before the project starts.
The rare BFI stream that individuals can apply to directly. Individual Skills funding supports training and professional development for people working, or intending to work, in the UK screen heritage sector, the field concerned with preserving, digitising and widening public access to screen archive collections. ELIGIBILITY: applicants must be 18 or over, working or intending to work in the UK screen heritage sector, hold a UK bank account, and be eligible to work in the UK. TIMING: applications are rolling with no deadline, but must be submitted at least eight weeks before the training starts. All funded activity must be completed by 31 March 2029, the end of the current National Lottery funding plan period. CONTEXT: the wider Screen Heritage Fund has three strands. Project funding, open to legally constituted not-for-profit organisations operating a screen archive or collection network, runs year-round with a 16-week lead time and prioritises collections that better reflect the diversity of the UK. Resilience funding for the 2026-29 cycle closed on 31 March 2026 and is not currently accepting applications. NOTE: award ranges are not published on the fund overview page.
Field of Vision is a filmmaker-driven documentary unit that creates and commissions original short-form and feature nonfiction visual journalism. It funds and commissions filmmakers, often as assignments, and supports projects in development and production (it does not acquire finished films). SUPPORT: commissioning fees and production funding; specific amounts are not published publicly. ELIGIBILITY: filmmakers of all experience levels, within and outside the United States. APPLICATIONS are accepted on a rolling basis, with no fixed funding cycles or deadlines. Submit via the Field of Vision submissions page.
The International Documentary Association runs an Emergency Assistance program that provides direct financial support to documentary filmmakers whose work puts them in imminent and extreme physical danger. Eligible filmmakers may request a one-time emergency grant between USD 500 and USD 5,000. IDA responds to all applications within 24 hours and handles them with strict confidentiality, with approved funds transferred in as few as five business days. Applicants need an existing risk assessment plan, a concrete safety plan, two references confirming the emergency, and a secure way to receive funds. The program launched as a pilot on March 9, 2026 and accepts applications on a rolling basis. For sensitive cases, applicants can contact emergency@documentary.org to share information over an end-to-end encrypted app such as Signal.
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.
Pulitzer Center reporting grants supporting in-depth international journalism on under-reported global issues. Open to reporters, photographers, audio and video journalists, and documentary filmmakers worldwide. Grants cover the hard costs of reporting projects. ELIGIBILITY: professional journalists and visual storytellers anywhere in the world; both freelance and staff. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis via the Pulitzer Center grant portal.
The BFI Doc Society Features Production Fund (delivered via BFI with Doc Society as delegate partner) supports UK filmmakers producing non-fiction feature films intended for theatrical release. Two strands: Directions (first- or second-time directors) and Momentum (established talent). AMOUNT: up to £150,000 non-recoupable grant (the total Doc Society contribution per project cannot exceed £150,000). ELIGIBILITY: UK-based filmmakers, both emerging and established directors; experienced and debut producers eligible; projects must meet at least three of six stated priorities: equity/diversity, audience impact, talent development, creative risk, UK-wide access, and environmental sustainability. PROCESS: two-stage — submit an Expression of Interest, then a Full Application if invited. Rolling intake year-round. Opened May 2026. APPLY via BFI Doc Society website. Contact: hellobfi@docsociety.org.
Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival in Hawick, Scotland, is the UK's leading festival for experimental film and artists' moving image, a strong fit for experimental and research-based film work. Submissions for the 16th edition are open on FilmFreeway with a pay-what-you-can fee. Exact deadline unconfirmed; past editions closed late October to early November.
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.
Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival in Sydney is one of the largest queer film festivals in the world. Submissions reopened in July 2026 via FilmFreeway; the final deadline is historically mid-October (around 15 October 2026, unconfirmed). Audience awards; modest submission fees.
TranScreen, Europe's largest transgender film festival, held in Amsterdam, accepts screeners on a rolling basis for its next edition. Films about trans and gender-diverse lives, international, no fee stated.