Currently 15 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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Production grant for emerging women, non-binary, and/or LGBTQ+ filmmakers in the US working on a film or video about art or artists. The project does not have to be a documentary: fiction, hybrid, and experimental work is welcome. No min/max length, but preference goes to projects feasible in scope. Applicants must be 18+, reside in the US or attend college/university here, serve as director on the project (collaboration is fine), and have prior filmmaking experience without yet having extensive accomplishments (multiple completed feature films in a principal role, major distribution deals, multiple major festival awards, or significant critical/commercial success would disqualify). Awardee receives the $2,000 plus three creative consultations with Pentimenti staff (grantee retains full creative control), one feedback session with the grant jury, and a spotlight feature across Pentimenti's website, newsletter, and social channels. Pentimenti is the arts nonprofit and film production company behind 'Hairy Who & The Chicago Imagists' (2014) and 'Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea.' Questions: Harrison Sherrod, Executive Director, harrison@pentimentiproductions.org.
Competitive lab for emerging documentary producers, with mentorship, industry access and a fellowship cohort. Selected fellows are also eligible for bundled fellowships across Film Independent's Artist Development programs: Cayton-Goldrich Family Foundation Fellowship ($10K, two Jewish filmmakers), MPAC Hollywood Bureau Fellowship ($10K, two American-Muslim filmmakers), Sony Music Vision Fellowship ($10K, two filmmakers with a significant music component). Non-member deadline 4 May 2026; Film Independent member extension to 18 May 2026.
Competitive lab for emerging fiction producers, with mentorship, industry access and fellowship pathways. Selected fellows are eligible for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Producing Grant (science/technology fiction features) and the same bundled $10K fellowships available across Artist Development programs (Cayton-Goldrich, MPAC Hollywood Bureau, Sony Music Vision). Non-member deadline 4 May 2026; Film Independent member extension to 18 May 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.
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. Non-member deadline 8 June 2026; Film Independent member extension to 22 June 2026.
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.
$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). 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. 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.
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).