Currently 14 active open calls open to applicants in Worldwide, across AI, arts, film, journalism, research, tech and cross-disciplinary practice. 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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Busan Metropolitan City invites individuals and teams from around the world to propose a site-responsive work of land and ecological art for Eulsukdo, an estuarine island at the mouth of the Nakdong River, South Korea's longest river. The island sits in a brackish estuary where river meets sea and is an important stopover for migratory birds on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway; once heavily altered by agriculture, landfill and urban development, it has been restored as wetlands and bird habitat, a layered history the call frames as an invitation to reflect on coexistence between human and more-than-human life. Proposals must respond to Eulsukdo's ecology, landscape, history and changing environment while minimising ecological disturbance and demonstrating environmental responsibility across the work's whole lifecycle. ELIGIBILITY: individuals or teams professionally active in art, landscape architecture, architecture, design or related fields; interdisciplinary teams welcome. SELECTION: one proposal, with artwork support of KRW 380,000,000 and an artist fee of KRW 20,000,000. SUBMISSION WINDOW: 2 November 00:00 to 22 November 2026 24:00 KST (UTC+9). Provisional opening of the realised work May to June 2027. Full guidelines via the official website (eulsukdo-ecoart.com); inquiries to eulsukdo.ecoart@gmail.com.
Open call for a 7-minute projection mapping on the Karlsruhe palace facade, on the 2027 festival theme Playground (The Art of Playing). For artists, designers, studios and collectives working in projection mapping; ZKM provides curatorial and technical coaching. APPLICATION (German or English, via the ZKM web form https://webform.zkm.de/form/bbbank-award-2027): concept or storyboard description (max 2,000 characters), a 5-second media check file following the technical guidelines, a short bio (max 1,000 characters) and a portrait photo. CONDITIONS: concepts must not have won other prizes or been submitted to comparable competitions (this is a separate call from the dm-Award connecting worlds at the same festival); finalists perform the work exclusively at SCHLOSSLICHTSPIELE; winners must attend the award ceremony. Deadline 25 November 2026, 1 pm CET.
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.
The Hong Kong International Film Festival, one of Asia's oldest film festivals, is taking submissions for its 51st edition (16-29 March 2027). Categories: feature films (60 minutes plus), short films (20-60 minutes), documentary features and documentary shorts, and the Short Film Competition (any genre, including fiction, documentary, animation and experimental, under 20 minutes). The Young Cinema Competition (first, second or third features, with Chinese-language and World sections) and the Documentary Competition draw on the feature submissions. ELIGIBILITY: completed after 1 January 2026; except Hong Kong productions, not shown in Hong Kong before the festival; English subtitles required for non-English films; films submitted before and not selected are not reconsidered. FEES (late window, 4 November to 31 December 2026): Short Film Competition USD 50 / HKD 390, all other categories USD 80 / HKD 624; documentaries by Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card holders can be waived. Submit online via the HKIFF site or FilmFreeway, or by post with the entry form; screeners by Vimeo link or DVD. Notification by 5 March 2027 (unsuccessful entries are not notified). Contact entries@hkiff.org.hk.
Vietnamese multimedia artist and poet Nguyen Hoang Gia Bao (text, sound, moving image, performance) is collecting 100 scream recordings and 100 inscriptions from participants anywhere in the world for 100 Screams. The recordings will be collaged and composed into a 100-hour sound work, alongside a spatial installation developed from the inscriptions, framed by the prompt 'So long I was __________ that I forgot my own scream.' ELIGIBILITY: anyone, anywhere; no professional recording equipment required. NOTE: this is a participatory contribution call with no fee and no cash award, listed for the joy of it. APPLICATION: submit via the Google Form. DEADLINE: 31 December 2026.
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.
Winter round of Germany's flagship open, non-thematic federal project line, one of the largest European funders that will back a festival, exhibition programme or multi-partner convening run by an organisation rather than an individual artist. It funds large innovative projects across all artistic fields, explicitly including New Media alongside visual and performing arts, music, film, photography and architecture. There is no published maximum, but the EUR 50,000 minimum total project cost sets the scale, and at least 20 percent co-financing is mandatory. This round closes 31 January 2027 at 12:00 CET, with decisions at the external jury meeting in May 2027; no project may start before its jury date, so plan four to six months of lead time. Non-German organisations are genuinely eligible, which is unusual at this scale, provided the project is visible in Germany and has an international dimension. Two practical barriers: the application form must be completed in German, and project communications must include a German-language version.
Sheffield DocFest, the UK's leading documentary festival, is open for film entries to its June 2027 edition, for feature, mid-length and short documentaries and non-fiction series. ELIGIBILITY: world premiere after 1 April 2026; at minimum a UK premiere; not available on any online platform accessible to UK audiences; previously submitted films only if significantly changed; English dialogue or English subtitles; series up to 120 minutes; one form and fee per film. DEADLINES AND FEES (12:00 noon GMT): early 20 November 2026 (features GBP 40, shorts GBP 30), standard 29 January 2027 (GBP 48 / GBP 38), final late deadline 19 February 2027 (GBP 58 / GBP 48), plus VAT as listed. Notification late April 2027. NOTE: the festival's Alternate Realities strand (immersive, interactive and digital non-fiction) had not announced a 2027 call as of 2 November 2026; past AR calls closed in January or February. Rules PDF linked from the entries page; contact films@sheffdocfest.com.
Contemporary art magazine commissioning paid art writing and criticism, with pitches accepted on an ongoing basis (online reviews/pitches continuous; themed print issues have set deadlines, e.g. the Spring issue around 15 September 2026). A direct paid outlet for criticism on digital, new-media and AI art. ELIGIBILITY: writers at all experience levels are invited; not restricted to Canada. Mostly pitch-based, with short online reviews accepted unsolicited.
apexart's Open Calls turn a curatorial idea into a funded apexart exhibition, selected by a crowdsourced international jury of more than 600 people in 70 countries. WHO CAN SUBMIT: anyone, from anywhere, with no fees at any level: trained and student curators, artists, writers and creative people regardless of experience, background or location. HOW: a 500-word proposal for a focused, idea-driven, original group exhibition, submitted through the online form during the proposal window. TWO ANNUAL WINDOWS: every October for exhibitions in apexart's NYC space, and every February (to early March) for exhibitions taking place anywhere in the world except NYC; for the international call you must propose a location you have actually visited, with the specific venue settled after selection. SELECTION: jurors vote anonymously online (each proposal gets an equal number of views, submitter names hidden); proposals are judged on the strength of the idea and how well it is communicated, not on connections or CV. WHAT WINNERS GET: a USD 10,000 budget (USD 8,000 for expenses, up to USD 2,000 curator honorarium, plus up to USD 1,000 venue-rental match outside NYC), with apexart covering insurance, publicity, the printed brochure, the opening reception and most logistics including loan agreements and shipping, and staff working closely with the guest curator. Winning proposals become part of apexart's next exhibition season. Check the site for the current window's exact dates; submission forms only go live during the proposal periods.
The Mondriaan Fund's International Art Presentation grant helps art institutions and festivals abroad present current work by living visual artists from the Netherlands or the Caribbean part of the Kingdom, covering costs that raise the work's visibility and fall outside the host's regular budget. WHO: internationally recognised institutions outside the Kingdom whose main purpose is showing contemporary art (not sales); commercial galleries are excluded (they use Art Fair International). Dutch and Caribbean-Kingdom artists with at least one year of professional practice can apply for their own personal costs. WHAT IS FUNDED: return travel for the artist and guest curator (one production trip and one opening visit), up to EUR 1,000 per person for lodging, transport and insurance of the work, up to 50 percent of production costs for new site-specific commissions (the host must pay the artist a realistic fee), up to 25 percent of publication costs and up to 50 percent of film subtitling. Artists may not be asked to pay to take part. Guest curators from the Netherlands need at least two years of curatorial experience. APPLICATION: via the Mondriaan Fund's My Fund system with a plan, presentation plan, CVs, consent declaration, itemised budget excluding VAT, quotes above EUR 1,000 and visual documentation; processing takes about three months. DEADLINE: rolling.
Pro Helvetia supports presentations outside Switzerland of contemporary artists, photographers and architects from Switzerland, with applications generally made by the host institution or festival. WHO: established cultural institutions and organisers with international reach based outside Switzerland; exhibitions normally run at least four weeks, which does not apply to festivals and similar events. WHAT IS FUNDED: transport and insurance, equipment rental, materials for temporary artworks, fees for the participating artists, photographers and architects from Switzerland, and their economy-class travel (no accommodation). TIMELINE: requests up to CHF 25,000 can be submitted year-round with a decision within eight weeks; CHF 25,001 to 50,000 year-round with a decision within four months; over CHF 50,000 by 1 March, 1 June, 1 September or 1 December. Projects need a clear connection to Switzerland, and only complete, on-time applications are considered. APPLICATION: via the Pro Helvetia online portal. DEADLINE: rolling (fixed dates for requests over CHF 50,000).
Pro Helvetia funds thematic group exhibitions of design from Switzerland and knowledge exchange at public specialist events abroad, such as symposia and round tables, organised by institutions outside Switzerland. WHO: recognised design institutions and established festivals or design weeks outside Switzerland. WHAT YOU GET: up to CHF 10,000 for transport and insurance costs and economy-class return travel for participants from Switzerland (accommodation not covered). APPLICATION: year-round via the Pro Helvetia online portal; the project can start eight weeks after submission and decisions come within eight weeks. DEADLINE: rolling.
OSIP is the European Space Agency's standing front door for unsolicited novel ideas, launched in 2019 and now the main entry point for new concepts into ESA, both in response to specific problems and through open calls. HOW IT WORKS: ideas are submitted through two mechanisms. Campaigns are targeted calls responding to specific questions with defined timelines (recent examples include Future Navigation Demonstrators and elements for the EOCognitiveLab mission); Channels are permanently open, open-ended calls on broader topics with no deadline. Submissions can go through an optional community discussion phase, with voting and comments, before expert evaluation by ESA. WHO CAN SUBMIT: individuals, businesses, universities and organisations anywhere in the world. The catch for funding: to implement a funded idea yourself, you must be eligible to do business with ESA under Article 18 of its procurement regulations, which in practice means affiliation with an entity in an ESA member state. WHAT FUNDING LOOKS LIKE: successful ideas are typically supported as co-funded PhD or postdoctoral research (ESA plus a university), early technology development activities, or system studies; amounts vary by route and campaign. WHY IT IS ON THE DESK: this is the one genuinely public, always-open route into ESA for independent researchers, technologists and artists working with space data or space technology concepts; new campaigns appear regularly, so checking the platform periodically is worthwhile. Submit via ideas.esa.int.