Yearly, Movie Impartial selects as much as 5 documentaries in manufacturing or submit to take part in an intensive movie finance market that takes place over 4 days in November.

This system is open to each skilled and first-time filmmakers, so long as they’re actively looking for financing for his or her undertaking. Current Quick Observe individuals embody Alissa Figueroa, Marjolaine Grappe, and Travis Gutiérrez Senger. Earlier business individuals embody Searchlight, Mandalay Photos, Netflix, Sony Photos Worldwide Acquisitions, and Plan B. For non-members, there’s a $65 utility charge.

NOTE: Movie Impartial membership isn’t required when making use of to Artist Growth Labs. Nonetheless, all individuals accepted into the Labs are required to hitch Movie Impartial at the usual annual Common Membership fee of $105, along with the preliminary utility charge.

Deadline: June 8

Last Reduce in Venice*

The thirteenth version of the Last Reduce in Venice program will happen from August 31 to September 2 throughout the Venice Worldwide Movie Pageant.

This system presents producers and administrators from Africa, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen a possibility to current brief and feature-length movies coming into the post-production part, as a way to facilitate co-production partnerships and market entry.

Working copies of as much as six chosen movies are introduced to producers, consumers, distributors and movie competition programmers. Advantages embody networking occasions, curated one-on-one conferences with business professionals, and post-production providers valued as much as €15,000. The competition will cowl journey bills and lodging for the director and producer.

Movies have to be in English or French, or have English or French subtitles. There are not any listed submission charges.

Deadline: June 9

SFFILM Documentary Movie Fund

Since its launch in 2011, the SFFILM Documentary Movie Fund helps three to 6 characteristic tasks annually with grants of $10,000-$20,000. Earlier DFF winners embody ‘Going Varsity in Mariachi’ and ‘Towards The Tide’ (each award-winners at Sundance). The undertaking have to be inside three months of starting post-production, have to be in line with SFFILM’s mission, and should signify an imaginative contribution to the transferring picture artwork kind. Initiatives that primarily use interviews as a storytelling gadget won’t be thought of. There’s a $30 utility charge.

Deadline: June 9

SFFILM Rainin Filmmakers with Incapacity Grant

The SFFILM Rainin Filmmakers with Incapacity Grant helps filmmakers who establish as having a incapacity with movies that particularly handle tales inside the incapacity neighborhood.

$5,000-$25,000 money grants are awarded to as much as 4 brief or characteristic tasks in improvement or post-production. This grant is eligible for narratives and documentaries. Venture budgets shall be $3,000,000 or underneath, together with all phases of manufacturing.

Grant recipients can even obtain entry to the FilmHouse (situated in San Francisco) and profit from SFFILM’s complete and dynamic artist improvement packages. Supported documentaries embody ‘Vivien’s Wild Journey’, ‘The Tuba Thieves’ and ‘I Didn’t See You There’.

There is no such thing as a utility charge.

Deadline: June 9

Sundance Documentary Fund

For over 20 years, The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund has supported impartial filmmakers of characteristic documentaries, who elevate and advance cultural dialogue, develop the shape by creativity and innovation, and have the potential to generate social impression round a number of the most compelling problems with our time.

A spread of chosen tasks (usually 20-30) will obtain an unrestricted grant from a complete granting fund of over $1.5 million.

The fund prioritizes budgets underneath $1.2 million, excluding distribution and impression bills. Prior funding or a fiscal sponsor isn’t required.

Just lately supported movies embody ‘Crip Camp’, ‘No Different Land’ and ‘Writing With Fireplace’.

From Sundance:

“We search to uplift tasks from filmmakers with distinct visions and significant connections to the work they create. As a world granting alternative, the Documentary Fund stays dedicated to elevating voices past our borders, celebrating a wealthy variety of filmmaking traditions. We’re eager to assist tales that contribute to a extra equitable, free, and simply world.”

Deadline: June 25

‘Fireplace By Dry Grass’Directed by Alexis Neophytides and Jay Molina, supported by the AXS Movie Fund

The AXS Movie Fund

This program, established in 2021, is meant for documentary characteristic filmmakers who establish as residing with a incapacity. They award as much as 5 creators with grants of as much as $10,000 to help them in finishing their options in any stage of manufacturing. There are not any listed utility charges.

From AXS:

“Society is formed by a wide range of multi-layered experiences, together with the varied viewpoints of these round us. Sadly, the voices of people residing with disabilities, significantly from marginalized communities, haven’t been given the room they deserve. It’s time to maneuver past outdated portrayals of incapacity and make area for all creators to share their tales.”

Deadline: July 31

POV

A prestigious distribution alternative for documentary shorts. POV, tv’s longest-running showcase for impartial nonfiction movies, premieres 14-16 movies annually. Submissions at the moment are open to be thought of for inclusion within the 2026 broadcast season. Previous season shorts embody ‘The Cleansing Woman’ ‘MnM’ and ‘Classroom 4’. There are not any listed utility charges.

From POV:

“Since 1988, POV has introduced over 500 movies to public tv audiences throughout the nation. POV movies are recognized for his or her intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, placing a human face on up to date social points.”

Deadline: July 31

Fondation AlterCiné Documentary Grants

Primarily centered on supporting characteristic movies in early improvement, AlterCiné presents a number of yearly grants to younger filmmakers from the World South (Africa, Asia, and Latin America) making work on the theme of rights and freedoms. Supported movies embody ‘5 Damaged Cameras’, ‘Expensive Mandela’ and ‘Tempestad’.

The inspiration awards a number of grants of $5,000-$10,000 (Canadian) to filmmakers who need to direct a movie within the language of their selection that respects the goals of the inspiration. There are not any listed utility charges.

From AlterCiné:

“The Basis significantly helps documentary movies that dare to go towards the tide, that take the facet of the defenceless and query frequent assumptions by giving a voice to the unvoiced, enriching our understanding of the world and serving to us mirror on the opportunity of altering the world from a perspective of peace, justice, equality and respect for variations.”

Deadline: August 15

Impression Companions Growth/Manufacturing Funds

Impression Companions, a documentary fairness investor since 2007, invests within the improvement of 8-10 documentary tasks per 12 months, reviewing tasks on a rolling foundation. They’ll present $100,000-$300,000 per undertaking. Purposes start with a Letter of Inquiry, and candidates ought to obtain a response in 2-4 weeks. Supported movies embody ‘Metropolis of Pleasure’, ‘Do I Sound Homosexual?’ and ‘Notes on Blindness’. There are not any listed submission charges.

From Impression Companions:

“We’re on the lookout for tasks that inform robust, cinematic tales, discover the pressing points and questions of our time, and have a transparent standpoint and inventive imaginative and prescient. Filmmakers can apply to the [development] fund for a wide range of causes as they get their tasks off the bottom, together with improvement shoots, chopping a trailer or reel, conducting archival analysis, casting characters, and so forth.”

Deadline: Rolling

Reel South is a PBS documentary sequence and a platform for non-fiction filmmakers within the American South working inside the area’s custom of storytelling.

Narrated and non-narrated movies are thought of together with first-person or point-of-view tasks, observational movies, and information documentaries. Each shorts and options might be thought of for distribution.

Chosen movies will obtain a license charge, sequence packaging, captioning, mastering, inclusion on the sequence web site, promotion, and errors and omissions insurance coverage protection.

Filmmakers primarily based within the American South are given precedence, however all tales set within the South might be eligible.

From RS:

“REEL SOUTH reveals the South’s proud but difficult heritage, as informed by a variety of voices and views, by the fee, curation, and distribution of feature-length and brief documentaries.”

Deadline: Rolling

Narrative

‘They Cost For The SolarA Venture Contain brief directed by Terence Nance

Movie Impartial Quick Observe*

Yearly, Movie Impartial selects as much as ten narrative characteristic tasks in manufacturing or submit to take part in an intensive movie finance market that takes place over 4 days in November. Movies have to be within the improvement or pre-production stage on the time of utility.

One participant, whose movie incorporates science-based content material, might be awarded the annual Sloan Grant of $20,000 to additional develop their undertaking.

This system is open to each skilled and first-time filmmakers, so long as they’re actively looking for financing for his or her undertaking. Earlier Quick Observe individuals embody Jesus Celaya, MG Evangelista, and Rachael Fung. Earlier business individuals embody Searchlight, Mandalay Photos, Netflix, Sony Photos Worldwide Acquisitions, and Plan B. There’s a $65 utility charge.

NOTE: Movie Impartial membership isn’t required when making use of to Artist Growth Labs. Nonetheless, all individuals accepted into the Labs are required to hitch Movie Impartial at the usual annual Common Membership fee of $105, along with the preliminary utility charge.

Deadline: June 8

Last Reduce in Venice*

The thirteenth version of the Last Reduce in Venice program will happen from August 31 to September 2 throughout the Venice Worldwide Movie Pageant.

This system presents producers and administrators from Africa, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen a possibility to current brief and feature-length movies coming into the post-production part, as a way to facilitate co-production partnerships and market entry.

Working copies of as much as six chosen movies are introduced to producers, consumers, distributors, and movie competition programmers. Advantages embody networking occasions, curated one-on-one conferences with business professionals, and post-production providers valued at as much as €15,000. The competition will cowl journey bills and lodging for the director and producer.

Movies have to be in English or French, or have English or French subtitles. There are not any listed submission charges.

Deadline: June 9

SFFILM Rainin Filmmakers with Incapacity Grant

The SFFILM Rainin Filmmakers with Incapacity Grant helps filmmakers who establish as having a incapacity with movies that particularly handle tales inside the incapacity neighborhood.

$5,000-$25,000 money grants are awarded to as much as 4 brief or characteristic tasks in improvement or post-production. This grant is eligible for narratives and documentaries. Venture budgets shall be $3,000,000 or underneath, together with all phases of manufacturing.

Grant recipients can even obtain entry to the FilmHouse (situated in San Francisco) and profit from SFFILM’s complete and dynamic artist improvement packages. Supported narrative filmmakers embody Róisín Isner, Sarah Granger, and Shaina Guraya.

There is no such thing as a utility charge.

Deadline: June 9

Tribeca By Her Lens

Sponsored by Chanel and administered by Tribeca since 2015, this program helps rising ladies and non-binary U.S. filmmakers with a production-ready brief.

5 tasks might be chosen for 3 days of business mentorship and inventive improvement in New York Metropolis in September, together with hands-on session for every undertaking, expert-led conversations, one-on-one in addition to peer-to-peer classes, and a possibility for business networking.

Script and pitch suggestions might be offered to all tasks, culminating in individuals presenting their brief movie tasks to a curated jury. One collaborating undertaking will obtain a $120,000 grant to supply their brief movie, together with specialised steerage and mentorship from Tribeca to assist the undertaking attain its potential. The extra 4 individuals will every obtain a $10,000 improvement prize.

Beforehand by invitation solely, that is the primary 12 months this system is accepting unsolicited submissions. Beforehand supported filmmakers embody A.V. Rockwell, Nikyatu Jusu, and Suha Araj.

Deadline: June 21

Sofia Coppola Brief Movie Award

This brand-new brief movie award, introduced by Decentralized Photos in collaboration with Sofia Coppola, will present mentoring assist, distribution and a $20,000 money grant to supply a brief narrative movie.

The DCP neighborhood will shortlist finalists utilizing their clear voting platform, evaluating distinctive voice, visible high quality, and originality. A ultimate recipient might be chosen by Coppola and the DCP Board.

All movies should fairly be produced for the allotted $20K finances

From DCP:

“By bringing creators and audiences into the identical artistic ecosystem, DCP permits a clear, collaborative course of the place nice tales rise by collective perception relatively than conventional gatekeeping. We’re constructing a brand new framework for impartial cinema meant to place artistic company again within the palms of creators, and to present audiences an actual say in what will get funded.

Because the neighborhood continues to develop, so does the artistic ecosystem round it. As soon as a movie is made, what occurs subsequent? How does it dwell, attain audiences, and maintain its creator? We’re constructing the reply.”

Deadline: July 1

‘How Not To Date Whereas Trans’Directed by Illuminations grantee Nyala Moon

Illuminations Grant

The Illuminations Grant is an annual $10,000 award that gives assist to Black Trans Ladies Visible Artists. Profitable artists and finalists will obtain further skilled improvement assets and additional steerage to bolster their artistic improvement within the area. The grant can even present a $1,250 award to 4 distinguished finalists.

Certified artists have to be Black trans ladies working within the visible arts and primarily based in the US. This chance is open to college students, and there are not any utility charges.

Deadline: July 2

Movie Impartial Venture Contain

This sturdy program runs from February to October and gives hands-on brief filmmaking expertise from undertaking inception to completion, in addition to mentorship and personalised steerage to assist fellows transfer their careers ahead. Every year, 30 filmmakers from various backgrounds are chosen to collaborate.

When making use of to Venture Contain, you apply to 1 particular observe: writing, directing, writing/directing, producing, cinematography, modifying, programming, animation, or an govt observe.

Previous shorts produced in this system embody ‘Expensive Mama’, ‘Blackout’, and ‘Black Boy Pleasure’.

Fellows have included Terence Nance, Andrew Ahn, and Ino Yang Popper. Mentors have included Barry Jenkins, Reed Morano, and Christine Vachon. There’s a $65 utility charge.

NOTE: Movie Impartial membership isn’t required when making use of to Artist Growth Labs. Nonetheless, all individuals accepted into the Labs are required to hitch Movie Impartial at the usual annual Common Membership fee of $105, along with the preliminary utility charge.

Deadline: July 13

Sundance Graton Artist Alternative

The Sundance Institute | Graton Artist Alternative is designed to assist artists from federally and non-federally acknowledged California Indian tribes who want to inform their tales by movie. Artists will obtain entry to programs from the Sundance Institute Collab platform, in addition to one-on-one assist to curate a program to assist advance their undertaking or deepen their skilled objectives.

That is to domesticate long-term artist improvement; filmmakers don’t have to submit a particular undertaking to use. There are not any utility charges.

Deadline: July 31

AFI Directing Workshop for Ladies

The American Movie Institute presents this academic program to ladies who’ve but to direct a story characteristic. The DWW will present mentorship, an intensive coaching lab and in-kind assets to 4-8 filmmakers, guiding them by the method of creating their subsequent brief. You have to have the ability to attend the four-week lab in particular person on AFI’s Los Angeles campus.

The appliance window usually opens over the summer time, with a ultimate deadline in early September.

From DWW+:

“DWW+ is firstly an academic program. Contributors should come able to be taught, settle for suggestions, and take instruction.

The DWW+ Intensive in April/Might is a full-time dedication, together with weekends and evenings. Classroom attendance throughout the workshop is necessary and demanding to individuals’ success. Together with the DWW+ Intensive, it’s essential that individuals can be found to attend, in-person or just about, further courses and workshops all year long.”

Deadline: Early September

Berlinale Skills

Established in 2003, that is the expertise improvement programme of the Berlin Worldwide Movie Pageant, with undertaking improvement labs going down digitally in late January, adopted by an onsite summit with panels, discussions, and networking alternatives going down throughout the Berlinale every February.

200 rising filmmakers, drama sequence creators, and key gamers of the cinema business might be invited. To be eligible, you will have to have made at the least one feature-length movie, two brief movies, or a high-quality drama sequence or TV film that has screened in festivals or been broadly streamed.

Purposes usually open in July. The appliance charge is €15-25, dependent upon want.

From Berlinale Skills:

“Throughout six packed days, you will come into contact with a whole lot of latest concepts and quite a few like-minded individuals. For a lot of individuals, Berlinale Skills is a life-changing expertise – and for everyone, it represents the start of a long-lasting relationship with the Berlinale.”

Deadline: Early September

Screenwriting

‘Acceptable Habits’Written and directed by Yaddo alumna Desiree Akhavan

The Disruptors Fellowship

The Disruptors Fellowship goals to disrupt the established order in Hollywood and to uplift and normalize narratives which have traditionally been underrepresented on tv. Fellows will obtain a $3,000 stipend, take part in a mock writers’ room, and profit from 1-on-1 mentorship to foster up-and-coming writers as they hone their artistic expertise.

Candidates should submit two screenwriting samples, one in every of which needs to be a TV sequence script they plan to workshop throughout this system.

Fellows should dwell within the Los Angeles space and be obtainable to attend potential in-person gatherings between August eleventh and October 1st.

Earlier fellows embody Alex Alpharaoh, Kryzz Gautier, and Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri.

Deadline: June 5

Last Draft Massive Break Screenwriting Contest

Sponsored by Last Draft, the Massive Break Screenwriting Contest accepts on-line entries of characteristic movie, tv, and brief screenplays. The Grand Prize contains $10,000 and a three-day round-trip journey with lodging to L.A. Characteristic and TV winners in a number of sub-categories will obtain $1,000 and a wide range of in-kind providers and software program, together with (in fact) Last Draft 13.

The judging panel contains executives and managers at Fifth Season, LIT Leisure, and HBO Max. Software charges vary from $55-$75 relying on the size of the manuscript.

Deadline: June 8

Slamdance Screenplay Competitors

A complete of $18,000 in money prizes might be awarded to the winners on this competitors, based in 1997. Along with this award, readers nominate daring scripts for the Slamdance Screenplay Mentorship Award, which presents one-on-one teaching and suggestions to a promising rising author. Further prizes embody all-inclusive passes to the following Slamdance Movie Pageant, and each entrant will obtain brief suggestions from a reader.

Earlier awardees embody Pam Covington, Maaman Rezaee, and Renn Tan. The appliance charge is $45-75, relying on deadline/size of manuscript.

From Slamdance:

“Since 1997, this competitors has established a powerful observe document for introducing writers to members of the leisure business who’ve gone on to supply, possibility, and signify submitted work. Just like the Movie Pageant, the Screenplay Competitors is a spot for brand new, daring, and uncooked voices. We’re on the lookout for scripts that take dangers, refuse compromise, and go locations the place Hollywood hacks worry to tread.”

Deadline: June 22

Yaddo

Yaddo is an artists’ neighborhood in Saratoga Springs, New York. Every year, they provide over 200 artistic artists from all nations and backgrounds uninterrupted time to work in a supportive setting. Residencies final from two weeks to 2 months and embody room, board, and a studio. Artists who qualify for Yaddo residencies are working on the skilled degree of their fields; college students should not eligible.

Filmmakers and screenwriters are inspired to submit work samples that mirror the undertaking you want to pursue throughout your residency and that signify latest, completed work. Samples could also be visible photos, video clips, manuscript pages, or audio recordsdata, relying on the necessities to your self-discipline.

Yaddo alums embody Vika Evdokimenko, Eliza Hittman, Desiree Akhavan (and, waaaaaay again within the day, James Baldwin and Truman Capote).

Deadline: July 1 or when 1,300 purposes have been acquired

Wassaic Venture Artist Residency

Positioned in Dutchess County, New York, the Wassaic Venture gives lodging and studio area to artists and writers for 1-3 week residencies, together with Household Residencies for artists in caregiving relationships. Month-to-month programming contains open studios, group studio visits with our embedded critics, artist talks with 2–3 artistic professionals, our Director of Inventive Programming, and WP workers.

Winter Residencies are offered on a sliding scale, from $0–$900, providing monetary help to artists who self-report want of their purposes. The assessment course of is need-blind: monetary circumstances should not thought of throughout the acceptance decision-making course of.

There’s a $25 utility charge.

From Wassaic:

“We consider our residency works greatest as a artistic laboratory untied to end result. We want to hear about what makes you curious, what you have an interest in investigating, and what your jumping-off level could be.”

Deadline: July 1

Maintain House Retreat for Artists of Coloration

This artist-built neighborhood, located on Ox-Bow’s historic campus in Saugatuck, Michigan, presents artists and cultural staff of colour devoted time for communal residing, artistic observe, and relaxation. Designed to nurture reflection, collaboration, and renewal, the retreat gives people or teams of as much as twelve individuals area to create, set up, and join inside a supportive setting. Retreats could also be scheduled for one to seven nights between September 14-20, 2026.

Proposals could embody particular person studio tasks throughout disciplines, self-organized group retreats that includes collaborative tasks or visitor audio system, planning or analysis retreats for nonprofits or collectives, and social gatherings and artistic dinners designed in collaboration with Ox-Bow’s culinary workforce.

Proposals are reviewed by a panel of BIPOC artists and curators acquainted with Ox-Bow’s packages. Contributors could deliver their youngsters; nonetheless, Ox-Bow doesn’t presently present childcare or further care assist.

From Ox-Bow:

“Our ardour for artwork is a ardour for artists. We try to offer a supportive setting no matter expertise degree, for artistic journeys, network-building, and development in revered mediums.

Recognizing that we’re a part of one thing bigger than ourselves, we’re dedicated stewards of our historical past, pure, and constructed environments of Ox-Bow. And thus, we’re dedicated to their care and preservation to make sure Ox-Bow might be round for future generations. We acknowledge the Potawatomi land and neighborhood on which Ox-Bow resides. Learn our Land acknowledgment right here.“

Deadline: July 5

‘Fran This Summer season’Written and directed by Movie Impartial Screenwriting Lab alum MG Evangelista

Loghaven Residency

This residency, situated in Knoxville, Tennessee, gives artists, together with screenwriters, with a transformative residency expertise and continued post-residency assist. Artists have entry to new, purpose-built studio area and are awarded an $850 weekly residing stipend to assist the creation of latest work throughout their keep.

Artists have to be at the least twenty-one years previous and dwell greater than 120 miles away from Knoxville as a way to make sure that artists are capable of be totally immersed of their residency expertise and may benefit from the retreat-style setting.

From Loghaven:

“Loghaven is situated on ninety wooded acres close to the southern financial institution of the Tennessee River. At its coronary heart are 5 log cabins located alongside a non-public, tree-shaded highway. Trails from the cabins result in a freshwater spring and guarded forest. Archaeological research present that this lovely cove has been inhabited for over 9 thousand years.”

Deadline: July 15

Sundance Graton Artist Alternative

The Sundance Institute | Graton Artist Alternative is designed to assist artists from federally and non-federally acknowledged California Indian tribes who want to inform their tales by movie. Artists will obtain entry to programs from the Sundance Institute Collab platform, in addition to one-on-one assist to curate a program to assist advance their undertaking or deepen their skilled objectives.

That is to domesticate long-term artist improvement; filmmakers don’t have to submit a particular undertaking to use.

Deadline: July 31

Movie Impartial Screenwriting Lab

The Screenwriting Lab is a two-week workshop held in Los Angeles, designed to offer individualized story and profession improvement for rising screenwriters with a fiction characteristic screenplay.

Every Screenwriting Fellow is paired with a artistic advisor, with whom they’ll work one-on-one and in group classes. Quite a lot of visitor audio system are invited to display screen and focus on their very own movies and supply profession insights, and a ultimate pitch occasion presents additional alternative for individualized suggestions and interplay with business executives.

Current Screenwriting Lab tasks embody Billy Luther’s ‘Frybread Face and Me’ and Hikari’s Panorama award-winning ‘37 Seconds’. Previous advisors embody Robin Swicord, Jeff Stockwell, and Pamela Ribon. There’s a $65 utility charge.

Deadline: August 31

Corsicana Artist & Author Residency

Artists and writers of worldwide, nationwide, and Texas origin are invited to use for two-month, fully-funded studio residencies in an historic setting fifty miles south of Dallas, Texas. Quiet studio focus is prioritized, and balanced with introductions to skilled networks within the Dallas-Fort Price area, culminating with Open Studios on the shut of time period.

Residents are granted fully-funded, personal, furnished studios with lodging lodging at historic 100 West Studios. Meals should not offered, however bicycles for Corsicana-based transportation and transportation to and from Dallas-Fort Price airports are provided.

Earlier artists-in-residence embody Carlos Zerpa, Will Arbery, and Pete Ohs.

There’s a $30 utility charge. Accepted candidates who decide to a residency time period are answerable for a one-time, non-refundable $200 Administration Payment.

Deadline: September 1

Helpful Hyperlinks:

• Res Artis – Worldwide Community of Artist Residencies
• Control our Grants, Contests & Awards part, the place we might be sharing new alternatives that come up all through the season.