A Massive List of Summer 2025 Grants, Labs, Fellowships, and Contests
As always, double-check eligibility requirements, and use your best judgment when deciding to apply.
Documentary
‘The In Between’ directed by Robie Flores - supported by Film Independent Fast Track
Film Independent Fast Track*
Every year Film Independent selects up to five documentaries in production or post to participate in an intensive film finance market that takes place over four days in November.
The program is open to both experienced and first-time filmmakers, as long as they are actively seeking financing for their project. Recent Fast Track participants include Rachael DeCruz, Rita Baghdadi and Robie Flores. Previous industry participants include Searchlight, Mandalay Pictures, Netflix, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Plan B. There is a $45 application fee.
NOTE: Film Independent membership is not required when applying to Artist Development Labs. However, all participants accepted into the Labs are required to join Film Independent at the standard annual General Membership rate of $105, in addition to the initial application fee.
Deadline: June 9
Final Cut In Venice*
The 13th edition of the Final Cut in Venice program will take place from August 31 to September 2 during the Venice International Film Festival.
The program offers producers and directors from Africa and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen an opportunity to present short and feature-length films entering the post-production phase, in order to facilitate co-production partnerships and market access.
Working copies of up to six selected films are presented to producers, buyers, distributors and film festival programmers. Benefits include networking events, curated one-on-one meetings with industry professionals, and post-production services valued up to €15,000. The Festival will cover trip expenses and accommodations for the director and producer.
Films must be in English or French, or have English or French subtitles. There are no listed submission fees.
Deadline: June 9
SFFILM Documentary Film Fund
Since its launch in 2011, the SFFILM Documentary Film Fund supports three to five feature projects each year with grants of $10,000-$20,000. Previous DFF winners include ‘Writing With Fire’ and ‘Ascension’ (both Oscar-nominated.) The project must be within three months of beginning post-production, must be consistent with SFFILM’s mission and must represent an imaginative contribution to the moving image art form. Projects that primarily use interviews as a storytelling device will not be considered. There is a $30 application fee.
Deadline: June 23
Barbara Hammer Lesbian Experimental Filmmaking Grant*
This award was established by Hammer in 2017 to give needed support to moving-image art made by lesbians. Work can be experimental animation, documentary, narrative, cross-genre, or solely experimental. The grant, administered through Queer|Art by lesbians for lesbians, includes an award of $5,000, and a series of individual studio visits with QA staff members and the grant’s judges. This year’s judges include A.K. Burns, Ela Troyano, and Cheryl Dunye. The $5 application fee can be waived by request.
Deadline: July 2
The AXS Film Fund
This program, established in 2021, is intended for documentary feature filmmakers who identify as living with a disability. They award up to five creators with grants of up to $10,000 to assist them in completing their features in any stage of production. There are no listed application fees.
From AXS:
“Society is shaped by a variety of multi-layered experiences, including the diverse viewpoints of those around us. Unfortunately, the voices of individuals living with disabilities, particularly from marginalized communities, have not been given the room they deserve. It’s time to move beyond outdated portrayals of disability and make space for all creators to share their stories.”
Deadline: July 31
POV
A prestigious distribution opportunity documentary shorts. POV, television’s longest-running showcase for independent nonfiction films, premieres 14-16 films each year. Submissions are now open to be considered for inclusion in the 2026 broadcast season. Past season shorts include ‘Jardines’, ‘A Swim Lesson’ and ‘Between Earth and Sky’. There are no listed application fees.
From POV:
“Since 1988, POV has presented over 500 films to public television audiences across the country. POV films are known for their intimacy, their unforgettable storytelling and their timeliness, putting a human face on contemporary social issues.”
Deadline: July 31
AlterCiné Documentary Grants
Primarily focused on supporting feature films in early development, AlterCiné offers several yearly grants to young filmmakers from the Global South (Africa, Asia and Latin America) making work on the theme of rights and freedoms.
Every year, the Foundation awards several grants of $10,000-$20,000 (Canadian dollars) to filmmakers who want to direct a film in the language of their choice that respects the aims of the Foundation. There are no listed application fees.
From AlterCiné:
“The Foundation particularly supports documentary films that dare to go against the tide, that take the side of the defenceless and question common assumptions by giving a voice to the voiceless, enriching our understanding of the world and helping us reflect on the possibility of changing the world from a perspective of peace, justice, equality and respect for differences.”
Deadline: August 15
Eat Bitter’ directed by Pascale Appora Gnekindy and Ningyi Sun, supported by AlterCiné
Impact Partners Development/Production Funds
Impact Partners, a documentary equity investor since 2007, invests in the development of 8-12 documentary projects per year, reviewing projects on a rolling basis. They can provide $100,000-$300,000 per project. Applications begin with a Letter of Inquiry, and applicants should receive a response in 2-4 weeks. Supported films include ‘Union’, ‘My Robot Sophia’, and ‘We Are Pat’. There are no listed submission fees.
From Impact Partners:
“We are looking for projects that tell strong, cinematic stories, explore the urgent issues and questions of our time, and have a clear point of view and artistic vision. Filmmakers can apply to the [development] fund for a variety of reasons as they get their projects off the ground, including development shoots, cutting a trailer or reel, conducting archival research, casting characters, etc.”
Deadline: Rolling
BFI Doc Society R&D Fund / Features Fund
The British Film Institute Doc Society’s R&D fund provides support of up to £5,000 to first or second-time U.K. filmmakers with a feature documentary film in early development, or up to £10,000 to producers with more than one feature documentary film in early development. It was created to support the need for early-stage creative risk, research, and development, prioritizing projects with a clear and specific vision, and a strong relationship to the story they are telling.
Their Features Fund provides support of up to a maximum of £150,000 per U.K. feature documentary or immersive non-fiction project in early development. Proposals should have a clear project outline. Cinematic proposals with theatrical distribution intentions are favored. There are no listed submission fees.
Deadline: Rolling
Film Independent Non-Fiction Work In Progress Series
Finished your feature doc and looking for a test audience? Film Independent has your back. Their L.A. based screening series offers a place for filmmakers to share their projects and receive constructive feedback. Audiences are invited to watch films as they enter the final stages of editing, offering feedback via in-depth surveys and a moderated discussion, helping to ready their projects for festivals and distribution.
The program is open to filmmakers located anywhere, but the director and/or key members of the creative team must be able to attend the screening in person. Filmmakers must provide a full edit at the time of submission. There is a $25 application fee.
NOTE: Film Independent membership is not required when applying to Artist Development Labs. However, all participants accepted into the Labs are required to join Film Independent at the standard annual General Membership rate of $105, in addition to the initial application fee.
Deadline: Rolling
Narrative
Marcy Learns Something New’, directed by Julia Kennelly - supported by Film Independent Fast Track
Film Independent Fast Track*
Every year Film Independent selects up to ten narrative feature projects in production or post to participate in an intensive film finance market that takes place over four days in November. Films must be in the development or pre-production stage at the time of application.
One participant, whose film contains science-based content, will be awarded the annual Sloan Grant of $20,000 to further develop their project.
The program is open to both experienced and first-time filmmakers, as long as they are actively seeking financing for their project. Previous Fast Track participants include Raven Jackson, Julia Kennelly and Monique Walton. Previous industry participants include Searchlight, Mandalay Pictures, Netflix, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and Plan B. There is a $45 application fee.
NOTE: Film Independent membership is not required when applying to Artist Development Labs. However, all participants accepted into the Labs are required to join Film Independent at the standard annual General Membership rate of $105, in addition to the initial application fee.
Deadline: June 9
Final Cut In Venice*
The 13th edition of the Final Cut in Venice program will take place from August 31 to September 2 during the Venice International Film Festival.
The program offers producers and directors from Africa and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen an opportunity to present short and feature-length films entering the post-production phase, in order to facilitate co-production partnerships and market access.
Working copies of up to six selected films are presented to producers, buyers, distributors and film festival programmers. Benefits include networking events, curated one-on-one meetings with industry professionals, and post-production services valued up to €15,000. The Festival will cover trip expenses and accommodations for the director and producer.
Films must be in English or French, or have English or French subtitles. There are no listed submission fees.
Deadline: June 9
Half Initiative Director Shadowing Program
Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative provides an educational Director Shadowing Program in which professional episodic directors on every one of his productions mentors under-represented emerging and mid-career directors.
Accepted mentee directors shadow a director from pre-production through post, on a single episode. They will receive a stipend for their commitment to subsidize travel, lodging, and daycare for working mothers. After shadowing, mentees will continue their education by attending ongoing panels, workshops and networking opportunities with other mentees to learn from Ryan Murphy Production producers, writers, directors and key department heads. Previous mentees include Thembi Banks, Tara Miele and Jen Arnold. At the time of this publication, there are no listed application fees.
Applications open in June
Stowe Story Labs Short Film Production Grant
Stowe Story Labs will award a grant of $50,000 to support the development, production, and distribution of a short film with a total run time of approximately 10 minutes. Applicants should submit a script of no more than 15 pages. Films should be producible for the amount of the grant.
Support will be available to support the winning project through all aspects of its development and production, including mentoring services, a discounted ARRI camera package, festival submission waivers and automatic admission to the Sidewalk Film Festival. There is a $65 application fee.
From Stowe:
“We are looking for a great story well told containing notes of hope and uplift. We are agnostic on genre. Given the expense involved, we are ideally looking for scripts avoiding serious stunt, animation, or effects needed. Such stories are welcome if the applicant has a plan to make the film given this concern.
Applicants (and teams) must demonstrate a collaborative nature and capacity to do the work.”
Applications open in June
Illuminations Grant
The Illuminations Grant is an annual $10,000 award that provides support to for Black Trans Women Visual Artists. Winning artists and finalists will receive additional professional development resources and further guidance to bolster their creative development in the field. The grant will also provide a $1,250 award to four distinguished finalists.
Qualified artists must be Black trans women working in the visual arts and based in the United States. This opportunity is open to students and there are no application fees.
Deadline: July 2
Barbara Hammer Lesbian Experimental Filmmaking Grant*
This award was established by Hammer in 2017 to give needed support to moving-image art made by lesbians. Work can be experimental animation, documentary, narrative, cross-genre, or solely experimental. The grant, administered through Queer|Art by lesbians for lesbians, includes an award of $5,000, and a series of individual studio visits with QA staff members and the grant’s judges. This year’s judges include A.K. Burns, Ela Troyano, and Cheryl Dunye. The $5 application fee can be waived by request.
Deadline: July 2
Film Independent Project Involve
This robust program runs from February to October and provides hands-on short filmmaking experience from project inception to completion, as well as mentorship and personalized guidance to help fellows move their careers forward. Each year, 30 filmmakers from diverse backgrounds are chosen to collaborate.
When applying to Project Involve, you apply to one specific track: writing, directing, writing/directing, producing, cinematography, editing, programming, animation or an executive track.
Past shorts produced in the program include ‘Lonely Blue Night’ (currently streaming on HBO), ‘Liberty’ (which won awards at SXSW and Berlin) and ‘Emergency’ (which won awards at SXSW and Sundance).
Fellows have included Lulu Wang, Jon M. Chu and Jomo Fray. Mentors have included Barry Jenkins, Reed Morano and Christine Vachon. There is a $65 application fee.
NOTE: Film Independent membership is not required when applying to Artist Development Labs. However, all participants accepted into the Labs are required to join Film Independent at the standard annual General Membership rate of $105, in addition to the initial application fee.
Deadline: July 14
‘Lonely Blue Night’, directed by Johnson Chen - developed by Film Independent Project Involve
Sundance Graton Artist Opportunity
The Sundance Institute | Graton Artist Opportunity is designed to support artists from federally and non-federally recognized California Indian tribes who wish to tell their stories through film. Artists will receive access to courses from the Sundance Institute Collab platform, as well as one-on-one support to curate a program to help advance their project or deepen their professional goals.
This is to cultivate long-term artist development; filmmakers do not need to submit a specific project to apply. There are no application fees.
Deadline: July 31
cliveRd. Proof of Concept Short Film Grant
For the second year in a row, Black Film Space is partnering with startup cliveRd. for this $10,000 production grant.
They are accepting short film scripts under 15 minutes/pages that aim to serve as a proof of concept for a feature film or episodic series. There is a $35 application fee.
From cliveRd.:
“We are looking for ideas that showcase unique, novel perspectives of Black life and identity. cliveRd. is an agile startup studio focused on producing and building projects focused on futurism, but submissions do not have to fall into this category. This opportunity is for all genres.
Deadline: August 4
Berlinale Talents
Established in 2003, this is the talent development programme of the Berlin International Film Festival, with project development labs taking place digitally in late January followed by an onsite summit with panels, discussions and networking opportunities taking place during the Berlinale each February.
200 emerging filmmakers, drama series creators and key players of the cinema industry will be invited. To be eligible, you need to have made at least one feature-length film OR two short films OR a high-quality drama series or TV movie that have screened in festivals or been widely streamed.
Depending on your field, you may be eligible to submit to one of our four labs for project development: Doc Station, Script Station, or Short Form Station. Producers with fully developed feature-length film projects may apply for the Talent Project Market. Applications will open in July. The application fee is €15-25 dependent upon need.
From Berlinale Talents:
“During six packed days, you'll come into contact with hundreds of new ideas and numerous like-minded people. For many participants, Berlinale Talents is a life-changing experience - and for everybody, it represents the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with the Berlinale.”
Deadline: Early September
Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund
The Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund was established to provide support to creators during times of extraordinary hardship. They are currently distributing $10,000 grants to creators who have been directly impacted by the unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
Applicants should be creators with a professional portfolio of visual creative work, able to communicate in English, and have a bank or PayPal account in their name. Refugees, internally displaced persons, Ukrainian residents, or those supporting any of the above all qualify.
Deadline: Rolling
Sloan Distribution Grant
Administered through Film Independent, the Sloan Distribution Grant awards $50,000 to a maximum of three narrative features that are entering its distribution phase. Eligible films must depict themes, stories and characters grounded in real science, technology or economics.
Films with innovative marketing and distribution plans are encouraged to apply. There is a $65 application fee.
Deadline: Rolling
Screenwriting
‘Stockholm Pennsylvania’, written and directed by Nicholl Fellow Nikole Beckwith
Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest
Sponsored by Final Draft, the Big Break Screenwriting Contest accepts online entries of feature film, television, and short screenplays. The Grand Prize includes $10,000, 3-day round-trip travel with accommodations to L.A. Feature and TV winners in multiple sub-categories will receive $1,000 and a variety of in-kind services and software, including (of course) Final Draft 13.
The judging panel includes executives and managers at LIT Entertainment, IAG, and Anonymous Content. Application fees range from $55-$75, depending on the length of the manuscript.
Deadline: June 9
Nicholl Fellowship
Long-considered one of the most prestigious fellowships in the industry, the feature-focused Nicholl Fellowship is undergoing changes to its evaluation process that have raised concerns about its integrity. How this will affect its overall reputation remains to be seen.
Entrants will now be accepted via recommendation fromexclusive official partners such as global university programs and screenwriting labs. These partners will vet and submit two feature screenplays for further consideration by the Academy for an Academy Nicholl Fellowship. If you don’t have connections to these institutions, you can still apply through the Black List, which will select 25 writers to advance for Academy consideration.
Up to five selected Fellows receive a $35,000 award, direct support from the Academy and mentorship from an Academy member throughout their fellowship year. They also attend seminars and networking events with Academy members and other screenwriters.
Deadline: June 15, or when the maximum of 2,500 eligible public submissions are received—whichever occurs first.
Slamdance Screenplay Competition
A total of $18,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the winners in this competition, founded in 1997. In addition to this award, readers nominate bold scripts for the Slamdance Screenplay Mentorship Award, which offers one-on-one coaching and feedback to a burgeoning writer whose script could, with a little more support, turn into an award-winning film. Additional prizes include all-inclusive passes to the next Slamdance Film Festival, and every entrant will receive short feedback from a reader.
Previous awardees include Joyce Sherrí, Nicole Kassel, and Joshua Marston. The application fee is $45-75, depending on deadline/length of manuscript.
From Slamdance:
“Since 1997, this competition has established a strong track record for introducing writers to members of the entertainment industry who have gone on to produce, option, and represent submitted work. Like the Film Festival, the Screenplay Competition is a place for new, bold, and raw voices. We are looking for scripts that take risks, refuse compromise, and go places where Hollywood hacks fear to tread.”
Deadline: June 23
The Blacklist: Opportunities for Novelists
The Blacklist’s Unpublished Novel Award celebrates stellar unpublished manuscripts in seven genres: Children's & Young Adult, Crime & Mystery, Horror, Literary Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Thriller & Suspense. Judges with backgrounds in publishing, film, and TV will select one manuscript in each genre to receive a $10,000 grant to support its journey to publication. Recipients retain all rights to their manuscript and are free to sell it whenever and wherever they please.
Writers who receive a manuscript evaluation on this site at a cost of $150 can opt into consideration for these awards for no additional charge.
Additionally, if your novel has a mental health component, you can submit to the Spotify x JED Impact Award - a new initiative to identify five unpublished, novel-length manuscripts that elevate exceptional depictions of mental health in fiction. Selected recipients will also receive $10,000 in grant funding. As a part of this initiative, Spotify will cover up to 140 fee waivers for one month of free hosting and a free evaluation.
Deadline: June 27 (Unpublished Novel)
July 8th (Spotify x JED)
Sundance Graton Artist Opportunity
The Sundance Institute | Graton Artist Opportunity is designed to support artists from federally and non-federally recognized California Indian tribes who wish to tell their stories through film. Artists will receive access to courses from the Sundance Institute Collab platform, as well as one-on-one support to curate a program to help advance their project or deepen their professional goals.
This is to cultivate long-term artist development; filmmakers do not need to submit a specific project to apply.
Deadline: July 31
‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’, written and directed by Chloé Zhao, supported by the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab
Film Independent Screenwriting Lab
The Screenwriting Lab is a two-week workshop held in Los Angeles, designed to provide individualized story and career development for emerging screenwriters with a fiction feature screenplay.
Each Screenwriting Fellow is paired with a creative advisor, with whom they’ll work one-on-one and in group sessions. A variety of guest speakers are invited to screen and discuss their own films and offer career insights, and a final pitch event offers further opportunity for individualized feedback and interaction with industry executives.
Past Screenwriting Lab projects include Chloé Zhao’s ‘Songs My Brothers Taught Me’ and Robbie Pickering’s SXSW winner ‘Natural Selection’. Past advisors include Eliza Hittman, Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi, and Ti West. There is a $65 application fee.
Deadline: August 25
Macdowell Residency
MacDowell’s prestigious residency program has supported hundreds of artists since its founding in 1907. Artists are provided with a private studio, chef-prepared meals, and living accommodations on their 450-acre property in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Residencies last from 4-6 weeks.
Past screenwriting residents includeBilly Luther, Josephine Decker, and Dee Rees. There is a $30 application fee.
From MacDowell:
“About 300 artists in seven disciplines are awarded Fellowships each yea,r and the sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence. There are no residency fees, and need-based stipends and travel reimbursement grants are available to open the residency to the broadest possible community of artists.”
Deadline: September 10
Useful Links:
Documentary Grants - International Documentary Association
Sundance Co//ab List of Opportunities - Sundance Institute
(Sign up for a free Co//ab account to see all grants)
- Res Artis - Worldwide Network of Artist Residencies
Keep an eye on our Grants, Contests & Awards section, where we will be sharing new opportunities that come up throughout the season.
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