💰 Upcoming Funding Deadlines:

• March 1: The International Center of Photography’s Leica Scholarship aims to elevate and support underrepresented voices in photography by providing opportunities and resources to increase their visibility and impact within the photography community. This scholarship will be awarded to one applicant of extraordinary achievement and includes tuition for the ICP’s One Year Certificate Program, an exhibition at the Leica store, and more. Apply here.
• March 1: The Alberto Contreras Scholarship from the International Center of Photography provides full tuition for the ICP’s Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism program. The Scholarship is open to Latin American Applicants currently residing in Latin America. More information here.
• March 1: The Kathmandu Doc Lab is a residential incubation program designed to nurture nonfiction cinema from across South Asia. The Lab is accepting applications from South Asian documentary filmmakers who are working on first or second feature-length creative documentaries in development or early production. Submit here.
• March 1: The TorinoFilmLab Co-Production Fund awards three feature film co‑productions €50,000 each and provides tailored consultations and access to the TFL Meeting Event. Projects must be fiction, creative documentary or animation over 60 minutes, in advanced development, and involve co‑production between MEDIA‑participating countries (Europe) and non‑MEDIA countries. Learn more here.
• March 4: The World Cinema Fund offers production and post-production grants. Eligible international projects can apply for up to €60,000 per project (or €40,000 for post-production). Awarded funding must be spent in WCF-supported regions in cooperation with a German or EU-based partner. Apply for funding here.
• March 6: Yahoo is partnering with the Nonfiction Hotlist to create a new pathway for nonfiction filmmakers to showcase their work to a global audience. Through this partnership, Yahoo will promote and distribute 20 documentary shorts. Selected filmmakers will be paid for their films, and outside of distribution, Yahoo will organize promotional support including filmmaker interviews and companion articles. Apply here.
• March 6: The Documentary Accountability Working Group’s NeXt Doc 2026 is a year-long national fellowship for early-career nonfiction storytellers aged 21-25. The program begins with a week-long retreat in Vermont and provides ongoing mentorship, masterclasses, and screenings with all expenses covered. Submit here.
• March 8: Scientific American is searching for powerful, character-driven stories about the science behind conservation research for THE PROTECTORS, a new short documentary series. These films explore the intersection of scientific rigor and personal grit as researchers grapple with the survival of endangered species and the systemic challenges they must overcome to save them. Accepted projects are eligible for up to $80,000 in production funding. Learn more here.
• March 8: Applications are open for the 2026 JFI Grants cycle! The Jewish Film Institute provides crucial finishing funds to diverse projects that expand understanding of Jewish life, culture, and identity worldwide. The Grants have awarded $500,000 to 38 projects since 2020 and grantee films have premiered at leading festivals worldwide. Learn more and submit your film here.
• March 10: The Next Challenge for Media & Journalism is the largest competition for nonprofit and for-profit media startups in the United States — and it also offers individual awards for independent journalists who are using emerging digital platforms to strengthen civil discourse in their local communities. A total of $250,000 in awards is available. Learn more here.
• March 15: LIFT, powered by Hoodox and Indiana Humanities, seeks proposals for the creation of high-quality short films (five minutes or less) that feature stories of Hoosiers who have a vision for how to strengthen their communities and are working to do so. Selected filmmakers will receive a $5,000 stipend to produce films that are both uplifting and rooted in authentic Hoosier experiences. Apply here.
• March 22: We Are Moving The Needle is collaborating with the Zankel Music Fund for their MicroGrant program, supporting women, trans, and non-binary producers and engineers preparing for careers in audio with grants ranging from $500-$1,000. Submit here.
• March 31: The Roy W. Dean Grant supports independent films that are unique and make a meaningful contribution to society. Open internationally to documentaries, narrative features, shorts, web series and multimedia projects with budgets under $500,000, the spring grant offers a $3,500 cash prize plus over $20,000 in donated production services and discounts, as well as a free consultation on their proposal. Apply here.
• March 31: Kickstarter’s annual Long Story Short open call invites filmmakers worldwide to submit their short films and launch their unique visions on the platform. Shorts will be featured in a curated collection promoted by Kickstarter all month long. Submit here.
• April 2: The 2027 Creative Capital Open Call seeks proposals from individual artists in the U.S. for the creation of new artistic works in the Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature.⁠ The Creative Capital Award provides unrestricted grants of up to $50,000, and the new State of the Art prize offers unrestricted artist grants of $10,000. Submit here.
• April 6: The Femme Frontera Fellowship supports nonfiction and narrative, women & gender-expansive filmmakers working in the borderlands all along the U.S./Mexico border. In this year-long program, filmmakers will receive $2,500 USD in grant funding, mentorship, participation in the Pitch Fest at the 2026 Femme Frontera Film Festival (June 11-14 in El Paso, TX), and a travel stipend to attend the fest. Learn more here.
• April 7: The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants program from NYFA provides grants up to $20,000 for environmental art initiatives led by women, transgender, and non-binary artists in the U.S. Projects that explore interdependence, relationships, and systems through Indigenous and ancestral practices are encouraged to apply. Submit here.
• May 3: Pakistan Film Society and Mad For Films are teaming up to launch their Vertical Film Fund, open for creators, filmmakers, directors, writers, and anyone passionate about storytelling through film. Selected filmmakers will receive a production grant of 100,000 PKR for their vertical film, as well as SONY equipment support and industry mentorship. Apply here.
• May 3: Are you making a documentary about U.S. history? The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film is now open for submissions! The Prize for Film will honor and award $200,000 to one winner, a secondary prize of $50,000 to one runner-up, and $25,000 to each of four finalists. Learn more here.
• Rolling: The Outrider AI + Nuclear Reporting Fund supports journalism and multimedia storytelling projects that explain the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons. Journalists may receive up to $10,000 for projects, supporting expenses such as travel, research, multimedia production, and more. Deadline is rolling, submit your project here.
• Rolling: The Pulitzer Center’s Global Reporting Grant supports in-depth, high-impact nonfiction projects that push boundaries and spotlight underreported stories. The Grant is open to journalists, filmmakers, and visual storytellers worldwide, and the typical award amount is $5,000-$10,000. Apply here.
• Rolling: The Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund provides support to creators during times of extraordinary hardship, empowering creators of all backgrounds to have access to the tools and inspiration they need. The Community Fund aims to respond to global events that directly impact the wellbeing of creators. Adobe is currently focusing their Community Fund efforts on providing support to creators who have been directly impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Learn more.
• Rolling: Panavision’s New Filmmaker Grant Program offers grants for camera equipment and post-production services. The equipment grant provides use of Panavision digital or film camera packages, while the post-production grant works with Light Iron to provide new filmmakers with access to final color and finishing services. Only available in the US. Apply here.
• Rolling: The British Council Travel Grant Fund is helping filmmakers bring their work to the global stage. Whether your short or feature is screening at an eligible festival, lab, or co-production forum, you may qualify for support. Learn more here.
• Rolling: International Women’s Media Foundation has launched the 2025 Ukraine Reporting Grant. This program supports journalists from local and regional outlets in the U.S., France, and Germany in producing in-depth projects or underreported stories from Ukraine that will resonate with their respective home communities. The IWMF will approve fifteen to twenty reporting grants (average size of $8,000). Apply here.

💡 Fellowships, Labs, and Pitches:

• March 2: CPH:DOX International Documentary Film Festival is looking for applicants for their emerging talents program, INTRO:DOX. Designed to welcome filmmakers and producers who are working on their first or second nonfiction feature and wish to attend CPH:FORUM, the program will include access to all industry activities, a discounted price for the forum, and two full days of interactive sessions providing essential tools. Apply here.
• March 20: EURODOC’s five‑day workshop, running June 1-5 in Tallinn, offers Estonian and Lithuanian producers personalized mentoring, masterclasses and networking to develop their documentary projects. Up to 6 producers from each country plus career‑development and observer spots will be selected. The program covers tuition and accommodation; participants cover travel (with up to €150 reimbursement for Lithuanians). Learn more here.
• March 22: Applications are open for the Scottish Doc Institute’s 2026 Edinburgh Pitch, inviting international independent filmmakers and production companies with documentary projects in late development, production, or post-production. Twelve selected teams will participate in an intensive pitching workshop, a live pitch to industry professionals, and curated one-on-one meetings, providing the chance to connect with funders and distributors. Apply here.
• March 27: The LEF/CIFF Fellowship is an opportunity for five New England-based filmmaker teams to attend the Camden International Film Festival and connect with other filmmakers and industry leaders through a series of mentor-led project development workshops, networking events, and curated 1:1 meetings. Learn more here.
• March 27: The Telly Awards have extended their deadline for submissions! Accepted materials include social media content, series and shows created for online distribution/TV, branded content, film & shorts, and mixed reality. For a full list of eligibility guidelines and to apply, click here.
• April 3: Rough Cut Lab Africa returns for its 9th edition, running from the 30th May to the 28th June 2026, and this year focusing on East Africa. The Lab is a programme that supports independent African films in the rough cut stage. RCLAfrica pairs directors and editors with expert African and Pan-African story consultants from all fields of the filmmaking world. Apply here.
• April 5: UnionDocs’ 2026 Summer Documentary Labs offer emerging filmmakers intensive five-week (June 29—July 31) and three-week (Aug 10—Aug 28) programs to support early-stage documentaries. Participants will receive seminars, screenings, and industry mentorship, culminating in a project proposal and momentum for their films. Apply before March 15 to skip the application fee at the link here.
• July 20: The International Documentary Association’s Getting Real ‘26 biennial conference will be held July 20—23 in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo and online. The core of the conference brings together participants from diverse independent filmmaking sectors and powerful players from the documentary industry, sparking real conversation and collaboration. Register here.
• Rolling: Submit your documentary for Educational Distribution with GOOD DOCS! If your latest doc is based on education and engaging with students about rarely heard stories then this is where your next application should be. Find out more here.
• Rolling: More to Her Story is always looking for pitches from women in journalism. They believe in solutions journalism and its power to drive real-world change. In a world where women’s rights are increasingly under threat, they champion the voices of female journalists and use their stories as catalysts to drive lasting change. Pitch here. 

🎬 Festival Submission Deadlines:

• March 8: The Waco Independent Film Festival is all about connection, community, and having a Texas-sized good time. The festival accepts submissions of all genres and will also feature industry panels, a screenwriting competition, Q&As, and a mechanical bull! Submit here.
• March 27: The Climate Film Festival (CFF) is New York City’s first city-wide film festival dedicated to climate in all its forms. From narrative and documentary features to experimental shorts and music videos, CFF harnesses the transformative power of motion pictures, showcasing new and established voices, classic climate films, and energizing human stories. Apply here.
• March 29: Docs by the Sea is an international documentary lab + forum for Asian creative doc projects, made by In-Docs. Selected filmmakers for the labs will travel to Bali, Indonesia to participate in-person. Learn more here.
• March 31: NewFilmmakers LA (NFMLA) screens monthly at South Park Center. Each month, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) presents red carpet screenings of documentary, short and feature films that have been selected from submissions from all over the world, followed by a Q&A with each film’s director. Filmmakers can submit monthly, but for consideration for the spring line-up, submit by March 31 here.
• April 1: Submissions are now open for the 15th annual BlackStar Film Festival! The Festival, taking place August 6-9 in Philadelphia and online globally, is a celebration of the visual and storytelling traditions of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people around the world. Learn more here.
• April 5: The Fish Water People Film Festival is seeking short film submissions that explore your interpretation of “flow state” and California’s waterways. Selected films will be featured in the festival’s program, gaining visibility among conservation leaders and environmental enthusiasts across the state. Submit here.
• April 10: Mizna’s 2026 Twin Cities Arab Film Festival is seeking submissions of narrative and documentary films from the SWANA region and beyond. The festival (running September 23—27) is especially interested in features and shorts exploring social realities of the SWANA region. All accepted submissions will be considered for audience and jury awards. Apply here.
• April 10: Lunenburg Doc Fest's mission is to entertain, educate, and inspire by showcasing the documentary art form and creating a cultural connection between audiences and artists in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. LDF presents a diverse slate of international documentaries across style, subject, geographic origins, and points of view. Submit here.
• May 1: MAKEDOX aims to promote creative documentary film production in North Macedonia and support documentary storytelling in general. MAKEDOX focuses on creating a stimulating environment for the exchange of experience and knowledge of documentary creation. The Festival will be held from August 20-27 in Skopje, North Macedonia. Submit your film here.
• May 7: The Košice International Film Festival is a film festival aimed at film professionals, critics, distributors, arthouse audiences, and film school students. Each year, the festival screens and hosts in person several award-winning Slovak films, including short and feature length documentaries. Cash prizes are available for each of the festival’s accepted genres. Submit here.
• May 11: Points North is seeking submissions for the 22nd edition of the Camden International Film Festival, taking place in Midcoast Maine September 17-20. Submit to any of the four deadlines between now and May 11. VC members can use the code CIFF50VIDCON for 50% off their submission. Learn more here.
• May 31: Three Rivers Film Festival is accepting films of all genres, including documentary and shorts. Accepted films will be eligible for prizes of $1,000 each, and the Festival also includes a nationally recognized script competition, a growing filmmaker conference, and a well known short films program. Submit you film on FilmFreeway here.
• June 3: Bolton International Film Festival is the largest short film festival in the North West of England and sits amongst the leading short film festivals in the UK. The festival is a BAFTA & BIFA qualifying short film festival that, among other genres, accepts documentaries, experimental entries, and VR/AR experiences. June 3 is the final deadline, but you can learn more about early bird deadlines and submit your film here.
• June 18: DOC NYC’s 17th edition will run November 11-29, 2026 in New York City and online. The festival welcomes documentary features, shorts, and episodic works, with a strong preference for NYC premieres. Selected filmmakers gain festival passes and access to DOC NYC PRO industry events. The final deadline to submit is June 18, but submit March 2 for an early bird entry discount. Enter your film here.
• July 1: DOKLeipzig 2026 is calling for documentary or animated films of any length that were produced between 2025 and 2026 and haven’t been publicly shown before October 1, 2025. Submit here.
• July 31: American Documentary’s POV is the longest-running independent documentary showcase on American television, presenting films that capture the full spectrum of the human experience from around the world. They accept films of all lengths. Apply here.