💰 Funding Deadlines:

• May 29: The 2026 Islamic Scholarship Fund Film Grant supports Muslim filmmakers reshaping narratives and telling authentic stories from their communities, with awards ranging from $5,000-$20,000 plus creative and industry support. The grant supports documentaries, short films, and selected social justice projects that highlight American Muslim characters and themes. Learn more here.
• May 31: Black Film Space’s Proof of Concept Short Film Grant awards $8,000 to one filmmaker creating a short under 20 minutes designed as a teaser for a feature film, with projects required to meaningfully incorporate an element of nature as a setting, character, theme, or narrative force. The selected filmmaker will have the opportunity to shoot at a private estate in Jamaica provided by cliveRd. Apply here.
• June 8: Got a story about science? Film Independent's Sloan Fast Track Grant awards $20,000 to one narrative feature project centered around a scientific, mathematical, or technological theme or a leading character who is a scientist, engineer, or mathematician. Learn more here.
• June 10: The Erin Carine Grant for Queer Creatives, presented at the Grove & Pines Film Festival on Fire Island, awards $5,000 to a filmmaker whose work embodies creativity, courage, and authentic queer storytelling. A finished film is not required to apply. Apply here.
• June 15: For over two decades, the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund has been celebrating projects that advance cultural dialogue and generate social impact. The Fund supports independent, feature-length documentary films and prioritizes budgets under $1.2 million excluding distribution and impact expenses. Learn more here.
• June 15: Attention, Tulsa artists! CACHE’s Artists Creative Fund is now accepting applications for its 2026–2027 cycle. Twenty project-specific awards of $10,000 each are invested in a diverse group of artists working across the discipline, including film, literary arts, and multidisciplinary combinations. Apply here. 
• July 2: Queer Art’s Illuminations Grant for Black Trans Women Visual Artists is open to self-identified Black trans women working in visual art in the United States. The Grant will provide selected artists with a $10,000 grant, as well as $1,250 to four distinguished finalists. Submit here.
• July 3: The Jackson Wild My World Film Grant supports early- to mid-career storytellers in creating short films that explore urgent environmental and nature stories rooted in their own communities. Selected filmmakers receive $30,000 in funding, as well as mentorship and distribution support. Filmmakers must be a Jackson Wild Collective member to apply. Learn more here. 
• July 7: The SFFILM Documentary Film Fund supports engaging documentaries in post-production which exhibit compelling stories told through an innovative, original visual approach. The Documentary Film Fund grants its support to approximately 3-4 projects each year with cash grants of $10,000-20,000, as well as access to the comprehensive SFFILM Makers artist development program. Learn more here.
• July 17: SIFF's Grant for Courageous Documentary Filmmaking is distributing $450,000 to Washington State documentary filmmakers in 2026. The Grant supports storytellers with projects rooted in moral courage, who take action despite the risk of negative consequences for doing so.  Apply here.
• July 31: The AXS Film Fund, a program of AXS Lab, supports independent documentary filmmakers and nonfiction new media creators living with disabilities, awarding up to five grants of $10,000 each to creators at any stage of production. The program centers creators of color living with disabilities and those from historically underserved communities. Apply here.
• August 14: The Bloomberg Green Docs competition is open to all eligible filmmakers who would like to compete to win a $25,000 grand prize for a short climate documentary. Films must be under 10 minutes and address the urgency of climate change to be considered. Apply here.
• August 15: The Fondation Altercine awards 10,000 CAD and 5,000 CAD grants to documentary filmmakers born and living in The Global South (Africa, Asia, or Latin America) who want to direct a film in the language of their choice that respects the aims of the Foundation. Apply 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: 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. 

💡 Fellowship, Lab, and Pitch Deadlines:

• May 31: The Online News Association’s Women’s Leadership Accelerator is a 4-month intensive program that aims to empower women and nonbinary leaders in journalism and journalism-adjacent organizations with applicable skills to boost their careers. Learn more here. 
• June 21: The UnionDocs Collaborative Studio (CoLAB) is seeking 12 interdisciplinary artists for its 8-month program in Ridgewood, Queens, running October 6, 2026 through June 16, 2027. Participants work together to conceive, research, produce, and exhibit a collection of short films. Apply here.
• June 28: The Social Science Research Council’s Just Tech Fellowship welcomes applications from researchers, artists, and practitioners working at the intersection of technology and society for its 2027 cohort. Fellows will receive an unrestricted award of up to $60,000 to support research, creative practice, or community-engaged work. Submit 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.
• August 3: ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network is taking on 15 new yearlong accountability journalism projects in 2026 across seasonal cohorts, with the fall cohort program accepting applications until August 3. ProPublica will reimburse partner newsrooms for the selected reporter’s salary (up to $80,000 plus a benefits stipend) and pair them with a senior editor as well as additional production support. Apply here.
• September 1: The Investigative Reporters & Editors’ Chauncey Bailey Journalist of Color Investigative Reporting Fellowship supports journalists of color interested in investigative journalism. Over the course of the year, fellows receive IRE training, mentorship, data services, and support. Applicants must be U.S. journalists of color currently working with a newsroom or independent with at least three years of post-college work experience. Submit here.
• Rolling: The Retraction Watch Research Accountability Reporting Fellowship supports up to six U.S.-based journalists covering scientific accountability issues — retractions, fake data, fraud — at research universities or institutions. Newsrooms receive $7,500 in funding, one-on-one mentorship, and four virtual training sessions. Fellows are selected on a rolling basis as early as May 4. Submit 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:

• May 31: The 23rd Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival is accepting submissions for its November 2026 edition, which runs in cinemas in Budapest and nationwide from November 17–25 and online via the Verziótéka platform from November 26 through December 6. The festival welcomes fresh and creative documentaries exploring social, environmental, and human rights topics. Submit here.
• May 31: AFI FEST 2026 is accepting short films (40 minutes and under) including documentary and live action. The festival runs October 21-25 in Los Angeles and is Academy Award-qualifying in the Documentary Short Film category. Apply here.
• June 1: The Subtropic Film Festival is accepting short documentaries and experimental works that capture a sense of place that could only be in Florida for their Florida Roots Popup. Selected films will screen at the Norton Museum on July 24 during Art After Dark, with all submissions also considered for the festival’s main November 2026 program. Submit 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 8: The Chicago International Film Festival is accepting documentary and narrative entries for its 62nd year. Submitted films must have been completed after August 1, 2025. Apply at FilmFreeway here.
• June 15: SHED Projects’ SHORT CUTS is an international short film festival centering experimental, artist-made films running at five minutes or less. The festival prioritizes adventurous, non-commercial work from artists at all stages, and includes a $1,000 cash prize. Submit here.
• June 15: Running October 24-31, 2026, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival looks for the best in independent filmmaking. Documentary features and shorts are accepted. Apply 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. Enter your film here.
• June 22: Race Flicks 2026, presented by Working Films and Race Forward’s Facing Race Conference, is accepting submissions of powerful, solutions-forward documentary films that can be used as a resource for organizers to grow movements and incite action. Selected films will be showcased at the conference as tools for social and political organizing. Apply here.
• June 30 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 your film on FilmFreeway here. 
• June 30: The Virginia Film Festival runs October 21-25, 2026 in Charlottesville, with free submissions for Virginia residents and students at Virginia schools. Submissions of both narrative and documentary films are accepted. Learn more 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 9: IDFA, the world's largest documentary film festival, is accepting entries for its 39th edition in Amsterdam, November 12–22, 2026. The festival is open to documentary films of all lengths internationally. If your film has ever been pitched at the IDFA Forum, the entry fee is waived. You can find more information on deadlines and pricing here.
• July 15: The 35th annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (October 9-17, 2026) is the longest-running nonfiction film festival in North America. HSDFF accepts documentary features, short documentaries, and episodic series, and is an Oscar-qualifying festival for Documentary Short Subject. Learn more 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.
• August 14: The 24th annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is now accepting submissions for BSDFF 2027, taking place in Missoula, Montana from February 12–21, 2027. Documentary films of all lengths, genres, and subject matters from filmmakers worldwide are welcome. Apply by June 12 to meet the early bird deadline here. 
• Rolling: Back Pocket Presents is seeking documentary and short film submissions for the 2026 San Francisco Story Fest. This year, the fest is looking for works that explore the theme of “villains” and encourage work that is set in or references the Bay Area. Apply with this form.