💰 Funding Deadlines:

• May 1: The Earth Journalism Network’s Biodiversity Story Grants supports 5-10 journalists producing in-depth stories on the global biodiversity crisis. Grants average €1,000–2,000 each, and selected reporters receive mentorship from experienced editors throughout the project, with all stories expected to publish by December 1, 2026. Apply 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.
• May 7: The Google News Initiative Growth Catalyst Program aids successful U.S.-based news organizations expanding geographically into new markets, particularly news deserts. Selected publishers receive up to $100,000 in expansion support plus one year of expert consulting and collaboration with other publishers. Submit here.
• May 12: The Hopper Prize awards grants of $4,500 to artists working in any medium — including film, video, and photography — who demonstrate a serious commitment to their practice. Submit here.
• May 15: Pillars Fund just launched Pillars Bylines, a new fellowship for Muslim journalists focused on culture. Fellows will receive a $35,000 unrestricted award, three fully-funded retreats, and tailored mentorship over 9 months. Apply here.
• May 15: The Redford Center’s 2026 Open Call invites environmental documentary filmmakers to apply for its 12-month fellowship, which will provide selected filmmakers with $40,000 per project, a peer cohort, travel funding to attend the 2027 Fellowship Summit, and more. The program seeks documentary projects exploring solutions to intersectional environmental issues. Submit here.
• May 20: The Austin Film Society’s 2026 AFS Grant for Feature Films supports Texan filmmakers working in any style or genre with up to $20,000 for documentary or narrative feature-length projects at any stage of production. Check out the different awards and their requirements here.
• May 25: National Geographic awards grants across six focus areas – Ocean, Land, Wildlife, Human Histories & Cultures, Planetary Health, and Space – and currently has multiple open requests for proposals, with the nearest deadline on May 25 for Illuminating Climate Solutions. Apply here.
• May 27: The Grantham Foundation has launched its 2027 Call for Projects, offering grants of 5,000-10,000 CAD across three tracks: Visual Arts Creation, Visual Arts Research, and Creation and Research in Architecture. Each award is accompanied by a one-month residency at the Foundation. Learn more and apply here. 
• 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.
• 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. 
• 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.
• 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 4: Firelight Media’s Documentary Lab is a 12-month fellowship designed for filmmakers of color working on their first or second feature documentary. Fellows will receive professional development, customized membership, and a $25,000 project grant for projects in post-production. Apply here.
• May 4: Attending the Collaborative Journalism Summit? The International Women’s Media Foundation will lead a half-day journalist safety training just before the Summit’s official kickoff at 1pm on May 14. Participants will learn core skills in risk-assessment, personal security, covering protests, and more. Register here.
• May 8: The E2AC Social Impact Filmmaking Fellowship invites students into a national network of changemakers devoted to producing films for good in their local communities, connecting them with hands-on production experience, social impact entertainment training, and a campus screening tour through E2AC’s broader programming ecosystem. Learn more here. 
• May 17: The Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship accepts applications from documentary assistant, associate, and emerging editors from historically overlooked backgrounds. Running September 2026 through September 2027, the program consists of monthly group meetings with documentary editor mentors that will help participants deepen their craft and build lasting careers. Apply here.
• 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 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.
• 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. 

🏆 Awards:

• May 8: The 2026 Jackson Wild Media Awards are now open for submissions, expanding this year to introduce new categories spotlighting climate and nature storytelling in new and emerging mediums. The awards recognize work across natural history film, environmental journalism, and beyond, with winners announced at a gala in Los Angeles this November. Submit here.

🎬 Festival Submission Deadlines:

• 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: The Camden International Film Festival is accepting final submissions for its 22nd edition, taking place September 17-20, 2026. One of the top documentary film festivals in the world, CIFF welcomes doc features and shorts of all styles, subjects, and lengths. Submit your film here. 
• 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 by April 7 to meet the early bird deadline 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 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.
• 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.