By Laura Moss

Winter is coming. In fact, it’s upon us. But just because the industry tends to hibernate around this time, that doesn’t mean you have to. Why not put your shoulder into a personal project or professional development program?

In this end-of-year edition of our quarterly list, we’ve tried to include opportunities for every stage of career or project. They are organized by deadline—from December through February—and by category: documentaries, narratives and screenwriting. An asterisk(*) indicates an opportunity available in multiple categories.

As always, double-check the eligibility requirements, and use your best judgment when deciding to apply.

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Untitled KQT projectPatrick G. Lee – supported by BAVC MediaMaker

Documentary

BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship

Founded in 1976, BAVC Media is a community hub and resource for media makers in the Bay Area and across the country, advocating for those whose stories aren’t being told, and providing resources to create, share, and amplify their stories and those of their communities.

Their 10-month-long program supports the development of documentary projects that are nearing post-production, and includes a $10,000 grant, two convention sessions in San Francisco, and travel to two film festivals or industry conferences.

First or second-time feature filmmakers are eligible, if their films have already started production and are not yet in the fine cut stage.

Deadline: December 9

CAAM Fellowship

This program from The Center for Asian American Media pairs documentary filmmakers telling Asian American stories with accomplished professionals for a six-month mentorship. Their 2025 mentors are Ursula Liang, Bing Liu and Bao Nguyen. The process also includes participation at CAAMFEST in San Francisco and monthly cohort meetings, plus a $5,000 stipend.

From CAAM:
“This Fellowship Program is designed specifically for the next generation of makers telling Asian American stories, prioritizing emerging and mid-career filmmakers from under-represented geographies, lived experiences, and perspectives. We will be looking for documentary directors and producers, but also seeking out cinematographers, editors and other creatives in the field who are looking to make the transition into directing or producing.”

Deadline: December 11

Sony Future Filmmaker Award*

If you’re an emerging filmmaker with a completed film under 20 minutes in length, this may be the opportunity for you.

Free to enter, these awards, sponsored by Sony, aim to identify breakthrough talent in the documentary, narrative, and animation spheres. Students have their own category and are encouraged to apply.

Shortlisted filmmakers will be flown to Los Angeles for a four-day career advancement workshop and awards ceremony. Winners in each category will receive a $5,000 cash prize.

Deadline: December 12

iTVS Co-production Financing Open Call

Public media incubator iTVS is offering up to $400,000 in co-production financing to documentary features or shorts over 10 minutes that are in active production or post. It is important to note, their Open Call offering is not a grant. Funding is supplied in the form of a co-production agreement that assigns iTVS certain broadcast and streaming rights to your project during the term of the contract.

From iTVS:
“We’re looking for exceptional storytelling that’s in line with our mission: stories that take risks, tackle important issues, address the needs of underserved audiences, and are seldom seen in public media.”

Deadline: December 13

Film Independent Documentary Story Lab

Film Independent offers a wide array of filmmaker development programs throughout the year. Their Documentary Story Lab is a full time, one-week program that will take place in Los Angeles from May 5-9, 2025. It supports nonfiction feature filmmakers in post-production, with an emphasis on structure and editing.

Applicants must submit a work sample which should include a minimum of a polished trailer and scene selects, all the way up to a rough cut.

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: December 16

Sundance Co//ab Cultural Impact Residency*

Sundance Co//ab, the Institute’s digital artist-support and education platform, is offering a six-month online residency to two underrepresented documentary filmmakers. Residency benefits include meetings with Sundance advisors, program staff and Institute founding director Michelle Satter, along with access to the Co//ab video library and Master Class services normally behind a paywall.

From Co//ab:
“Honoring the legacy of social justice advocate Michael Latt, this six-month online residency program (March through August 2025) on Sundance Co//ab is designed to uplift early career underrepresented storytellers with a focus on creative, social and cultural impact and to galvanize them with opportunities, hope and creative support and inspiration.”

Deadline: December 20

“Brief Tender Light”Arthur Musah – supported by iTVS Open Call

NEH Media Grant

A rare funding opportunity from the U.S. government (while we still have one). The National Endowment for the Humanities supports the development, production and distribution of documentary films and series that “engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways.” They offer up to $75,000 for development, $700,000 for production and $1,000,000 for Chair’s special awards.

You must have fiscal sponsorship from a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Film organizations, such as The Gotham and Film Independent can provide sponsorships for opportunities like these.

A list of projects previously funded by this program can be found here.

Deadline: January 8

Sundance Ignite*

Established in 2015 with support from Adobe, this Sundance fellowship is offered to emerging documentary and narrative filmmakers ages 18-25. Fellows will receive a $3,000 grant, one-on-one sessions with a Sundance Institute alumni mentor, and a 12-month membership to Adobe Creative Cloud.

Applicants must submit a completed short under fifteen minutes that represents their artistic voice.

From Sundance:
“The Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship began in 2015 and now has an alumni network of more than 100 artists. Fourteen alumni have had projects selected to screen at the Sundance Film Festival, with several projects winning jury awards. Past Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellows have also gone on to win prizes at SXSW and Tribeca Festival, as well as the Short Film Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination.”

Deadline: February 14

The Diane Weyermann Fellowship

This fellowship, facilitated by the Points North Institute, champions filmmaking teams producing feature-length documentaries that “take artistic risks in highlighting stories of moral and ethical urgency.”

Films should be in mid-to-late production, with at least 10 minutes of edited footage. Applicants should identify as advanced-career filmmakers, and have at least one documentary feature under their belt.

From Points North:

The 18-month program includes $100,000 in unrestricted grants for each project, tailored mentorship from veteran filmmakers and industry leaders, two creative retreats at CIFF, and ongoing professional development—all designed to support the completion of Fellows’ films and the advancement of their careers as artists.

Deadline: January 21

BFI Doc Society R&D Fund

This 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. They prioritize projects with a clear and specific vision, and a strong relationship to the story they are telling.

From BFI:

“This funding is intended to support the need for early stage creative risk, research and development where commercial or private resources are not available, to stimulate new ideas and stories for longform nonfiction projects or immersive formats from first or second-time feature length documentary directors and emerging to mid-career producers.”

Deadline: Rolling

Impact Partners Development Fund

Impact Partners, a documentary equity investor since 2007, will invest in the development of four to eight documentary projects per year, reviewing projects on a rolling basis. They can provide $10,000-$100,000 per project. Applications begin with a Letter of Inquiry, and applicants should receive a response in two to four weeks.

From Impact Partners:

“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

“Happy Rakhi”Raghini Bhasin – supported by the Julia s. Gouw Short Film Challenge

Narrative

Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge

This program, co-sponsored by CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) and Janet Yang, is currently in its fourth year. It will administer $25,000 grants to four Asian and/or Pacific Islander women/non-binary filmmakers.

The funds will support the production of a short, which filmmakers are expected to complete in 2025. Filmmakers will also be offered networking opportunities with Yang herself and industry professionals within the CAPE network.

Deadline: December 9

Sony Future Filmmaker Award

If you’re an emerging filmmaker with a completed film under 20 minutes in length, this may be the opportunity for you.

Free to enter, these awards, sponsored by Sony, aim to identify breakthrough talent in the documentary, narrative, and animation spheres. Students have their own category and are encouraged to apply.

Shortlisted filmmakers will be flown to Los Angeles for a four-day career advancement workshop and awards ceremony. Winners in each category will receive a $5,000 cash prize.

Deadline: December 12

Uptilt Film Fest Scholarships for Women

Uptilt, a North Carolina film festival showcasing films by women and gender non-conforming individuals, is offering two $2,000 microgrants in honor of women integral to their community.

Their Lisa Christine Hyatt scholarship is earmarked for filmmakers residing in North Carolina. Their Joy James scholarship is open to all qualifying filmmakers living in the U.S.

Grants will be awarded at the 2025 Festival, which takes place in Wilmington, North Carolina, in March.

Deadline: December 15

Sundance Co//ab Cultural Impact Residency*

Sundance Co//ab, the Institute’s digital artist-support and education platform, is offering a six-month online residency to two underrepresented writer/directors. Residency benefits include meetings with Sundance advisors, program staff and Institute founding director Michelle Satter, along with access to Co//ab video library and Master Class services normally behind a paywall.

From Co//ab:
“Honoring the legacy of social justice advocate Michael Latt, this six-month online residency program (March through August 2025) on Sundance Co//ab is designed to uplift early career underrepresented storytellers with a focus on creative, social and cultural impact and to galvanize them with opportunities, hope and creative support and inspiration.”

Deadline: December 20

Pandora Short Film Grant

Sponsored by Panavision and Kodak, the Pandora Short Film Grant offers $12,000 to a U.S. Filmmaker towards the production of a short narrative film.

The grant winner and three finalists, who will also receive in-kind equipment support from Kodak and Panavision, are chosen blindly based on their script and pitch materials.

These final four will also receive one-on-one mentorship from established industry professionals who have made career-launching shorts. 2025 mentors will be writer/directors Nikyatu Jusu, Erica Tremblay, Michael Tyburski, Walter Thompson-Hernandez and cinematographer Matt Clegg.

Deadline: December 31

MPI Short Film Lab

The Moving Picture Institute holds a 10-week screenwriters lab, followed by a directors lab, in order to support the development and production of short films. At the end of that process, one lab participant will receive a $10,000 grant for their short. MPI may also select one or more scripts for in-house production, planned for summer 2026.

NOTE: According to their mission, the MPI is both a production company and incubator. In order to opt into their pipeline, you may be required to cede the copyright to your script and film.

From MPI:

“[MPI] creates high-impact films designed to entertain, inspire, and educate audiences with captivating stories about human freedom. Founded in 2005 on the belief that stories can change the world, we advance our mission in two unique and effective ways: producing original content in-house and launching talented filmmakers’ careers.”

Deadline: January 3

‘Radical’Christopher Zalla – supported by the Film Independent Sloan Distribution grant

Untold Stories

Now entering its eighth year, Untold Stories is a mentorship program geared towards supporting underrepresented filmmakers from development through production of their first or second feature.

They offer a $1,000,000 prize to the winning filmmaking team, guidance through their production process, and a guaranteed premiere of their film at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. Four finalist teams will receive $15,000 grants.

From AT&T:
“Our esteemed group of past winners have not only produced several critically acclaimed films and reached millions of people, but their stories have inspired audiences and connected communities all over the world. Year after year, the Untold Stories program proves that connecting talented filmmakers with mentorship and resources really can change everything.”

Deadline: February 3

Sundance Ignite*

Established in 2015 with support from Adobe, this Sundance fellowship is offered to emerging documentary and narrative filmmakers ages 18-25. Fellows will receive a $3,000 grant, one-on-one sessions with a Sundance Institute alumni mentor, and a 12-month membership to Adobe Creative Cloud.

Applicants must submit a completed short under fifteen minutes that represents their artistic voice.

From Sundance:
“The Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship began in 2015 and now has an alumni network of more than 100 artists. Fourteen alumni have had projects selected to screen at the Sundance Film Festival, with several projects winning jury awards. Past Sundance Ignite x Adobe fellows have also gone on to win prizes at SXSW and Tribeca Festival, as well as the Short Film Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination.”

Deadline: February 14

Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program

If you are a student or a low-budget indie filmmaker, Panavision might supply you with free camera packages as well as post-production color and finishing services.

Deadline: Rolling

Film Independent Sloan Distribution Grant

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, dedicated to fostering public engagement with science, is offering a $50,000 grant to a completed narrative film entering its distribution phase. The film must depict themes, stories and characters rounded in real science, technology or economics.

From Sloan:
“Sloan’s Film Program encourages filmmakers to create more realistic and compelling stories about science and technology and to challenge existing stereotypes about scientists and engineers in the popular imagination. [Sloan] has helped develop over 25 feature films including Michael Almereyda’s Tesla, Thor Klein’s Adventures of a Mathematician, Jessica Oreck’s One Man Dies a Million Times, Michael Tyburski’s The Sound of Silence, Shawn Snyder’s To Dust, Logan Kibens and Sharon Greene’s Operator, Morten Tyldum’s The Imitation Game, and Matthew Brown‘s The Man Who Knew Infinity.”

Deadline: Rolling

‘We Strangers’Anu Valia – Supporter by the Hamptons Screenwriters Lab

Screenwriting

Hamptons Screenwriters Labs

This three-day lab takes place each spring in East Hampton, New York. It pairs selected fellows with established writers and creative producers for one-on-one mentorship, and also includes group development sessions. Travel, accommodations and meals for selected fellows is covered by the Hamptons Film. Applicants must submit a completed draft of a feature screenplay.

From the Lab:
“Since its inception, over seventy-five screenplays have taken part in the Lab. Recent projects include Anu Valia’s We Strangers (SXSW 2024), Andrew Semans’ Resurrection (IFC Films, Sundance 2022), Annabelle Attanasio’s Mickey and the Bear (Utopia, SXSW 2019)”

Deadline: December 5

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship

As part of their 2025 funding cycle, The New York Foundation for the Arts is providing $8,000 unrestricted cash grants to screenwriters and playwrights living in New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located therein. Past fellows and finalists include Natalie Jasmine Harris, Emily Anne Hoffman and Ellie Foumbi.

From NYFA:

“Our overarching vision is to create a world where every artist, no matter their circumstances, has the tools to turn their ideas into reality with the support needed to sustain their work and lives. By carefully listening to program participants’ needs and feedback, we continuously adjust our offerings and collaborate with industry leaders to stay aligned with the evolving landscape. Our journey mirrors the fortitude and expansiveness of the artistic community we serve.”

Deadline: December 17

Sundance Co//ab Cultural Impact Residency*

Sundance Co//ab, the Institute’s digital artist-support and education platform, is offering a six-month online residency to two underrepresented screenwriters. Residency benefits include meetings with Sundance advisors, program staff and Institute founding director Michelle Satter, along with access to Co//ab video library and Master Class services normally behind a paywall.

From Co//ab:
“Honoring the legacy of social justice advocate Michael Latt, this six-month online residency program (March through August 2025) on Sundance Co//ab is designed to uplift early career underrepresented storytellers with a focus on creative, social and cultural impact and to galvanize them with opportunities, hope and creative support and inspiration.”

Deadline: December 20

UCROSS Residency

UCROSS is an Wyoming-based organization that offers two to six week residency each fall and spring. Residencies include a private studio, living accommodations, staff support, meals by a professional chef and the experience of living on Wyoming’s High Plains. The fellowship is fully funded and includes a stipend.

The $40 application fee is waived for Native American artists and writers.

From UCROSS:
“The mission of Ucross Foundation is to foster the creative spirit of deeply committed artists and groups by providing uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations, and the experience of the majestic High Plains while serving as a responsible steward of our historic 20,000-acre ranch. We support each artist’s practice by providing the space, time, and inspiration needed to pursue their work to its fullest potential.”

Deadline: January 15

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 include Shaka King, Lauren Wolkstein, David Zellner and Zia Anger.

From MacDowell:
“About 300 artists in seven disciplines are awarded Fellowships each year 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: February 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.