A Massive List of Spring 2025 Grants, Labs & Fellowships

In these turbulent, uncertain times, I am pleased to report that our indie funding ecosystem is still intact. Opportunities for the spring include meaningful support from the Sundance Institute, Film Independent, the San Francisco Film Society, and the Sloan Foundation, among many others.

Calls for submissions are organized by regular deadline—check links for early submission—and by category: documentary, narrative, and screenwriting. An asterisk(*) indicates an opportunity available in multiple categories.

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

Documentary

’All Light Everywhere’, directed by Theo Anthony; supported by the Sandbox FundCredit: Super LTD

Sandbox Fund

This program is administered by the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, in collaboration with Sandbox Films. It offers grants, engagement events, and other opportunities for independent artists seeking to explore the intrinsic link between science and culture in their feature documentary work. The program supports projects in development, production, and post-production and there is no application fee. Recently supported films include ‘Fire of Love’, ‘Confessions of a Good Samaritan’ and ‘The Most Unknown’.

From Sandbox:

“Grants are offered to independent artists who are working at the intersection of science and nonfiction storytelling. The partnership identifies and supports nonfiction projects that inspire a deeper interest in science, especially among those who don’t think of themselves as science enthusiasts.”

Deadline: March 10

Creative Capital Award*

The Creative Capital Award provides artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of innovative new artistic works that engage urgent social issues of our time. This is a particularly good opportunity for projects that are formally inventive or employ mixed media. The program awards unrestricted grants from $15,000-$50,000. A special prize of $10,000 will be awarded to fifty additional artists, one in each U.S. state. Previously supported filmmakers include Billy Luther, Yance Ford, and Ry Russo-Young.

Applicants must be at least twenty-five years old and have at least five years of professional experience in the field. Documentary films of any length are welcome to apply.

From Creative Capital:

“Creative Capital also seeks new projects or works addressing subjects that Creative Capital has not previously funded. For example, for this grant cycle, Creative Capital also seeks strong visual arts projects dealing with fentanyl, veterans/military, or wealth inequality.”

Deadline: April 3

Rough Cut Retreat

Presented by the Catapult Film Fund and True/False, this five-day retreat will take place in July in Rensselaerville, New York. Five feature documentaries in the rough cut stage will be chosen to participate, and up to two members from each filmmaking team will be invited to attend. Previous mentors include David Teague, Nels Bangerter, Jean Tsien, and Roger Ross Williams.

First or second-time feature filmmakers with limited professional networks are encouraged to apply.

From Catapult:

“We seek filmmakers with authentic voices who tell stories with integrity, creativity, and genuinely represent their vision and perspective. Catapult supports a wide range of subject matter, stories, and storytelling approaches.”

Deadline: April 11

Eggcelerator Lab

Supported by Chicken and Egg, this lab is for women and gender-expansive non-fiction filmmakers working on their first or second feature. Support includes $40,000 in grant funding for production, mentorship, two creative retreats and a travel stipend upon acceptance for a forum or market this year.

Projects must be in early or mid-production and be independently produced. Applications open March 18.

From Chicken and Egg:

“Priority will be given to films committed to creating social change and/or uplifting underrepresented stories that challenge mainstream narratives. We support a broad range of issues from the personal to the political that explore a variety of artistic approaches, such as personal, experimental, animated, essayistic, archival, and beyond.”

Deadline: April 29

Film Independent Documentary Producing Lab

Film Independent offers a wide array of filmmaker development programs throughout the year. Last year, they debuted this program just for non-fiction producers. Held for one week during the Fall, this lab pairs fellows with creative and business consultants, and offers professional coaching as well as case studies with notable nonfiction producers. It concludes with a networking day with industry professionals.

Non-fiction projects in active development, production or post-production are encouraged to apply. Applicants who are also directing the project they are submitting are ineligible.

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: May 5

The Miller / Packan Fund

Supported by the Rogovy Foundation, this grant offers up to $25,000 and is awarded to between eight and twelve filmmakers. Films can be submitted at almost any stage, from advanced development through post.

Previous awarded films include ‘Merkel’, ‘The Territory’ and ‘The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin’.

From Rogovy:

“The Miller / Packan Film Fund supports documentaries that Educate, Inspire and Enrich. We like investigations into the cost structures of our social institutions, such as healthcare and education. We appreciate the celebration of public heroes and find inspiration through their stories. We favor topics that bring our global community together.”

Deadline: May 15

SFFILM Documentary Film Fund

Since its launch in 2011, the SFFILM Documentary Film Fund has supported three to five feature projects each year with grants of $10,000-$20,000. Previous DFF winners include Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s ‘Writing With Fire’ and Jessica Kingdon’s ‘Ascension’ (both Oscar-nominated.)The project must be within 3 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.

NOTE: The application cycle has not yet opened. You can subscribe to the SFFilm mailing list to stay informed about this opportunity.

Deadline: May 15

‘Minding The Gap’ directed by Bing Liu; Supported by Film Independent Fast TrackCredit: Hulu

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 projects. Previous Fast Track participants include Lou Pepe, Lana Wilson, and Pedro Kos. Previous industry participants include Searchlight, Mandalay Pictures, Netflix, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, and Plan B.

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

JustFilms

Through the Ford Foundation, JustFilms supports artist-driven, feature-length documentary films that creatively intersect with the social justice issues that are central to their mission.

They support up to thirty new feature documentary film projects, at all stages of production, with grants ranging from $25,000-$100,000. Previous grantees include Sam Feder, Dawn Porter, and Abby Ginsberg.

From The Ford Foundation:

“We believe in the inherent dignity of all people. But around the world, too many people are excluded from the political, economic, and social institutions that shape their lives. In addressing this reality, we are guided by a vision of social justice—a world in which all individuals, communities, and peoples work toward the protection and full expression of their human rights; are active participants in the decisions that affect them; share equitably in the knowledge, wealth, and resources of society; and are free to achieve their full potential.”

Deadline: Though generally offered in the spring, the submission window has not yet been announced. Their six-week open call period generally takes place in spring. Scroll to the bottom of their website to subscribe to their newsletter.

Yale Law School DocProject

Launched in 2018, The DocProject is a program of the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School. Under the guidance of experienced media lawyers, Yale law students provide filmmakers with pro bono legal research and advice from the earliest stages of their projects through rough cuts. Supported films include Missing In Brooks County, Pay or Die, and Unseen.

From DocProject:

“The project’s mission is twofold: to assist documentary filmmakers who would not otherwise have access to legal resources, and to train the next generation of media lawyers.”

Deadline: Rolling

Narrative

‘As Of A Now’, directed by Elissa Blount Moorehead; supported by Creative CapitalCredit: Elissa Blount Moorehead

The Film Fund

This deadline is coming up fast, but then again, you only have to submit one sentence. Short films at any stage, including post, can submit a logline for their film and win grants of up to $10,000 (though the list of awarded films on their website seems to max out at $6,000).

Entries will be evaluated by a panel of five judges that includes producer/programmer Brandon Harris, filmmaker Jason Stefaniak, and Film Fund founder Thomas Verdi.

Deadline: March 4

Shore Scripts Short Film Fund

This program offers one production grant of $15,000 and one finishing grant of $4,000 for narrative shorts in all genres. Filmmakers will own their work in perpetuity, but Shore Scripts will be listed as an executive producer in the finished credits. Of the twenty-two shorts awarded, several have gone to top-tier film festivals, including Sundance, BFI London, and Palm Springs.

Deadline: April 2

Creative Capital Award*

The Creative Capital Award provides artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of innovative new artistic works that engage urgent social issues of our time. This is a particularly good opportunity for projects that are formally inventive or employ mixed media. The program awards unrestricted grants from $15,000-$50,000. A special prize of $10,000 will be awarded to fifty additional artists, one in each U.S. state.

Narrative, animated, and documentary films of any length are welcome to apply. Applicants must be at least twenty-five years old and have at least five years of professional experience in the field. Previously supported narrative filmmakers include Mamadou Dia, Maryam Keshavarz, and Jennifer Reeder.

From Creative Capital:

“Creative Capital also seeks new projects or works addressing subjects that Creative Capital has not previously funded. For example, for this grant cycle, Creative Capital also seeks strong visual arts projects dealing with fentanyl, veterans/military, or wealth inequality.”

Deadline: April 3

SFFILM Rainin Grant*

Cash awards of $25,000 and institutional support are offered to a maximum of twenty projects once a year, for screenwriting, development, or post-production on features with a budget of under $3,000,000. Films must have strong and recognizable social value, contributing, for example, to a greater public appreciation of a disenfranchised group, identifying an area where social change is needed, or bringing to light a difficult or inspirational story, condition, or issue.

To date, the Rainin Grant has funded more than a hundred film projects, including Savanah Leaf’s ‘Earth Mama’, Channing Godfrey Peoples’ ‘Miss Juneteenth’, and Boots Riley’s ‘Sorry to Bother You’.

NOTE: The application cycle has not yet opened. You can subscribe to the SFFilm mailing list to stay informed about this opportunity.

Deadline: April 5

Vimeo Short Film Grant

Presented by Red and Nikon, this grant will offer five short filmmakers $30,000 dollars, plus mentorship, equipment, and distribution support from Vimeo. Applications open March 10th. Films will be selected by a jury of filmmakers that includes Charlotte Well, Sean Wang and David Lowery.

Deadline: April 18

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 projects. Previous Fast Track participants include Elegance Bratton, Raven Jackson, and James Ponsoldt. Previous industry participants include Searchlight, Mandalay Pictures, Netflix, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions, and Plan B.

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

Exhibiting Forgiveness, directed by Titus Kaphar; supported by PanavisionCredit: Roadside Attractions

Screen Australia’s Feature Film Development Program

This program offers a wide range of financial support for projects in every stage of development. Typically the director or key creator must be an Australian citizen or resident.

Screen Australia’s funding opportunities for filmmakers just starting out in the industry can be found here.

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 their 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.

Deadline: Rolling

Panavision New Filmmaker Program

If you are a student or a low-budget indie filmmaker looking to shoot your short or feature on film, Panavision might supply you with free camera packages as well as post-production color and finishing services.

Recent projects supported by Panavision include Palm Trees and Power Lines, Exhibiting Forgiveness, and Love Lies Bleeding.

Deadline: Rolling

Screenwriting

’Mutt’, written and directed by Vuk Lungulov-Klotz; supported by the Sundance Screenwriters LabCredit: Strand Releasing

National Hispanic Media Coalition Series Scriptwriters Program

This eight-week intensive TV writers lab has helped launch the careers of more than two hundred Latine writers in its twenty-one-year history. The program is virtual and runs Monday-Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. By the end of the program, participants will have developed a half-hour or hour-long original series pilot with the opportunity to pitch network executives in NHMC’s network of partners including The Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal, and Netflix. There is no fee to apply.

Deadline: March 17

Humanitas New Voices Fellowship

A six-month mentorship program for early career screenwriters who are exploring the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way, this program selects five writers each year who are working on a pilot or feature-length screenplay. Fellows are provided with mentorship, networking, and community support, are invited to the Humanitas Prizes event, and receive a $7,500 stipend.

The New Voices Fellowship is for emerging television and screenwriters who do not have a manager or agent, have not been previously staffed in a writers room, and have not otherwise received payment for produced scripted feature film or television writing services prior to the submission period.

Former New Voices Fellows include J. Holtham, Jeanine Daniels, and Rashaad Ernesto Green. Former mentors include Alan Ball, Scott Z. Burns, Deborah Goodwin, Bill Lawrence, Robin Swicord, and David Shore.

From Humanitas:

“Humanitas honors and empowers film and television writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. Humanitas recognizes that each human being is a world to be discovered. We celebrate the stories that explore the human experience because the act of acknowledging our common humanity is transformational.”

Deadline: March 31

Nicholl Fellowship

Each year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences holds the Nicholl screenwriting competition, awarding up to five $35,000 fellowships to amateur feature screenwriters. Fellows are invited to participate in Awards Week ceremonies and seminars, receive individualized Academy member mentorship, and are expected to complete at least one original feature film screenplay during their Fellowship year.

Past Nicholl Fellows include Destin Daniel Cretton, Susanna Grant, and Stephanie Shannon.

NOTE: The application window has not yet opened. Follow Academy Gold on LinkedIn to stay on top of Nicholl’s evolving deadlines.

Deadline: April 1

The Writers Lab

This four-day lab, which takes place in November in Saugerties, New York, was founded in 2015 to amplify the voices of women and nonbinary writers over 40. Participants will work one-on-one and in group sessions with acclaimed screen industry leaders to develop their feature or pilot scripts. Group sessions include panel discussions, peer workshops, mock writers’ rooms, and more.

From The Writers Lab:

“We are committed to storytellers who identify as women, yet we do not limit our search to stories about women. The Writers Lab seeks well-crafted scripts, in all genres, exploring universal themes, using a full range of cinematic tools.”

Deadline: April 1

‘Afronauts’, written by Nuotama Bodomo, supported by the SFFS Rainin GrantCredit: Nuotama Bodomo

SFFILM Rainin Grant*

Cash awards of $25,000 and institutional support are offered to a maximum of twenty projects once a year, for screenwriting, development, or post-production on features with a budget of under $3,000,000. Films must have strong and recognizable social value, contributing, for example, to a greater public appreciation of a disenfranchised group, identifying an area where social change is needed, or bringing to light a difficult or inspirational story, condition, or issue.

To date, the Rainin Grant has funded more than 100 film projects, including Savanah Leaf’s ‘Earth Mama’, Channing Godfrey Peoples’ ‘Miss Juneteenth’, and Boots Riley’s ‘Sorry to Bother You’,

NOTE: The application cycle has not yet opened. You can subscribe to the SFFilm mailing list to stay informed about this opportunity.

Deadline: April 5

Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship

Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and administered by SFFilm, this fellowship is awarded to two narrative feature projects each year that explore scientific or technological themes or characters.

Each fellow will receive a cash grant of $35,000 and will be connected to a science advisor with expertise in the subjects at the center of their screenplays, as well as leaders in the Bay Area’s science and technology communities. Recipients will also secure a residency at FilmHouse and benefit from SFFilm's comprehensive and dynamic artist development programs.

Deadline: April 5

AFF Script Competition

As a rule, budding screenwriters should be wary of script competitions. The fact that competition uber-skeptic Craig Mazin has reluctantly endorsed this one is meaningful. Projects for the big and small screen are invited to submit in different categories by genre, and up to $5,000 cash prizes are awarded to winners, who also receive travel stipends and targeted industry exposure at the Austin Film Festival.

Previous winners have included Andy Siara, Amy Aniobi, and Wes Brown.

From AFF:

“AFF is trusted by studios, agents, and executives all across the industry to identify the storytellers of tomorrow. With all script submissions evaluated blindly and carefully by our panel of industry judges, AFF winners annually reflect a vast diversity of talent and tend to combat the industry’s trends of exclusivity. As a bonus, AFF winners receive much more than our coveted bronze typewriter award, as our Festival team works hard to curate opportunities and experiences to catapult writers into life-changing careers.”

Deadline: April 22

Sundance Screenwriters Lab

The cornerstone of the Sundance Institute’s feature film program, this five-day Screenwriters Lab takes place in Utah just prior to the Sundance Film Festival. Fellows are matched with experienced screenwriters and mentors.

Past mentors have included Scott Frank, Doug Wright, Howard Rodman, Marielle Heller, and Walter Mosley. Fellows who have gotten their features made in the last five years include yours truly, Charlotte Wells, A.V. Rockwell, and Sean Wang.

This opportunity is open to first and second-time feature writers, writer/directors, and writing/directing teams. Applicants are asked for the first five pages of their feature screenplay, a cover letter, and an artistic statement in the first round. The application window opens on April 11.

Deadline: May 16th

The CRAFT Institute Writers Retreat

Now in its second year, this three-day retreat in Martha’s Vineyard will take place from September 20-22. Four Black screenwriters will be provided with one-on-one mentorship, seminars, writing shares as well as opportunities for connection building beyond the scope of the weekend. All genres of television pilots and features are welcome. All expenses will be paid by the CRAFT Institute.

NOTE: The submission window opens May 5, and closes after 250 applicants have submitted. One entry per writer.

Deadline: May 26

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.