Funding and Support

The UVFF Short Film Fund provides financial support for essential production, post-production or festival submissions.

Supporting UK producers to work as partners on international co-productions and help create new global projects. Independent UK producers with demonstrable production experience can apply for grants of up to £300,000 towards international feature film and television co-productions, in any genre and in any language.

The Berkeley Film Foundation provides grants in the production, post-production and distribution stages for documentary projects. Grants are determined on a competitive basis.

The Sandbox Fund offers grants for film project development, production, and post-production for independent artists seeking to explore the intrinsic link between science and culture through innovative storytelling. The program is administered by the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, in collaboration with Sandbox Films. Grants up to $100,000.

The Puffin Foundation are interested in photo and film projects that educate the public on topical issues. Projects that seek to inform the public on important subjects such as our worsening climate catastrophe, health care, social justice, civil rights, and other contemporary issues facing the planet.

The prize recognizes black and white works by professional up-and-coming photographers on the topic: "Behind the Looking Glass.” As a symbol of reflection, the mirror represents metaphorical snapshots and descriptions of states of being, including the view of oneself. Participants are encouraged to find and photographically capture individual and creative forms of representation on this theme.

Open to emerging and early-career artists and arts administrators, this Fellowship offers a unique, experiential opportunity to work collaboratively with the staff of Filter Photo. It is designed to foster the professional development of an artist or arts administrator seeking to better understand and develop skills in the workings of a small non-profit. This is a 10–15 hour/week position lasting from June 1st, 2026 – May 31st, 2027. Compensation includes ongoing mentoring with staff and industry professionals, in addition to an annual stipend of $15,000.

Cortona On The Move and the BarTur Photo Award are proud to announce their partnership to present the Cortona On The Move | BarTur Grant. Supported by the Visual Storytellers Fund, this initiative aims to support photographers worldwide by providing grants and resources to create compelling documentary photo essays. The Grant focuses on projects that illuminate urgent social, environmental, economic, and cultural issues of our time.

National Fellowship helps journalists and their newsrooms report deeply and authoritatively on the well-being of children, families and communities. The program prepares fellows to report a major enterprise health or social well-being reporting project.

The Lucas Dolega Prize Prize is awarded to a photographer who, through their personal commitment, their involvement in the field and the quality of their work, has contributed to press freedom.

The Cinematic Shorts Competition offers filmmakers a $10,000 grant to produce a short film addressing issues of social justice, plus an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles where they will attend meetings with industry executives.

The Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship is intended to enable a mid-career journalist who specializes in fact-based commentary or analysis to have time away from daily responsibilities to pursue in-depth reporting projects. Fellows may use the funds to enrich their knowledge of a public interest issue through courses, independent study or travel. The fellowship is intended to result in published projects such as editorials, investigative series, podcasts or books.

The Catapult Development Fund provides early-stage support to documentary filmmakers when funding is hardest to find, offering grants of up to $25,000 USD to filmmakers in development with a documentary feature or short. The fund is geared toward independent filmmakers who have a strong story to tell, have secured access, and are ready to unlock critical production funding, prioritizing artful, moving storytelling and are not tied to any specific social issue agenda.

The NYU Stern Climate Economics Journalism Fellowship will bring a group of journalists to NYU Stern’s Greenwich Village campus to learn from globally recognized experts in the emerging field of climate economics. Participants will discuss the fundamental factors and latest trends in climate economics and finance. Fellows admitted to the program who reside outside the New York Metro Area will receive a $2,000 stipend to cover travel and accommodation costs; those residing inside the New York Metro Area will receive a $1,000 stipend.

The Global Arts Prize celebrates artists and creative ventures (including film and photo) spearheading an innovative approach to arts in our time, supporting bold, forward-thinking cultural endeavors.

The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize showcases the work of talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals in the very best of contemporary photography. The competition celebrates a diverse range of images and tells the fascinating stories behind the creation of works, from formal commissioned portraits to more spontaneous and intimate moments capturing friends and family.

The John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism recognizes exceptional reporting that enhances public understanding of environmental issues. Established in 1993, the award commemorates John B. Oakes, a trailblazer in environmental journalism. It honors impactful stories that hold individuals and institutions accountable for environmental challenges.

LensCulture Critics’ Choice Awards put the spotlight on the year’s most talented photographers — maximizing visibility and opportunities for those ready to step onto the global stage and enter international markets. This year’s panel of 20 critics includes photography experts and influencers from world-renowned museums, art galleries, magazines, news media, online platforms, book publishers, and international festivals.

The Journalism Science Alliance grants support collaborations between journalists and scientists to produce investigative journalism grounded in scientific evidence and focused on topics of public interest. Grants are offered in three tiers, up to €50,000.

LSI invites women photographers to submit projects rooted in lived experience or sustained, accountable relationships. They seek work shaped by proximity, projects made from within communities, or developed through long-term, trust-based engagement.

The John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism, established in 1995, is presented annually by Columbia Journalism School to a journalist whose career reflects courage, character, and integrity. The award honors the legacy of pioneering television correspondent and longtime NBC News anchor John Chancellor. The recipient receives a $25,000 cash prize.

ND Awards aims to promote photography and photographers. Their idea is to create new opportunities to present valuable work to audiences all over the world, aiming to build a place where photographers can show different points of view and thrive through competition.

The Flow Photo Contest presented by Kodak offers cash prizes for photography in the categories of film, surf, nature, energy, and oneness.

The Fund for Investigative Journalism provides grants and other support for reporters to produce high-quality, unbiased, nonpartisan investigative stories that have an impact. Freelance journalists, staff reporters and media outlets are eligible for grants, and their investigations can be for print, online or broadcast stories, books, documentaries or podcasts.

The Foundation currently makes grants directly to artists to support their development. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the quality of the artist’s work, the potential to expand aesthetic inquiry, and the ability to fulfill the Foundation’s priority to provide support to visual artists who are under-recognized by the field.

The Pulitzer Center invites journalists who are working on projects related to tropical rainforests to submit a proposal to the Rainforest Journalism Fund. This particular grant focuses on work around the themes of the rainforest in our overall climate equations, and the solutions and effects of deforestation.

Mongabay are asking for pitches on topics related to Bangladesh’s response to climate change. They’re offering payment for already completed work, and grants to fund future trips for the creation of new stories. Due to limited resources compared to the scale of the challenges, Bangladesh is now facing hurdles in taking adequate adaptation measures to tackle the harmful impacts of climate change.

The Pulitzer Center’s global reporting grants support in-depth, high-impact reporting on critical issues that are often overlooked in the media, from global health to climate change. Their stories address the root causes of crises around the world, including within the United States. They support projects across all media platforms and encourage ambitious, prize-worthy proposals that combine print, photography, audio, and/or video for one or more news outlets.

The Congo Basin Journalism Fund aims to support and build capacity of local, regional, and international journalists reporting on issues related to rainforests, funding costs associated with reporting projects on rainforests, with an emphasis on unreported or underreported issues in the regions and how they connect on a global scale.

The South Asian Journalists Association Fellowship program is designed to promote in-depth, long-form news reports covering issues which are often ignored or given only fleeting coverage by the media. Examples of these are news of natural disasters, accidents and scandals which are often prominently featured as "Breaking News" over a few new cycles, spanning a few days but whose long-term impact are seldom covered in depth, if at all.

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a New York based, philanthropic, not-for-profit institution that makes grants in three areas: research in science, technology, and economics; quality and diversity of scientific institutions; and public engagement with science.

Impact Partners Films are looking for early-stage projects that have a director attached and have secured some access. Submitted projects should tell strong, cinematic stories, explore the urgent issues and questions of our time, and have a clear point of view and artistic vision. Through Impact Partner's general and development funds, they invest in 10-15 projects a year, and review projects year-round on a rolling basis.

Culture Colab seeks grantees working at the intersection of pop culture and social change who identify culture change as a clear outcome of their work. Submitted projects must demonstrate commitment to long-term narrative and culture change strategies in the arts, entertainment, digital, mass media, and/or social justice sectors.

Providing outreach, access, and support to aspiring filmmakers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The Revolution Fund accepts nominations for proposals for small one-time grants that last no longer than a year. Mama Cash aims to be responsive to movements by meeting them where they are. The Revolution Fund is Mama Cash’s participatory grantmaking fund that enables them to respond to funding requests that fall outside other grantmaking criteria.

Fiscal sponsorship is an arrangement between an existing 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an individual or entity lacking the legal status needed to receive grants from foundations, individual donors and government agencies.

The Hundred Film Fund aims to fund and produce one hundred films which are making use of AI to tell their stories. If you are a professional director, producer, screenwriter or creative professional looking to tell new stories with an AI-augmented project in need of funding, you're invited you to apply.

This grant aims to support projects that will further understanding of Japanese arts and culture. Successful projects are granted up to $5,000. This grant also supports online projects related to Arts & Cultural Exchange such as virtual exhibitions, virtual performances, film streaming, online conference as well as webinar.

The IWMF supports U.S.-based reporting projects by Indigenous journalists on issues related to Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMMIP) with a concentration on women, girls, Two-Spirit and transgender people. Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Indigenous journalists affiliated with media outlets, as well as freelancers, are invited to apply. In addition to monetary support, the IWMF is committed to providing editorial and pitching support to grantees.

Whether you are an emerging artist seeking a definitive career launchpad or an established professional, the Homiens Art Prize represents a meritocratic and prestigious gateway to significant industry recognition. Open to all artists, the Homiens Art Prize is a high-impact, career-defining opportunity engineered to provide a global stage for winners and finalists.

Their goal of the BBVA Foundation Awards for Biodiversity Conservation is to publicly recognize the work done by conservationist organizations, institutions and agencies in carrying forward environmental conservation policies and projects, and the efforts of communication professionals who have contributed to the protection of our natural heritage.

The award recognizes mid-career journalists who exemplify excellence in science reporting, reflecting Begley's dedication, skill, and commitment to mentoring. It aims to support in-depth reporting projects that embody high standards in science journalism.

The First Flights Short Film Fund is intended for live action and documentary short films of any genre. Filmmakers will have full creative control of the project but will receive support in submitting the film to festivals and distribution opportunities.

The O'Shaughnessy Fellowships is a one-year program that unites the world’s bravest souls and brightest minds to manifest the future humanity deserves, for researchers, builders and creatives advancing civilization. Twelve Months of pure possibility. No equity. No corporate overlords. No thesis requirements. No committee approvals.

The Gomma Black and White Awards continues to celebrate the art of monochrome photography alongside the renowned Gomma Grant. With over 20 years of experience in discovering, awarding, and publishing exceptional photography, Gomma is proud to dedicate this contest to the timeless allure and expressive power of black and white photography.

The Magnum Foundation are accepting applications for the Inge Morath Award, a grant given to a woman or nonbinary photographer under the age of 30 to support the completion of a long-term documentary project. The selected recipient will receive a grant of $7,500, and one finalist will also receive a $1,000 grant in support of their project.

ProPublica's Sustainability Desk launched in January 2025 to allow them to work with former Local Reporting Network partners on new ideas or on continuations of earlier projects. This is a flexible partnership — reporters work at their own pace, and ProPublica contributes to the news organization for expenses (but not a full salary reimbursement) and continues to provide an editor plus a range of support including data, research, engagement and visuals help.

The Daylight Photo Awards are an international photography competition run by Daylight Books, celebrating still images made from all photographic processes, both traditional and digital. One winner will receive a $2,500 cash prize, and the creation of a printed monograph of their work.

The Waterston Desert Writing Prize is an annual celebration of nonfiction writers whose work reflects a connection to the desert. The prize provides financial support to writers, awarding the winner a $3,000 cash prize, and residency at PLAYA in Summer Lake, Oregon.

The Doug Pensinger Photography Fund supports emerging and early-career sports photographers, and is open to photographers globally. Submissions will be judged on the basis of merit and overall quality. 7 photographers will receive a $5,000 grant, to be spent on career development. Awardees will also receive an expenses-paid trip to the next DPPF Sports Photography Gathering.

The theme of PORTRAITS – Hellerau Photography Award is “Escapism”. You are invited to apply either with a series of up to 20 images or with single works. Awardees are included in a group exhibition, and receive cash prizes.

The Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film provides recognition and resources for exemplary documentary films that tell compelling stories about American history. The prize celebrates the proven power of documentary films to bring people together as they explore our shared history and engage in civic dialogue.

The Pierre & Alexandra Boulat Award is presented annually to a professional photographer of any age, sex, or nationality who wishes to cover a social, economic, political, or cultural issue in a journalistic manner. The award aims to allow the winner to produce a story that has never been told but that the photographer cannot find support for within the media.

The award, in memory of Camille Lepage, is designed to help a photographer carry out and complete a reporting project which is already under way. Applicants must be professional photojournalists. There is no age limit or restriction on nationality or gender.

The SAIF/Benoît Schaeffer Grant for Photographic Publishing aims to give due recognition to the career of a professional press and/or documentary photographer through the publication of their first monograph. The 2026 call is aimed at professional press and/or documentary photographers with a publishing project designed to showcase a part of their career.

Established to provide grants, visibility, and career-enhancing validation to artists demonstrating a serious commitment to their work, the Hopper Prize awards grants of $4,500 to artists working in any media, with recipients selected based on artistic excellence and potential.

The LUMA Rencontres Dummy Book Award supports the publication of a book mockup with a production budget of €25,000. This prize is open to professional photographers and artists using photography, based on a proposed book mockup that has never been published. Particular attention will be paid to experimental and innovative editorial approaches.

Created to support the extraordinary development of photographic publishing and contribute to its wider dissemination, the Rencontres d'Arles Book Prizes recognize three categories of works: the Author's Book Prize, the Historical Book Prize, and the Photo-Text Book Prize, celebrating the relationship between text and image. Each prize is worth €6,000 and is awarded to a photographic book published between May 13, 2025, and May 13, 2026.

The "Prix de la Photographie, Paris" (PX3) strives to promote the appreciation of photography, to discover emerging talent, and introduce photographers from around the world to the artistic community of Paris. A selection of work from this competition is displayed in Paris and the winners are published in the PX3 Annual Book. Juried by leading editors, publishers, curators, gallery owners, consultants, creative directors, and art directors, PX3 brings the best of photography from across the globe to Paris.

The PRIFF Short Film Fund, powered by Genera Films, offers up to £5,000 to help filmmakers bring their stories to life — whether through production or post-production support, providing crucial backing to projects that are ready to move.

Unsolicited Script's Short Film Fund supports the production of a short film screenplay or the completion of a short film with a grant of up to $9,500, in-kind post-production services, festival strategy, production insurance, tax credit support, and career advice.

This scholarship, awarded annually in Perpignan during the Visa pour l’Image – Perpignan International Photojournalism Festival, is funded by Canon with a grant of 8,000 euros. It is intended to support a female photographer in the creation of a photojournalism project. It is open to professional female photojournalists, with no restrictions on age or nationality.

The Lumen Prize is an international award that celebrates art created with technology. The competition recognizes a wide range of digital art forms, including AI-generated art, interactive installations, VR experiences, and more. By providing cash prizes, exhibitions, and networking opportunities, the prize fosters innovation and helps connect digital artists with a global audience.

Partnering with The Climate Pledge, National Geographic Society supports stories that range from scientific breakthroughs to the resilience of communities in the face of a changing planet. All story ideas must be grounded in solutions. Because if we want to change the future, we must first change the stories we tell about it.

The Canon Video Grant is open to individual professional photojournalists or documentary video makers with at least one video reportage project under their belt. They can be based anywhere in the world but need to have a proficient grasp of French or English, spoken and written. Their proposed short documentary must cover a social, economic, political or cultural subject in a journalistic manner.

The Music on Film Documentary Grant Program is designed for projects that directly focus on music. The grant provides up to $20,000 annually in finishing funds for scoring, composition, and music licensing efforts for feature-length documentaries directly related to music in post-production.

The Black List and Blackstone Publishing have announced The Blackstone Publishing Novel Initiative, a new partnership to identify an unpublished manuscript to enter into a $25,000 publishing deal. This program is open to manuscripts in all genres, but Blackstone is particularly interested in genres that elevate familiar themes from fresh, compelling perspectives, with a particular emphasis on thrillers, high-concept mysteries and romances, and horror stories.

The Diane Dammeyer Fellowship in Photographic Arts and Social Issues provides a unique opportunity for a socially engaged photographer to produce a compelling and dynamic body of work that highlights human rights and social issues.

The 2026 Deloitte Photo Grant, themed "Proximities," invites photographers to explore new forms of physical, social, and technological distance. The competition is free to enter, with submissions covering various categories of photographic work, aimed at fostering dialogue on relevant issues.

The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films, and documentary film series  that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship and demonstrate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical.

The Media Projects program supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, documentary films, and documentary film series  that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways. Projects must be grounded in humanities scholarship and demonstrate an approach that is thoughtful, balanced, and analytical.

The Creative Shorts Fellowship supports Emerging Native filmmakers to produce a short film: documentary, drama, experimental, or animation piece; and supports a mentorship with a career professional film producer or director. Emerging Native filmmakers find their own mentor for their project. Film professionals, Native or non-Native, may also submit a proposal—following criteria and eligibility—to mentor an Emerging Native filmmaker in the production of that emerging filmmaker’s short film.

Selected artists will receive a $7,500 stipend, a furnished artist apartment in New York, 24-hour access to state-of-the-art facilities, and generous staff support. Applications are open to all artists working in photography or image-based media.

The Unpublished Novel Award celebrates stellar unpublished manuscripts in four distinct categories: Children’s & Young Adult, Literary, Commercial Fiction (Romance, Thriller/Suspense and Crime/Mystery) and Speculative Fiction (Horror and Sci-Fi/Fantasy). A panel of judges with experience in book publishing will select one manuscript in each category to receive a $10,000 grant to support it on the journey to publication.

The SFFILM Documentary Film Fund (DFF) supports engaging documentaries in post-production which exhibit compelling stories, intriguing characters, and an original, innovative visual approach. DFF grants, up to $15,000, are awarded once each year to documentary feature projects and are open to filmmakers internationally.