AFRISOS
Opportunities Spotlight
Debra’s Palace Initiative: Lens & Vision 1.0
Apply for a five-day photography programme for boys aged 16–21 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, focused on photography, creativity and storytelling through practical sessions and guided photography experiences.
Support Available: Photography training, practical sessions and guided creative experiences.
Deadline: 3 October 2026
To Belong: Photo & Reel Call 2026
Share a photograph or short reel showing life in a pastoral or agropastoral community. Open to people aged 18+ from pastoral and agropastoral communities anywhere in the world. No professional photography or content creation experience is required.
Support Available: Virtual storytelling and reflection sessions with other participants.
Deadline: 10 October 2026
Paradigm Initiative: Call for Scriptwriters and Producers for 7th Short Film
Submit a concept for a six episode short film series exploring digital rights and inclusion through stories drawn from PIN’s Londa reports. Open to scriptwriters and production companies based in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
Support Available: Production opportunity + potential producer/scriptwriter matchmaking.
Deadline: 12 October 2026
Sinema Mamboleo
Submit a short film idea or early-stage fiction or documentary project. Open to Tanzanian filmmakers with at least one work previously screened at a festival, cinema, TV or VOD platform.
Funding Available: Up to TZS 6.5 million production grant, plus mentorship, labs and producer matchmaking.
Deadline: 15 October 2026
HIPA: Water: Our Shared Story 2026
Submit a 5–10 photograph story exploring the relationship between water and people, communities, the planet, innovation or challenges. Open worldwide to photographers aged 18 and above.
Prize Available: $10,000 first prize, $8,000 second, $5,000 third.
Deadline: 15 October 2026
PhMuseum: 2026 Women Photographers Grant
Submit a photography project exploring a specific theme, narrative or concept. Open worldwide to female and non-binary photographers of all ages, with 5–20 photographs required per project.
Prize Available: $11,000 cash prizes + €5,000 in MPB gear vouchers, exhibitions, screenings and features.
Deadline: 15 October 2026
Vimeo Short Film Grant 2026
Submit an original narrative or documentary short film project that has not yet entered production. Applicants must have directed at least two short films and not yet directed a feature film.
Funding Available: $60,000 production grant per winner, plus Panavision camera equipment, OWC storage, mentorship, Vimeo promotion and distribution, and an in-person screening opportunity.
Deadline: 16 October 2026
Pulitzer Center: Rainforest Reporting Grant
Apply for project-based funding to report on critical issues affecting tropical rainforests in the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. The grant supports staff and freelance journalists reporting on issues including deforestation, Indigenous rights, biodiversity, extraction, forest governance, and conservation.
Funding Available: Project-based reporting support, with additional training and networking opportunities.
Deadline: Rolling Submissions
DOCanarias Market Call for Entries 2026
Submit a documentary projects from filmmakers anywhere in the world that tell stories about the Global South or are produced and/or directed in Global South countries. African and Latin American projects, as well as stories addressing Indigenous issues, receive special consideration.
Support Available: Pitching, industry meetings, accommodation + travel grant. and more
Deadline: 26 October 2026
Whitley Fund for Nature: Whitley Awards 2027
Submit your conservation project focused on protecting wildlife and wild spaces with communities. Selected leaders receive support to scale their impact, strengthen their skills, and gain international recognition for their conservation work.
Funding available: £50,000 in project funding, training, global network access, and international visibility.
Deadline: 30 October 2026
Chennai Photo Biennale: International Photography Open Call 2026–27
Submit a single photograph or a 10–20 image photo series on any subject. Open worldwide to photographers of all levels, including amateur and professional photographers.
Support Available: Exhibition in Chennai, international jury review, promotion and digital showcases.
Deadline: 31 October 2026
Movies that Matter: Film Submissions 2027
Submit your documentary or fiction film exploring human rights and social justice issues. The festival welcomes short and feature-length films for consideration at the 2027 Movies that Matter Festival in The Hague.
Deadline: 1 November 2026
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival: Big Sky Pitch
Submit your feature-length documentary for a chance to pitch to leading funders and commissioning editors. Selected teams receive pitch training, industry feedback, networking opportunities, and an All-Access Festival & DocShop pass.
Support available: Pitch training, access to funders, networking opportunities, and an All-Access Festival & DocShop pass.
Deadline: 1 November 2026
Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2027
Submit a finished short film for free across Fiction, Non-Fiction, Animation, Immersive, Student, or Future Format. Selected filmmakers are flown to Los Angeles for an industry programme featuring workshops, masterclasses, networking, and the Awards ceremony.
Awards: $5,000 cash prizes in four categories, $2,500 for Future Format, camera equipment, Meta VR devices, flights, and accommodation.
Deadline: 15 December 2026