AFRISOS
Opportunities Spotlight
Berlinale Talents 2027
Submit your application to join a global development programme for emerging filmmakers and film professionals. Selected participants take part in workshops, mentoring sessions, creative exchanges, and networking opportunities during the Berlin International Film Festival.
Support available: Workshops, mentoring, networking, creative exchange, and access to an international film community.
Deadline: 2 September 2026
Working Films: Impact Kickstart 2027
Apply if you are an underrepresented filmmaker with a feature-length documentary at fine-cut, finishing, or recent release stage. Selected film teams receive support to build impact campaigns, engage audiences, develop partnerships, and create strategies for social change.
Funding Available: $10,000–$20,000 in impact campaign funding, plus mentorship and strategy support.
Deadline: 11 September 2026
Ctrl+Shift Skills Development Workshop 2026
Apply for the CtrlShift Skills Development Workshop if you are a filmmaker, podcaster, content creator, animator, visual artist, illustrator, or immersive experience designer based in South Africa, Nigeria, or Kenya. Selected participants will have the opportunity to receive storytelling grants or artistic commissions.
Funding Available: 20 storytelling grants of $5,000 each and 5 artistic commissions of $2,000 each.
Deadline: 12 September 2026
Submit a natural world film project at development or production stage for a chance to pitch your idea LIVE at Wildscreen Festival 2026 to leading industry experts. Applicants must attend the festival in person on October 20 and hold a qualifying festival pass.
Support Available: Live pitching opportunity and industry exposure.
Wildscreen: WildPitch 2026
Deadline: 14 September 2026
SeriesFest & Shondaland: Women Directing Mentorship
Apply for a directing mentorship designed to discover emerging female directors with unique voices. The grand prize gives one filmmaker the opportunity to shadow a director on an episode of a Shondaland production, while finalists receive access to SeriesFest.
Support Available: Shondaland directing mentorship and SeriesFest all-access badges for the winner and semi-finalists.
Deadline: 15 September 2026
Apply for a three-day residential workshop in Rome focused on environmentally sustainable film production. The programme is open to audiovisual professionals with or without a project, sustainability professionals, and film institution delegates.
Support Available: Sustainable production training, guidance, and professional exchange.
TorinoFilmLab: Green Film Lab Rome 2026
Deadline: 18 September 2026
Earth Partner: Earth Partner Prize 2026
Submit a creative work responding to the ecological crisis. The prize welcomes artists aged 14–30 from any nationality and accepts creative work across disciplines, including photography, film, performance, music, and design.
Awards: $10,000, $5,000, or $2,000 cash prizes for eight finalists, plus 20 honourable mentions.
Deadline: 18 September 2026
Netflix x NALIP: Director Incubator 2026
Submit an original proof-of-concept short film project for a chance to join a career acceleration programme for emerging and mid-career directors. Four selected filmmakers receive funding to produce their projects alongside mentorship, career development, and industry access.
Funding Available: $45,000 production grant per filmmaker, plus mentorship and career development.
Deadline: 21 September 2026
Nuru Storytelling Bootcamp 2026
Apply for the inaugural Nuru Storytelling Bootcamp, an intensive one-week programme in Nairobi for 12 East African filmmakers. Participants will learn from working industry professionals, connect with fellow storytellers, and put their skills into practice by creating a short film. No university degree is required.
Support Available: One-week intensive training, mentorship from industry professionals, and practical short film production.
Deadline: 25 September 2026
Apply for funding and technical support through Ghana’s Film Development Fund, which supports film development, production, distribution, infrastructure, training, research, and innovation. Funding is available across 10 windows, including feature films, short films, documentaries, TV series, animation, and digital content.
Support Available: Grants, recoverable finance, and technical support.
National Film Authority Ghana: Film Development Fund 2026
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Africa No Filter: Voices for Climate Justice
Apply if you are a journalist, content creator, podcaster, vlogger, muralist, or data visualizer from Tanzania or one of 10 eligible African countries. Selected storytellers will develop stories exploring climate justice, gender, debt, and fossil fuels through training, mentorship, and research-supported storytelling.
Funding Available: Grants of up to $4,000, plus training, mentorship, and content amplification.
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Apply to showcase your work at KARAKTA 2026: REBIRTH in Kampala, Uganda. The open call welcomes artists, film and creative makeup artists, fashion and costume designers, visual artists, and multidisciplinary creators from across Africa and the African diaspora whose work explores African identity, culture, memory, transformation, and contemporary expression.
KARAKTA 2026: Open Call for Creators
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Shore Scripts: Short Film Fund Fall 2026
Submit a narrative short film script for production funding or a short film in post-production for finishing support. The fund is open worldwide, with additional support in camera equipment, mentorship, and festival strategy.
Funding Available: $15,000 production grant or $4,000 finishing grant.
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Merck Foundation: Film Awards “More Than a Mother” 2026
Submit your short or long film (drama, documentary, or docudrama) addressing issues such as infertility stigma, girls’ education, women empowerment, child marriage, FGM, or gender-based violence. The award is open to African filmmakers, film students, and young creative talents.
Awards Available: USD 500 prize per category winner.
Deadline: 30 September 2026
Pandora: Short Film Grant 2026
Submit your narrative short film at script, production, or post-production stage for a chance to receive production or finishing support. The grant is open to early-career filmmakers in the US and is designed to help emerging filmmakers bring bold short films to life.
Funding Available: $12,000 grant, Panavision equipment, Kodak support, and mentorship.
Deadline: 1 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