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Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown
Opens: December · Closes: February
The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown offers seven-month fellowships to emerging visual artists and writers. Fellows receive a studio, apartment, monthly stipend, and materials budget, with the freedom to focus entirely on their work in the historic Cape Cod arts community.
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
Opens: November · Closes: February
The IDFA Bertha Fund Classic is one of the most important international funding schemes for documentary filmmakers from underrepresented regions. It offers grants for both project development and production/post-production, helping to bring distinctive non-fiction stories to international audiences. The fund has supported numerous award-winning documentaries since its inception.
MacDowell
Opens: January · Closes: February
MacDowell is one of the foremost artist residency programmes in the United States, set on 450 acres in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Approximately 300 fellowships are awarded each year across seven disciplines. Residents receive a private studio, meals delivered to their door, and uninterrupted time to focus on their work.
Frieze
Opens: December · Closes: February
The Frieze New Writers Programme is a free, intensive three-day course for emerging art writers, held in a different city each year. The programme offers workshops, seminars, and practical exercises led by frieze editors and established critics, providing participants with the skills and confidence to develop their art writing. Previous editions have been held in London, Liverpool, Seoul, and other cities.
Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Opens: December · Closes: February
Anderson Ranch Arts Center offers residencies in the mountains of Snowmass Village, Colorado. Artists receive housing, studio space, meals, and unlimited access to 55,000 square feet of workshop facilities. The programme supports artists across a wide range of media. A select number of the 48 available residencies each year are fully funded fellowships.
Sundance Institute
Opens: November · Closes: February
The Sundance Ignite Fellowship supports emerging filmmakers at the earliest stages of their careers. Fellows receive financial support, one-on-one mentorship from Sundance Institute alumni, and creative tools to develop their practice. The programme is designed for young filmmakers who have yet to direct a feature.
goEast Film Festival
Opens: October · Closes: January
The East-West Talent Lab at the goEast Film Festival brings together emerging documentary filmmakers and producers from Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus for workshops, masterclasses, and one-on-one mentoring sessions with established film professionals. Two prizes are awarded: a Research Grant of EUR 3,500 for projects addressing human rights and/or minority rights, and the Pitch the Doc Prize (EUR 500 professional development).
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
Opens: January · Closes: February
The Arts/Industry programme at John Michael Kohler Arts Center provides artists with the extraordinary opportunity to work in Kohler Co.'s pottery and foundry facilities. This three-month residency offers full studio access, free industrial materials, technical support, housing, and a monthly honorarium, enabling artists to create work at an industrial scale.
Far East Film Festival
Opens: December · Closes: February
FEFF Campus offers young film enthusiasts and emerging professionals hands-on experience in festival operations, film criticism, and cinema studies during the Far East Film Festival in Udine. Ten participants (5 from Europe and 5 from Asia) are selected for a programme of seminars, interviews, and workshops.
Spector Craft
Opens: November · Closes: March
The Spector Craft Prize honours five early-career artists each year, recognising them through a US$10,000 financial award, mentorship opportunities, participation in the Spector Craft Summit at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and professional network development. Disciplines include ceramics, textiles, woodworking, glass, metalwork, basketry, and paper arts.
Jewish Film Institute
Opens: December · Closes: March
The Jewish Film Institute provides completion grants for narrative, documentary, hybrid, and animated films that illuminate the Jewish experience. The grants specifically support projects in post-production, providing crucial finishing funds to filmmakers worldwide. Since launching in 2020, the programme has awarded over $500,000 to 38 projects.
Visual Art Open
Opens: November · Closes: March
The Visual Art Open Prize, now in its 11th edition, offers a GBP 10,000 prize fund and a finalist exhibition at the iconic Minster Building in central London. The prize celebrates contemporary visual art across all media, providing artists with validation, visibility, and professional development support.
TorinoFilmLab
Opens: January · Closes: March
TorinoFilmLab is an international audiovisual lab supporting filmmakers from around the world through training, development, funding, and networking. Operating since 2008, it has built a global community of 2,500 participants from 85 countries and generated 920 projects, with 250 films and TV series screened at major international festivals. Alumni include the makers of Capernaum, The Lunchbox, I Am Not a Witch, and the 2024 Cannes Grand Prix and Venice Silver Lion winners.
Werkleitz
Opens: January · Closes: March
Werkleitz, based in Halle (Saale), Germany, offers residencies to international artists working at the intersection of visual art and moving image. Residents develop new work in the context of Werkleitz's biennial festival, one of Germany's most important media art events.
British Film Institute
Opens: February · Closes: April
BFI NETWORK England provides production funding for original fiction short films (live action, animation, or immersive/VR) of up to 15 minutes from early career filmmakers. Grants range from GBP 5,000 to GBP 25,000. The fund receives approximately 1,000 applications per round with around 30 projects funded.
Robert Silvers Foundation
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Silvers Grant Programme supports long-form nonfiction writing in literary criticism, arts writing, political analysis, and social reportage. Named after Robert Silvers, founding editor of The New York Review of Books, the grant supports writers worldwide who have a confirmed publishing agreement for their work.
Vermont Studio Center
Opens: February · Closes: March
The Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont, is the largest international artists' and writers' residency programme in the United States, hosting approximately 50 residents at any given time. Visual artists receive private 24-hour studio space, accommodation, and three daily meals. The programme offers an intensive schedule of visiting artist talks, studio visits, and slide lectures alongside generous unstructured time.
Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts / University of Houston
Opens: January · Closes: April
The Toni Beauchamp Prize in Critical Art Writing, administered by Gulf Coast journal at the University of Houston, awards original critical writing about the visual arts. The prize invites essays, reviews, and expository writing that demonstrate sharp critical thinking and engaged prose, offering one of the more generous purses available for short-form art criticism.
Arab Fund for Arts and Culture
Opens: February · Closes: April
AFAC provides grants to support the production of documentary and narrative films by filmmakers from the Arab world. The fund has been instrumental in nurturing a generation of Arab filmmakers, supporting projects from development through post-production with generous grant levels.
Sarajevo Film Festival
Opens: February · Closes: April
Talents Sarajevo is a six-day programme of masterclasses, workshops, screenings, and networking events held during the Sarajevo Film Festival, connecting approximately 50 emerging professionals from the region with acclaimed international industry experts. The programme is divided into eight specialist modules including Directors Summit, Producers Summit, Script Station, and Talent Press.
Film Independent
Opens: March · Closes: May
Film Independent runs two documentary labs: a Story Lab for directors and a Producing Lab for producers. Each selects six fellows for intensive mentorship and development with established documentary professionals. The labs cover all aspects of documentary filmmaking from creative development through distribution strategy.
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Creative Capital
Opens: April · Closes: May
The Arts Writers Grant supports both emerging and established writers producing quality writing about contemporary visual art. Funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation and administered by Creative Capital, the programme awards grants across four categories: articles, books, short-form writing, and translation (a new category introduced in 2026 supporting English translations of books about contemporary visual art).
Sundance Institute
Opens: April · Closes: May
The Sundance Screenwriters Lab is one of the most influential development programmes in independent cinema. Fellows spend five intensive days at the Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah working one-on-one with established writer-advisors to develop their original feature scripts. Alumni include some of the most distinctive voices in contemporary film.
Headlands Center for the Arts
Opens: April · Closes: June
Headlands Center for the Arts occupies a stunning former military base in the Marin Headlands, just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The programme awards fully funded residencies to approximately 50 artists each year. Residents benefit from private studios, communal meals, and an extraordinary natural setting that fosters deep creative focus.
Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Opens: March · Closes: June
The Crossroads Co-Production Forum, part of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival's Agora industry platform, supports fiction films linked to the Mediterranean and Southeast Europe by introducing them to a network of financiers, co-producers, and industry specialists during a four-day event. It has become one of the most important co-production markets for the region.
National Endowment for the Arts
Opens: February · Closes: July
The National Endowment for the Arts awards project-based grants across all artistic disciplines including Visual and Media Arts. While grants go to organisations rather than individuals, many funded projects directly support emerging artists through exhibitions, commissions, and residencies.
British Film Institute (BFI)
Opens: June · Closes: July
The BFI London Film Festival Critics Mentorship Programme pairs emerging film critics with experienced mentors from leading media partners. Participants attend the festival as accredited press delegates, producing reviews, interviews, and features for publication. The programme is specifically designed to open doors for writers from backgrounds underrepresented in film criticism.
International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam
Opens: May · Closes: August
IDFAcademy is an intensive training programme for emerging documentary filmmakers and producers held each November during IDFA, the world's largest documentary film festival. Around 100 international filmmakers are selected to participate in a week of masterclasses, case studies, and networking sessions led by some of the most esteemed professionals in non-fiction cinema.
Logan Nonfiction Program / Carey Institute for Global Good
Opens: October · Closes: February
The Logan Nonfiction Fellowship, hosted by the Carey Institute for Global Good in upstate New York, provides hybrid residencies for nonfiction creators working across all subjects including arts criticism and cultural journalism. Each session brings together 10 to 12 fellows for collaborative work and professional mentorship, combining two nonconsecutive weeks in person at the Carey Institute's campus with eight weeks of virtual programming. The programme runs two sessions per year, in spring and autumn.
The Corporation of Yaddo
Opens: November · Closes: January
Yaddo is a legendary artists' community in Saratoga Springs, New York, which has hosted creative residents since 1926. Visual artists receive a private studio and bedroom along with three daily meals, allowing for uninterrupted focus. Past residents include a remarkable roster of painters, sculptors, and photographers who have shaped contemporary art.
Berlinale Talents / FIPRESCI / Goethe-Institut
Opens: July · Closes: September
Talent Press is Berlinale Talents' intensive programme for emerging film critics, run in collaboration with FIPRESCI and the Goethe-Institut. Eight selected critics from around the world spend a week at the Berlin International Film Festival writing in-depth essays and reviews under the guidance of five mentors, exploring new approaches to film criticism and journalism.
Pioneer Works
Opens: August · Closes: September
Pioneer Works is a cultural centre in Red Hook, Brooklyn, housed in a vast converted ironworks building. The visual arts residency hosts 12 artists per year, each receiving a five-month studio residency with access to exceptional fabrication and production facilities. The programme fosters exchange between disciplines, with residents working alongside musicians, scientists, and technologists.
Ciclic Animation
Opens: February · Closes: September
Ciclic Animation, based in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France, provides production funding and studio residency for independent animated short films intended for cinema release. The programme runs two sessions per year (spring and autumn), with animators completing all animation work during a residency period of up to six months.
Gasworks
Opens: July · Closes: September
Gasworks offers three-month residencies in South London to international artists who have had limited exposure in the UK. The programme provides dedicated studio space, curatorial support, and opportunities to engage with London's contemporary art community, culminating in an open studio presentation.
Delfina Foundation
Opens: September · Closes: November
Delfina Foundation hosts thematic residency seasons in its Victoria townhouse in London, bringing together artists, curators, and writers to explore pressing cultural questions. Each season is organised around a specific theme, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and public engagement through exhibitions, talks, and performances.
Visions du Réel
Opens: September · Closes: December
VdR-Pitching is the competitive international co-production and co-financing forum at Visions du Reel in Nyon, Switzerland, showcasing fifteen documentary projects in late development. The forum takes place during the VdR-Industry days and offers selected projects direct access to decision-makers, significant cash prizes, and international visibility within one of the world's most respected documentary festivals.
Acme Studios
Opens: January · Closes: March
Acme Studios provides affordable live/work studios to visual artists in London. Residencies range from one to five years, offering emerging artists long-term stability to develop their practice in one of the world's most expensive cities.
Aesthetica Magazine
Opens: June · Closes: August
The Aesthetica Art Prize recognises and celebrates contemporary art across all media. Winners receive a GBP 10,000 prize, an exhibition at a major public gallery, and publication in Aesthetica Magazine and the Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology, providing significant international exposure.
AICA-USA
Opens: September · Closes: November
The AICA-USA Art Critics Fellowship Programme supports emerging art critics through mentorship, workshops, and professional development. Launched in 2025, the programme brings fellows together for pitching workshops and lectures led by five established editors and writers, one-on-one mentoring sessions, and manuscript revision over a 12-week period, with pieces published on the AICA-USA website.
International Association of Art Critics (AICA)
Opens: April · Closes: July
The AICA Incentive Prize for Young Art Critics is an annual essay competition run by the International Association of Art Critics, inviting emerging writers to submit critical essays on a rotating theme. The prize is designed to encourage new critical voices to engage with underrepresented topics and geographies, and to promote the international circulation of new ideas in art criticism.
Aperture Foundation
Opens: March · Closes: June
The Aperture Portfolio Prize recognises outstanding photographic work by emerging and established photographers worldwide. Winners receive a cash prize, a feature in Aperture magazine, and exhibition opportunities, providing significant visibility in the photography world.
ARAK Collection
Opens: March · Closes: May
The ARAK Collection offers a fellowship for art writers, critics, and journalists to produce publications and essays engaging with contemporary African art practices. Based in Doha, Qatar, the fellowship provides substantial funding for research and writing, contributing to critical discourse around African contemporary art.
Arquetopia Foundation
Arquetopia Foundation hosts artists, scholars, and researchers from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia through residency programmes in Puebla and Oaxaca (Mexico) and Cusco (Peru). The residencies offer dedicated workspace and immersion in rich cultural contexts, from pre-Hispanic heritage to contemporary art scenes.
The Art House
Opens: October · Closes: January
The Art House in Wakefield, in partnership with ROSL, offers a two-month supported residency to international artists. The programme provides studio space, accommodation, and a stipend, specifically targeting artists who have not yet had the opportunity to work or exhibit in the UK.
Art Matters
Opens: June · Closes: September
Art Matters provides grants to visual artists whose work addresses social justice, human rights, and freedom of expression. The foundation supports artists creating work that challenges power structures and contributes to social change.
Artangel
Artangel commissions and produces exceptional works of contemporary art in unexpected places across the UK and internationally. The organisation supports artists in realising ambitious projects that would be impossible within the conventional gallery system, providing full production support and funding.
Artadia
Opens: January · Closes: March
Artadia awards unrestricted, merit-based grants to visual artists based in eight US cities, with over $6 million distributed to 443 artists since 1999. Beyond the financial support, award recipients gain lifetime access to Artadia's national network of curators, collectors, and arts professionals, providing sustained career development opportunities.
Art Omi
Opens: August · Closes: October
Art Omi's Artists Residency brings together an international community of visual artists in the Hudson Valley of New York. The fully funded programme provides studios, accommodation, and meals for four weeks, enabling artists to focus entirely on their practice while engaging with a diverse cohort of international peers.
ArtConnect
ArtConnect maintains a curated directory of open calls, residencies, and grants for visual artists worldwide. The platform aggregates opportunities from institutions across the globe, making it a valuable resource for artists seeking international mobility and funding.
Arts Catalyst
Opens: January · Closes: April
Arts Catalyst commissions and produces art that engages with science, technology, and environmental themes. The organisation connects artists with scientific institutions and researchers, providing production funding and unique access to scientific knowledge and facilities.
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Opens: September · Closes: January
The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, set in the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, offers some of the most immersive visual arts residencies in North America. Programmes run throughout the year, providing studio space, faculty lectures, workshops, peer dialogue, and access to outstanding facilities including printmaking, ceramics, and digital media labs.
Arts Council England
Opens: April · Closes: June
Developing Your Creative Practice (DYCP) is Arts Council England's fund for individual creative practitioners to take time to focus on their creative development. Grants support research, training, mentoring, international travel, experimentation, and working with new collaborators, enabling artists to develop their skills and practice.
ArtReview
Opens: March · Closes: June
ArtReview periodically runs competitions and commissions for emerging art writers. The magazine is one of the world's foremost contemporary art publications, and publication in ArtReview provides significant visibility and credibility for emerging critics.
BAVC Media
Opens: January · Closes: April
The BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship supports emerging documentary filmmakers through a year-long programme of convenings, mentorship, festival access, and a substantial cash grant. Fellows receive individualised support to develop their first or second feature-length documentary project.
Bergen Assembly
The Bergen Assembly is a biennial gathering for contemporary art in Bergen, Norway. Through periodic open calls and curatorial invitations, the assembly supports international artists with stipends, accommodation, and production support to create new work in the context of one of Scandinavia's most important contemporary art events.
Berlin International Film Festival
Opens: July · Closes: September
One of the most prestigious talent development programmes in world cinema, Berlinale Talents brings together 200 emerging film professionals for six days of labs, workshops, and masterclasses during the Berlin International Film Festival. The programme fosters cross-disciplinary exchange and offers direct access to industry leaders and the festival ecosystem.
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska, offers one of the most generous artist residency programmes in the United States. Residents receive a private live-work studio of up to 2,500 square feet, a monthly stipend, and access to outstanding fabrication workshops. The programme provides ample time and space for ambitious new work within a supportive community of fellow residents.
British Film Institute
The BFI Network Short Film Fund supports new and emerging filmmakers across the UK with funding to produce distinctive short films. It prioritises bold, original voices and stories that reflect the diversity of contemporary Britain, with a particular focus on talent from underrepresented backgrounds.
Black Rock Senegal
Opens: March · Closes: May
Black Rock Senegal, an artist residency founded by artist Kehinde Wiley, provides fully funded residencies for visual artists, writers, and filmmakers in Dakar. The programme brings together international artists, with a focus on artists from Africa and the African diaspora, in a purpose-built facility overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
British Council
The British Council Short Film Festival Travel Grant supports emerging UK filmmakers attending international festivals where their short films have been selected. Grants cover travel expenses ranging from GBP 100 to GBP 1,500, enabling filmmakers to network and promote their work on the international circuit.
Kunstlerhaus Buchsenhausen
Opens: December · Closes: March
The Buchsenhausen Fellowship Programme in Innsbruck, Austria, brings together artists and theorists for six months of research, production, and critical exchange. The programme specifically supports work at the intersection of artistic practice and theoretical inquiry, fostering dialogue between creative and critical approaches.
College Art Association
Opens: June · Closes: September
The College Art Association offers publication grants to support scholarly writing in art history and visual studies. The Millard Meiss Publication Fund supports book-length scholarly manuscripts in art history and visual studies, while the Wyeth Foundation grant focuses on American art (US, Canada, Mexico). These grants help fund the publication of important new research.
Camden Arts Centre
Opens: January · Closes: March
Camden Arts Centre in north London offers residencies to international artists, providing studio space, a stipend, and curatorial support. The programme is embedded within one of London's most respected contemporary art venues, giving residents access to exhibitions, events, and a network of artists and curators.
Festival de Cannes
Opens: June · Closes: September
Now operating under the Cinéma de Demain banner, the Residence hosts up to 6 filmmakers (three male, three female) in Paris for four and a half months per session, with two sessions per year. Residents develop their next feature-length project with the support of industry professionals, culminating in a presentation to potential financiers during the Cannes Film Festival.
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE)
Opens: December · Closes: February
The CAPE New Writers Fellowship discovers and nurtures emerging screenwriters of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. The hybrid programme combines in-person sessions in Los Angeles with virtual Zoom sessions, featuring masterclasses, workshops, panels, and a Writing Lab pairing fellows with high-level industry mentors. Alumni have been staffed on over 80 shows across all major network, cable, and streaming platforms.
Catapult Film Fund
Opens: August · Closes: September
The Catapult Film Fund offers one of the most accessible and impactful documentary grants in the United States, supporting filmmakers at the critical development stage with $5,000 to $25,000 and hands-on mentorship. The fund now uses a two-step application process and has helped launch numerous acclaimed documentaries by providing essential early-stage resources when they are hardest to secure.
Catapult
Opens: June · Closes: September
Catapult's nonfiction fellowship provides emerging writers with a structured workshop programme, editorial mentorship, and a stipend. The programme supports creative nonfiction, essays, and criticism, offering a pathway to publication through Catapult's respected literary platform.
Chicken and Egg Pictures
Opens: December · Closes: February
Chicken and Egg Pictures supports women and gender-expansive nonfiction filmmakers whose work brings about social change. The Research and Development Grant provides early-stage funding for documentary projects, with $10,000 grants for research and $20,000 grants for development, helping filmmakers lay the groundwork for compelling non-fiction storytelling.
Roberto Cimetta Fund
The Roberto Cimetta Fund provides mobility grants to artists and cultural professionals from the Euro-Mediterranean region, Africa, and West/Central Asia. Grants cover travel and per diem costs for international projects, residencies, and cultural exchange activities.
Cinema Eye
Opens: August · Closes: October
Cinema Eye Honors recognises outstanding achievement in nonfiction filmmaking through multiple award categories. The ceremony celebrates the art of documentary cinema, honouring directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers. It is one of the most respected documentary awards in the industry.
Cité Internationale des Arts
Opens: November · Closes: January
The Cité Internationale des Arts is a vast artists' residence in the heart of Paris, in the Marais district. The 2-12 programme allows individual artists to apply directly for residencies lasting between two and twelve months. With over 300 studios and a truly international community, the Cité offers an unparalleled opportunity to develop new work while engaging with artists and cultural practitioners from around the world.
Cinema Tropical
Opens: August · Closes: October
Cinema Tropical's annual awards celebrate the best in Latin American cinema, with a specific category recognising emerging filmmakers. The award provides visibility within the US film industry and connects Latin American talent with international distribution and festival opportunities.
Creative Capital
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Creative Capital Award provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants and career development services for the creation of innovative, original, groundbreaking new artistic works. Recipients also receive advisory services, mentorship, and professional development throughout the life of their project.
European Commission
Opens: October · Closes: February
Creative Europe's Culture Strand provides co-funding for international cooperation projects in the cultural sector, including visual arts. The programme supports cross-border projects that enhance the circulation of European artworks and cultural content, reaching new audiences across borders. Note: this is an organisational funding programme, not an individual artist grant, but emerging artists may benefit through partner organisations.
National Endowment for the Arts
Opens: February · Closes: March
The National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship provides $25,000 to published writers of creative nonfiction, which includes literary criticism, essays, and arts journalism. The fellowship enables writers to focus on their craft and produce new work.
Creative Time
Creative Time commissions and presents ambitious public art projects in New York City. Through periodic open calls, the organisation invites artists to propose new works for public spaces, providing production funding, curatorial support, and significant visibility.
CUE Art Foundation / AICA-USA
The CUE Art Foundation Art Critic Mentorship Program, run in partnership with AICA-USA, pairs emerging writers with established art critics to produce original long-form essays about artists exhibiting at CUE's gallery in New York. The programme offers sustained editorial mentorship and the opportunity to develop ambitious critical writing for publication, providing a rare supported pathway into professional art criticism.
D'A Film Festival
Opens: October · Closes: December
D'A Film Lab Barcelona is an industry programme that promotes the internationalisation of Spanish emerging talent. The lab comprises three sections: Final Cut (Spanish and Catalan films in post-production competing for a EUR 20,000 award), Panorama Catalunya (Catalan-language projects in post-production), and Producció Emergent (training for emerging producers developing debut features).
De Ateliers
Opens: November · Closes: January
De Ateliers is one of the most respected post-academic art institutes in Europe, offering a rigorous two-year studio programme in Amsterdam. Participants receive individual studio space, regular visits from internationally renowned advisors, and a supportive cohort of peers. The programme focuses on strengthening artistic foundations through sustained critical engagement.
Dispatch
Opens: March · Closes: May
Dispatch offers a critics residency programme that brings emerging writers to the festival for intensive engagement with the programme of films, exhibitions, and talks. Critics receive accommodation, travel, and the opportunity to publish criticism during and after the festival.
DocuBox
Opens: March · Closes: May
DocuBox is the East Africa Documentary Film Fund, supporting the production of creative documentary films from the region. The fund provides financial support, training workshops, and mentorship to emerging and established documentary filmmakers across East Africa.
Doha Film Institute
Opens: September · Closes: January
The Doha Film Institute's grants programme supports narrative, documentary, experimental, and essay films across all stages of production. With a focus on both emerging international talent and MENA filmmakers, it is one of the most significant film funds supporting cinema from underrepresented regions. The programme also funds short films, TV fiction, and creative documentary series.
Durban FilmMart Institute
Opens: November · Closes: February
Talents Durban supports emerging African and Caribbean film professionals through mentorship, masterclasses, and industry access during the Durban FilmMart, Africa's premier film finance and co-production market. The programme culminates in full participation at the Durban FilmMart, providing a launchpad for early-career filmmakers to connect with the continent's growing film industry ecosystem.
Emerging Curators Institute
Opens: March · Closes: May
The Emerging Curators Institute provides fellowships to early-career curators, offering stipends, mentorship, and a structured professional development programme. Fellows develop their curatorial practice through workshops, studio visits, and exhibition projects.
Walker Youngbird Foundation
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Emerging Native Arts Grant is a cornerstone initiative of the Walker Youngbird Foundation, created to support early-career Native artists. Awarded twice annually, the $15,000 grant provides funding, mentorship, and a curated showcase to artists at a critical stage in their development.
e-flux
e-flux Journal publishes monthly issues of commissioned long-form essays on art, culture, and theory. One of the most influential critical platforms in contemporary art, it provides a global stage for experimental writing at the intersection of art, philosophy, and politics.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts
The Foundation for Contemporary Arts offers emergency grants to artists facing unforeseen opportunities or circumstances. These quick-turnaround grants of up to $3,000 support artists working in experimental or innovative practices who need funds for unexpected project costs.
Film at Lincoln Center
Film Comment, published by Film at Lincoln Center, commissions criticism, essays, and reviews from both established and emerging film writers. As one of America's premier film magazines, publication in Film Comment provides significant credibility and visibility for film critics at any career stage.
Film Independent
Opens: May · Closes: July
Film Independent's Project Involve is a flagship nine-month fellowship nurturing diverse filmmaking talent in Los Angeles. Each year, approximately 30 fellows are selected to hone their craft through workshops, mentorship, and the creation of short films, gaining the skills, creative partnerships, and industry access needed to build sustainable careers. The programme has supported over 800 filmmakers over three decades, with alumni including Jon M. Chu, Lulu Wang, and Andrew Ahn.
Film Independent
Opens: July · Closes: September
Film Independent's Screenwriting Lab is a two-week intensive workshop held in the first quarter of the year, providing individualised story and career development for emerging screenwriters. Fellows work closely with established screenwriters and industry mentors to develop their fiction feature screenplays.
Film Independent
Opens: January · Closes: September
Film Independent presents three $25,000 grants each year at the Spirit Awards ceremony, recognising exceptional rising film talent: the Someone to Watch Award for emerging narrative directors, the Truer Than Fiction Award for emerging documentary directors, and the Producers Award for outstanding independent producers.
FIPRESCI / Warsaw Film Festival
Opens: June · Closes: August
The FIPRESCI Warsaw Critics Project is a film criticism workshop held during the Warsaw Film Festival, now in its third decade. The programme brings together young critics from across Central and Eastern Europe for intensive mentorship from established film journalists, with participants writing reviews and features published during the festival. Past participants have gone on to write for Screen International, IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, and Cineuropa.
First Flights
Opens: January · Closes: April
First Flights provides production funding specifically for debut short films by first-time directors in the UK. The fund aims to discover and support new filmmaking talent, with a focus on helping directors take their first step into professional filmmaking.
The Flaherty
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Flaherty Film Seminar is a legendary week-long gathering dedicated to the art of non-fiction and experimental cinema. Founded in 1955, it brings together filmmakers, critics, programmers, and scholars for intensive screenings and discussions around a thematic programme curated by an invited guest programmer.
Firelight Media
Opens: March · Closes: May
The Firelight Media Documentary Lab is an 18-month fellowship supporting underrepresented US-based filmmakers in creating their first or second feature-length documentary. Each cohort receives substantial grants, intensive mentorship from leading documentary professionals, and a sustained support structure that is rare in the independent film landscape. The programme has nurtured some of the most important new voices in American non-fiction storytelling.
Frameline
Opens: August · Closes: October
The Frameline Completion Fund provides finishing funds to filmmakers from around the world whose projects feature LGBTQ+ people and communities. Since 1991, the fund has distributed over $692,500 to nearly 200 projects, making it one of the longest-running dedicated funding sources for queer cinema at the completion stage.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts
The Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants programme provides rapid financial support to artists presenting experimental work in exhibitions, performances, screenings, and installations. Applications are reviewed monthly by a multidisciplinary panel of artists. Since its founding by Jasper Johns and John Cage in 1963, the foundation has been a vital lifeline for artists working outside commercial structures.
Frieze
Opens: June · Closes: August
The Frieze Writer's Prize, established in 2006, is one of the most prestigious awards for emerging art critics. Entrants submit a single unpublished review of a recent contemporary art exhibition, judged by a panel of leading critics and editors. The winner receives a cash prize and a commission to write for frieze, one of the world's foremost contemporary art publications.
Getty Images
Opens: June · Closes: August
Getty Images offers grants for emerging visual storytellers across two categories. The Creative Grant supports conceptual and artistic photography, while the Editorial Grant supports photojournalism and documentary work. Both programmes provide financial support and potential exposure through Getty Images' global platform.
Glasgow Film Festival
Opens: August · Closes: November
Glasgow Film Festival runs multiple talent development labs including Animatic (animation), Funny Features (comedy), and the New Talent Mentorship Scheme. These programmes support the development of feature films, TV series, and shorts from filmmakers across the UK.
Garage Museum of Contemporary Art
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Garage Museum's Field Research programme supports researchers and writers investigating contemporary art practices in Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. The programme provides research grants, travel funding, and publication support, contributing to the documentation and critical analysis of art from these underrepresented regions.
Cineuropa
GoCritic! is a pan-European training programme for emerging film journalists and critics, run by Cineuropa with funding from Creative Europe MEDIA. Since 2022, the programme has partnered with the Animation Festival Network across five Central and Eastern European festivals. Participants write reviews under the mentorship of experienced critics including Boyd van Hoeij, Neil Young, and Dana Linssen, with their work published on Cineuropa and Zippy Frames.
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Opens: February · Closes: April
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon offers residencies to international visual artists, providing studio space within one of Europe's most significant cultural institutions. Artists receive a stipend, accommodation, and access to the foundation's extensive resources, including its renowned art collection.
Hamptons International Film Festival
Opens: November · Closes: January
The HamptonsFilm Screenwriters Lab champions the artistic visions of emerging filmmakers from around the world. Now in its 26th edition, the lab brings together selected writers for an intensive three-day workshop with established screenwriters and industry professionals, including one-on-one sessions, nightly salons, roundtables, and master classes.
Harpo Foundation
Opens: April · Closes: June
The Harpo Foundation provides grants to individual visual artists whose work is under-recognised by the traditional art market. The foundation supports artists working in experimental, community-based, or non-commercial practices, with $10,000 grants that can be used for any purpose.
Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center
Opens: September · Closes: November
Harvestworks Artists-in-Residence programme provides artists with studio space at the Technology, Engineering, Art and Music Lab (T.E.A.M.), technical assistance from an assigned engineer, and mentorship within the residency cohort. The programme supports the development and production of new works at the intersection of art and technology.
Headlands Center for the Arts
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Headlands Graduate Fellowship provides recent MFA graduates with a year-long residency in one of the most stunning natural settings of any arts centre. Fellows receive a studio, housing, stipend, and production budget in the Marin Headlands overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge.
Hyperallergic
Hyperallergic, one of the most widely read online arts publications, commissions writing from freelance art critics and journalists. The publication covers visual arts, performance, film, and culture with a commitment to independent, accessible criticism.
IASPIS (Swedish Arts Grants Committee)
Opens: August · Closes: October
IASPIS, the international programme of the Swedish Arts Grants Committee, offers fully funded residencies in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Umea, and Seoul (MMCA Changdong) to international visual artists. The programme provides a studio, accommodation, stipend, travel costs, and curatorial support, facilitating cultural exchange between Swedish and international art scenes.
International Documentary Association
Opens: March · Closes: May
The International Documentary Association's Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund provides grants of up to $25,000 to feature-length documentary projects that reflect the spirit and work of pioneering American filmmaker Pare Lorentz. The fund supports films that illuminate pressing issues, explore life in the US, or demonstrate artistic excellence.
International Film Festival Rotterdam
Opens: March · Closes: April
The Hubert Bals Fund, named after the founder of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, supports remarkable feature films by innovative and talented filmmakers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe. It provides financial support for script and project development and for post-production.
Independent Cinema Office
The Independent Cinema Office supports the distribution and exhibition of independent film across the UK. Through curated touring programmes, the ICO brings independent and world cinema to audiences in cinemas nationwide, providing filmmakers with exhibition opportunities outside the major distribution networks.
International Studio and Curatorial Program
Opens: September · Closes: December
ISCP's Ground Floor programme provides emerging artists from the New York area with a one- to two-year subsidised studio workspace and professional development opportunities. Launched in 2015, the programme operates alongside ISCP's International Program, creating a mixed community of local emerging artists and international residents.
International Studio & Curatorial Program
Opens: January
ISCP in Brooklyn hosts over 35 artists and curators annually from more than 30 countries, making it one of the most internationally diverse residency programmes. Residents receive a private studio and apartment, access to a vibrant peer community, and engagement with New York's art world through studio visits, exhibitions, and public programmes.
Jackson Wild
Opens: April · Closes: June
The My World Film Grant sponsors emerging filmmakers to create a 10-to-20-minute short film on a nature or environmental story from anywhere in the world. With a $30,000 grant, it is one of the most generous short film funds available, specifically designed to launch the careers of new documentary filmmakers working in nature and conservation.
Jan van Eyck Academie
Opens: October · Closes: December
The Jan van Eyck Academie in Maastricht is a prestigious post-academic institute offering an eleven-month multidisciplinary residency. Approximately 36 participants each year benefit from generous studio space, professional workshops in printing, ceramics, and photography, and a rigorous programme of seminars, studio visits, and peer dialogue.
Jerome Foundation
Opens: June · Closes: September
The Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship provides $50,000 in unrestricted support to early-career creative artists based in Minnesota or New York City. The fellowship supports artists across multiple disciplines including visual arts, film, and writing, providing transformative funding at a critical early stage.
Joan Mitchell Foundation
Opens: March · Closes: May
The Joan Mitchell Foundation awards unrestricted grants of $60,000 to painters and sculptors who have demonstrated a commitment to their art over a sustained period. The grant is one of the most generous artist grants in the US, providing transformative support for mid-career artists.
University of Michigan
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Knight-Wallace Arts Journalism Fellowship at the University of Michigan provides experienced arts journalists and critics with a full academic year to deepen their expertise, explore new subjects, and develop projects. A partnership between the Arts Initiative and Wallace House Center for Journalists, fellows audit courses across all departments, participate in weekly seminars with guest speakers, and pursue a long-form arts journalism project.
Kresge Arts in Detroit
Opens: January · Closes: March
Kresge Artist Fellowships provide unrestricted support to artists living and working in the Detroit metropolitan area. Since 2008, the programme has awarded 407 individual artists totalling $10 million. The programme supports artists across multiple disciplines including visual arts, film, and literary arts, celebrating Detroit's vibrant creative community.
Künstlerhaus Bethanien
Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin is one of Germany's most important international residency centres for contemporary visual art. The programme provides studio space, curatorial support, and a vibrant international peer community. Residencies culminate in a public exhibition, offering meaningful visibility in Berlin's thriving art scene.
La Napoule Art Foundation
Opens: October · Closes: January
The La Napoule Art Foundation offers up to ten artists the opportunity to live and work at the Chateau de La Napoule complex on the French Riviera. The residency focuses on individual artistic expression and exploration, with artists given dedicated studio space and time to develop their practice in a historic Mediterranean setting.
Light Work
Opens: April · Closes: July
Light Work's Artist-in-Residence programme awards 12 to 15 photographers each year with a one-month residency in Syracuse, New York. Each artist receives a $5,000 stipend, an apartment, a private digital studio and darkroom, and 24-hour access to facilities, making it one of the most generous photography residencies available.
Locarno Film Festival
Opens: February · Closes: April
The Locarno Critics Academy is an intensive programme for young film critics held during the Locarno Film Festival. Participants cover the festival for a range of publications including editorial partner MUBI Notebook, Variety, SWI Swissinfo, and the festival's daily. Co-organised by Christopher Small (Locarno) and Chloe Lizotte (MUBI Notebook), the programme combines hands-on reviewing with seminars on the craft and ethics of film criticism.
Kunstverein Munchen
Opens: October · Closes: December
Kunstverein Munchen's Studio Programme offers international artists a studio, apartment, and monthly stipend in Munich, culminating in an exhibition at one of Germany's most established contemporary art spaces. The programme supports artists in developing new work within the context of the Munich art scene.
Locarno Film Festival
Opens: January · Closes: March
Open Doors Lab is an intensive capacity-building programme for emerging producers and filmmakers from regions with developing film industries. Held during the Locarno Film Festival, it combines workshops, one-to-one meetings with international industry professionals, and pitching sessions for projects in development.
Lucie Foundation
Opens: March · Closes: June
The Lucie Foundation provides grants to emerging photographers who are at the early stages of their careers. The foundation defines 'emerging' broadly: students, those in the first five years of their career, or photographers for whom photography is not their primary income source.
MASS MoCA
Opens: March · Closes: May
Studios at MASS MoCA offers residencies on the campus of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, one of the largest centres for contemporary art in the United States. Since 2015, the programme has hosted over 1,000 artists and writers at all career stages. Residents work in private studio spaces with 24-hour access and engage with an international cohort of up to 10 peers at a time.
MUBI
MUBI Notebook is one of the most respected online platforms for film criticism, publishing essays, interviews, and reviews that engage with cinema history and contemporary film culture. The publication commissions writing from both established and emerging critics worldwide.
Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations
Opens: January · Closes: March
MuCEM in Marseille offers residencies to international artists whose work engages with Mediterranean culture, migration, and civilisations. The programme provides studio space, accommodation, and access to MuCEM's extensive collections, situating artists within one of Europe's most significant museums of civilisation.
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada provides production support for documentary, animation, and interactive works by Canadian filmmakers. The NFB offers funding, access to world-class facilities, and technical resources, with a particular focus on innovative storytelling and underrepresented perspectives.
Mondriaan Fund
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Mondriaan Fund is the Dutch public fund for visual arts and cultural heritage. It offers work contributions to established artists and start stipends for emerging artists. The start stipend provides EUR 30,000 over two years to help recently graduated artists develop a sustainable practice.
National Film and Television School
Opens: October · Closes: January
The NFTS Sean Connery Talent Lab is a transformative 12-month, part-time talent development programme for emerging filmmakers delivered by the National Film and Television School in Edinburgh. It supports writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, and editors in advancing their craft through intensive workshops, professional development seminars, and mentorship from NFTS department heads. Successful graduates earn an NFTS Diploma in Filmmaking and a completed short film for festival submission.
National Book Critics Circle
Opens: March · Closes: May
The National Book Critics Circle Emerging Critics Fellowship identifies and nurtures the next generation of book critics through a structured year-long programme of mentorship, lectures, and professional development. Fellows are paired with NBCC board members and participate in small-group sessions with leading editors and writers, building the skills and networks needed to sustain a career in literary criticism.
Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University
Opens: September · Closes: January
The Nieman Foundation Fellowship at Harvard University is one of the most prestigious opportunities in journalism worldwide, offering mid-career journalists a transformative year of study, reflection, and intellectual growth. Arts critics and cultural journalists are encouraged to apply alongside reporters from all beats. Fellows audit Harvard courses, participate in seminars, and join a global network of journalism leaders.
Northern Clay Center
Opens: January · Closes: March
Northern Clay Center provides up to three ceramic artists with the opportunity to be in residence for one year. Residents develop their work in a dedicated studio with access to kilns, equipment, and materials, while exchanging ideas and knowledge with other ceramic artists in a supportive community.
New York Foundation for the Arts
Opens: January · Closes: March
The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship provides unrestricted cash grants to artists living and working in New York State. Categories rotate annually and include visual arts, craft and sculpture, digital and electronic arts, film and video, and non-fiction literature among others.
New Zealand Film Commission
The New Zealand Film Commission provides development funding for feature films and short films with significant New Zealand content. The commission supports projects from early development through to advanced screenplay stages, with the aim of nurturing distinctive New Zealand storytelling voices.
On the Move
On the Move, operating since 2002, maintains the most comprehensive directory of cultural mobility funding worldwide. The platform aggregates over 2,000 travel and mobility grants from national and international funders across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, enabling artists and cultural professionals to find support for international projects, residencies, and collaborations.
Sharjah Art Foundation
Opens: May · Closes: July
PARA is a fellowship programme supporting the development and publication of new critical writing about contemporary art. A collaboration between Sharjah Art Foundation, Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, Asia Art Archive, and Contemporary And (C&), fellows publish two pieces of art criticism, participate in online sessions (January-June), attend a one-week in-person residency in Sharjah (March), and complete editorial work (June-August).
Rema Hort Mann Foundation
Opens: June · Closes: August
The Rema Hort Mann Foundation provides unrestricted grants to emerging artists in New York City. The $10,000 grants support artists at a critical early point in their careers, with no requirements for gallery representation or academic credentials.
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation provides financial assistance to individual working artists of established merit who are experiencing financial hardship. Grants can cover studio costs, materials, living expenses, and other professional needs. The foundation has awarded over US$80 million to artists in more than 75 countries since 1985.
Printed Matter
Opens: March · Closes: May
Printed Matter, the world's largest nonprofit organisation dedicated to artists' publications, supports emerging artists through publication opportunities. The programme provides production budgets, distribution through Printed Matter's global network, and launch events at their New York space.
Pro Helvetia
Opens: January · Closes: March
Pro Helvetia's International Residency Programme offers artists and cultural practitioners from specific global regions the opportunity to spend up to three months at a partner institution in Switzerland. The programme covers all costs and facilitates cultural exchange between Swiss and international creative communities.
Pulitzer Center
The Pulitzer Center provides reporting grants for in-depth journalism covering underreported topics including AI, technology, and their cultural impacts. Grants support travel, research, and production costs for ambitious reporting projects that explore how technology intersects with art, culture, and society.
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
The Pulitzer Center's Global Reporting Grants support ambitious, in-depth journalism on underreported stories across all subjects, including arts, culture, and criticism. There are no restrictions on topic or reporting location, and the centre actively supports diverse voices and early-career journalists. Grants cover the hard costs of reporting and are awarded on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Rabkin Foundation
Opens: June
The Rabkin Prize recognises outstanding journalists and critics covering the visual arts. Inaugurated in 2017, the prize is awarded annually to a select group of US-based arts journalists identified via a nomination process, with winners selected by an independent jury. The prize aims to strengthen the ecosystem for quality arts journalism in the United States.
Res Artis
Res Artis is the worldwide network of artist residency organisations, maintaining a comprehensive directory of open calls from member organisations across the globe. The directory covers residencies in every continent and medium, making it an essential resource for artists seeking international residency opportunities.
Proyecto'ace
Opens: September · Closes: January
Proyecto'ace in Buenos Aires offers production residencies (four weeks) and micro-residencies for international artists. Based in the Colegiales neighbourhood, the programme provides dedicated workspace and accommodation in one of Latin America's most vibrant art scenes, facilitating cultural exchange and artistic experimentation.
Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten
Opens: November · Closes: February
The Rijksakademie is one of the world's most respected post-academic residency programmes for visual artists. Based in Amsterdam, it offers a two-year residency with generous studio space, production facilities, and sustained critical dialogue with advisors and an international peer group.
Chaz Ebert Foundation
Opens: August · Closes: October
The Roger Ebert Fellowship sends emerging film critics to the Sundance Film Festival with all expenses covered. Fellows attend screenings, participate in mentoring sessions with established critics, and publish reviews on RogerEbert.com, providing a launchpad for careers in film criticism.
International Film Festival Rotterdam
Opens: September · Closes: November
Rotterdam Lab is a five-day intensive workshop for emerging producers held during the International Film Festival Rotterdam and its renowned CineMart co-production market. Now in its 26th year, the programme trains up-and-coming producers in international co-production, financing, and sales through masterclasses, case studies, and one-to-one meetings with seasoned industry professionals.
Rupert
Opens: October · Closes: January
Rupert in Vilnius, Lithuania, offers residencies to international practitioners in a building designed by architect Audrius Ambrasas near the Neris River in Valakampiai. The programme provides studio space, accommodation, and curatorial support in a dynamic Baltic art scene, fostering cross-cultural exchange and critical engagement with contemporary art.
Saas-Fee Summer Institute of Art
Opens: January · Closes: April
The Saas-Fee Summer Institute of Art is an annual intensive seminar programme in the Swiss Alps, bringing together artists, writers, and scholars for two weeks of rigorous critical engagement. Led by leading theorists and artists, the programme explores the intersections of art, theory, and politics.
Screen Australia
Screen Australia provides development funding for feature films at various stages, from early concept to advanced development. The programme supports both narrative and documentary features, with a focus on distinctive Australian stories with international potential.
Screen International
Opens: February · Closes: April
Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow programme spotlights the most exciting new filmmaking talent from around the world. Selected individuals receive significant industry visibility through Screen International's global platform, mentorship, and networking opportunities at major international film festivals.
Screen Ireland
Opens: December · Closes: March
Frameworks is Screen Ireland's flagship short animation scheme, supporting up to four animated short films each year with budgets ranging from EUR 20,000 to EUR 55,000. The scheme has produced globally award-winning films to a consistently high standard and serves as a vital launchpad for Ireland's thriving animation sector. Less experienced teams receive dedicated mentoring throughout the production process.
Screen Scotland
Screen Scotland's Short Film Fund offers multiple strands of support for filmmakers based in Scotland, from emerging voices making their first shorts to more experienced directors creating ambitious high-value work. The fund has recently doubled the number of short films it produces each year, with budgets ranging from GBP 25,000 to GBP 90,000 depending on the strand.
SFFILM
Opens: January · Closes: March
The SFFILM Documentary Film Fund awards grants to three to four documentary feature projects each year. The fund specifically targets films in post-production, providing crucial finishing funds to help filmmakers complete ambitious non-fiction work.
SFFILM
Opens: January · Closes: March
SFFILM's FilmHouse Residency offers filmmakers dedicated workspace and accommodation in San Francisco, alongside mentorship and connections to the broader SFFILM community. The programme supports narrative and documentary feature projects at various stages of development.
SFFILM
Opens: February · Closes: April
The Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship supports narrative features and series that engage with scientific and technological themes. Two fellows are selected annually, each receiving a substantial cash grant, a residency at SFFILM's FilmHouse, and pairing with a science advisor to ensure authentic representation of scientific content.
Sharjah Art Foundation
Opens: September · Closes: December
Sharjah Art Foundation's March Meeting is an annual convening that brings together international artists, curators, writers, and cultural practitioners for panels, workshops, and discussions on contemporary art and culture. The 2026 edition, 'Between Us, the World', takes place 27-29 March and is free to attend. The programme is especially significant for writers and critics engaging with art from the Middle East and Global South.
BFI Sight and Sound
Opens: March · Closes: May
Sight and Sound, the BFI's flagship film magazine, periodically runs programmes to develop new voices in film criticism. Selected writers receive mentorship from the editorial team, the opportunity to publish in one of the world's most respected film publications, and access to festival screenings.
Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture
Opens: October · Closes: January
Skowhegan is a legendary nine-week summer residency in rural Maine that has shaped generations of American and international artists. The programme brings together approximately 65 participants for an intensive experience of studio work, lectures by visiting artists and critics, and peer exchange in a focused, distraction-free environment.
SOAS University of London
Opens: January · Closes: April
The SOAS Art Writing Prize recognises outstanding critical writing about art from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The prize provides a cash award and publication opportunity, encouraging fresh critical perspectives on non-Western contemporary art.
South Arts
Opens: August · Closes: November
South Arts awards the US$25,000 Southern Prize to one visual artist, a US$10,000 finalist award, and US$5,000 State Fellowships to artists in each of its nine member states. The programme celebrates and supports visual artists living and working in the American South, with winners also receiving a two-week residency at The Hambidge Center.
Stowe Story Labs
Opens: January · Closes: April
Stowe Story Labs offers at least twelve full-fee fellowships annually across multiple tracks including the SAGindie Fellowship, Genre Feature Film Launch Fellowship, Austin Film Festival Fellowship, NYX Horror Collective Fellowship, Film Fatales Fellowship, and WGA East Fellowship among others. Fellows attend an intensive lab programme with mentorship from established industry professionals, alongside full financial support for travel and accommodation.
Stowe Story Labs
Opens: October · Closes: January
The Stowe Story Labs Curated Short Film Production Grant provides $50,000 for the production of a narrative short film of approximately 10 minutes. It is one of the most generous short film grants available, designed to support filmmakers in creating a polished calling card for their feature ambitions. Winners also receive mentorship, festival submission support, and distribution partnerships.
Studio Museum in Harlem
Opens: August · Closes: October
The Studio Museum in Harlem's Artist-in-Residence programme is one of the most prestigious residencies for artists of African and Afro-Latinx descent. Since 1969, it has supported over 150 emerging artists with studio space, a stipend, professional development, and a culminating exhibition at the museum. The 2026 residency runs from March 15 to October 15.
Sundance Institute
The Sundance Documentary Fund is among the most significant grant programmes for non-fiction cinema worldwide, distributing $1-2 million annually to 30-40 projects. It supports cinematic documentaries that address contemporary themes with artistic ambition and social relevance. Hybrid, animated, and experimental documentary forms are welcomed. Feature-length documentaries (52+ minutes) only; shorts, fiction, purely historical/biographical films, and NGO/educational content are not eligible.
Sundance Institute
Opens: March · Closes: May
The Sundance Episodic Lab supports emerging writers and writer-directors developing original projects for television and episodic formats. Fellows participate in an intensive lab with mentorship from established showrunners and television writers.
Tabakalera
Opens: February · Closes: April
Tabakalera, the International Centre of Contemporary Culture in San Sebastian, Spain, offers residencies to international artists, filmmakers, and curators. Located in a converted tobacco factory, the centre provides studios, accommodation, and production support alongside its programme of exhibitions and film screenings.
Universidad del Cine / Berlinale Talents
Opens: October · Closes: December
Talents Buenos Aires is a cinematographic discussion forum and intensive five-day programme of workshops and masterclasses held during BAFICI, the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema. Part of the Berlinale Talents International network, it brings together emerging professionals from across South America for peer exchange and mentorship with established international filmmakers. The 21st edition (2026) runs under the theme 'Tierra en Trance' (Land in Trance).
Tate
Opens: January · Closes: March
Tate and Art Fund's New Collecting Award commissions and acquires works by emerging and mid-career artists for the Tate collection. The programme identifies artists making exceptional contributions to contemporary visual culture and supports the creation of ambitious new works.
Toronto International Film Festival
Opens: April · Closes: June
The TIFF Rising Stars programme spotlights emerging Canadian talent through mentorship, industry introductions, and high-profile visibility during one of the world's most important film festivals. Selected participants gain access to TIFF's extensive network of international filmmakers and industry professionals.
Toronto International Film Festival
Opens: March · Closes: May
The TIFF Talent Accelerator supports Canadian filmmakers in the development of their debut or second feature films through year-round mentorship, workshops, and industry connections. The programme culminates in presentations at TIFF, one of the world's most important film festivals.
Tokyo Arts and Space
Opens: May · Closes: July
The International Creator Residency Programme at Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS) invites international creators to work in Tokyo for three months. Six creators are selected (two per period) across three windows: May-July, September-November, and January-March. The programme covers airfare, living expenses, and production costs, fostering cross-cultural exchange in one of the world's most vibrant cities.
DutchCulture
TransArtists, managed by DutchCulture, maintains the most comprehensive guide to artist residency programmes worldwide. The platform features both regular and one-time open calls, with detailed information about each programme's facilities, costs, and application process.
Turner Contemporary
Opens: February · Closes: April
The Turner Contemporary Open is an annual exhibition open to artists based in the South East of England. Selected works are exhibited at Turner Contemporary in Margate, one of the most visited galleries in the region, with cash prizes awarded to winners.
Triangle Arts Association
Triangle Arts Association, founded in 1982, provides three-month studio residencies in DUMBO, Brooklyn, in the heart of New York's contemporary art scene. The programme fosters creative exchange and dialogue through studio visits, group critiques, and connections to the wider Triangle Network of artist-led organisations across more than 30 countries.
VIA Art Fund
Opens: February · Closes: April
The VIA Art Fund Curatorial Fellowship supports emerging curators and writers through stipends, travel, and mentorship from established curators. The programme develops the next generation of curatorial talent, with a focus on critically engaged exhibition-making and writing.
French Academy in Rome
Opens: January · Closes: March
Since 1666, the French Academy in Rome at the Villa Medici has hosted artists, creators, and researchers in residency. Located in a historic Renaissance villa on the Pincian Hill overlooking Rome, the residency provides studios, apartments, and stipends to artists and scholars for 6 to 12 months of intensive creative work.
Voices With Impact
Opens: January · Closes: April
The Voices With Impact Film Grant supports short film proposals that explore mental health themes across all genres, including comedy, horror, animation, drama, documentary, and experimental work. The programme aims to reduce stigma around mental health through powerful storytelling.
Walker Art Center
Opens: January · Closes: March
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis offers residency and fellowship opportunities to artists across disciplines. Open Field is the Walker's outdoor commons, hosting residencies that encourage experimental, community-engaged artistic practice.
Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Opens: February · Closes: April
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts awards over 100 grants annually to artists' organisations, supporting the creation, presentation, and documentation of contemporary visual arts. While grants go to organisations rather than individuals, they fund exhibitions, publications, and artist support programmes that directly benefit emerging and established artists. The foundation supports projects that challenge the status quo through risk-taking and experimentation.
The Wassaic Project
Opens: March · Closes: June
The Wassaic Project is an arts organisation in a cluster of converted historic buildings in Wassaic, New York, about two hours north of Manhattan. The residency provides dedicated studio space, private accommodation, access to workshop facilities, and a visiting artist programme with regular studio visits. Several named fellowships offer fee-free residencies and honoraria for artists from under-represented backgrounds.
Wexner Center for the Arts
Opens: September · Closes: December
The Wexner Center for the Arts Residency Award supports mid-career visual artists with a residency at Ohio State University's contemporary arts centre. The programme provides a stipend, housing, and a culminating exhibition, allowing artists to develop ambitious new work with institutional support.
WIELS
Opens: January · Closes: March
WIELS, Brussels' preeminent contemporary art centre, offers residencies to international artists in its converted brewery building. Residents receive a studio, apartment, stipend, and curatorial support, with access to Brussels' thriving contemporary art scene and WIELS' exhibition programme.
Women in Film
Opens: October · Closes: January
The Women in Film Fellowship is a year-long programme supporting women and non-binary filmmakers through mentorship, industry events, and professional development across multiple career tracks including writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, artisan and crew roles, business professionals, and scholars. The fellowship fosters a community of practice among emerging and mid-career talent working across all areas of the film industry.
The Whickers
Opens: November · Closes: January
The Whickers Film and TV Funding Award is one of the most significant documentary funding awards in the world. Named after broadcaster Alan Whicker, it offers a main award of GBP 120,000 and a runner-up development award of GBP 25,000, making it a transformative opportunity for emerging documentary filmmakers making their feature directorial debut.