FundingLabs & pitch forums
Film labs, fellowships and pitch forums
Development support, mentors and rooms where financiers meet projects.
52 sources · Checked Oct 18, 2026
Every route
Labs & pitch forums
52 sources| Program | Where | Amount | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFS Artist Intensive ↗︎Austin Film Society · By invitation: Texas writer-directors with a narrative feature in development, picked from the previous year's AFS Grant applicants. | Statewide | — | Annual, fall |
| AFS Doc Intensive ↗︎Austin Film Society · By invitation: Texas documentary directors and producers in development or post, mostly from the AFS Grant pool. | Statewide | — | Annual, spring |
| Austin Film Festival Writers Conference ↗︎Austin Film Festival · Writers and filmmakers; badge required. | Statewide | Badges are paid (discounts offered early) | Yearly in Austin; 2026 festival and conference Oct 29–Nov 5 |
| Femme Frontera Fellowship ↗︎Femme Frontera · Emerging women and gender-expansive directors from the border region telling border stories. | US–Mexico border region (El Paso) | $2,500 grant plus travel stipend and mentorship | Inaugural 2026 round closed Apr 6, 2026; 2027 not posted |
| Fresh Arts Space Taking Artist Residency ↗︎Fresh Arts · Traditionally underrepresented Houston artists of any discipline. | Houston | Six weeks of gallery space at Sawyer Yards, a project stipend and mentorship | 2027 applications open now |
| Galveston Artist Residency ↗︎Artists chosen through an annual open call (three fellows a year); check that your moving-image practice fits. | Galveston | 10 months (Oct–July) with a 500 sq ft studio, a bills-paid apartment, $1,400 a month and $500 travel stipends | 2026–27 call closed Mar 28, 2026; the 2027–28 window will be announced January 2027 |
| La Frontera Film Lab ↗︎Femme Frontera (with Perspective Fund) · BIPOC women and gender-expansive filmmakers born and living in the region. | El Paso–Juárez | $5,000 each, three filmmakers | 2025–26 cohort; next cohort not announced |
| SXSW Film & TV Festival ↗︎SXSW · Feature films, shorts, TV pilots, XR and music videos premiering at the festival. | Austin | Submission fees $70–$125 by deadline | 2027 submissions closed Oct 1, 2026; decisions by Feb 9, 2027; the festival runs each March in Austin |
| Academy Nicholl Fellowships (public submission through the Writers Guild Foundation) ↗︎Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with the Writers Guild Foundation · Amateur feature screenwriters. The Academy now takes scripts only through partner programs; WGF and The Black List run the public portals. | National | Up to five $35,000 fellowships a year | WGF's 2026 window ran June 22–July 20, 2026 (capped at 2,000 scripts; $100–$120 fee); recurs yearly |
| American Film Market (AFM) ↗︎Independent Film & Television Alliance · Producers, financiers, sales agents and buyers; attendee badges are paid. | National | Registration fees vary | AFM 2026: Nov 10–15, Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles |
| Athena Film Festival Documentary Pitch Program ↗︎Athena Film Festival (Barnard College) · Documentaries about women's leadership, in production or with footage shot, with a producer attached. | National | Pitch training, mentorship, introductions to funders and a $500 honorarium | Yearly; the festival runs each March in New York |
| Austin Film Festival Script Competitions and Fellowships ↗︎Austin Film Festival · Writers entering the feature, pilot, short or film competitions; fellowships draw from set categories. | National | $5,000 (drama, comedy features); $2,500 (horror, sci-fi); $1,000 (shorts, teleplays); up to $500 travel for winners | Annual; 2026 deadlines Mar 27–May 27, 2026, closed |
| Banff World Media Festival ↗︎TV and digital producers, networks and streamers; paid registration. | National | Pitch programs, meetings and accelerators | Yearly in Banff, Canada (2026 edition held) |
| Berlinale Talents ↗︎Berlin International Film Festival · Emerging film and series professionals from anywhere (directors, producers, writers, actors, crew). | National | Six-day summit, labs and a Talent Project Market in Berlin | Next edition Feb 12–17, 2027; see its How to Apply page for the window |
| Big Sky Pitch ↗︎Big Sky Documentary Film Festival · Documentary features of any form or subject, as a work in progress. | National | Live pitch to commissioning editors and funders, plus pitch coaching and jury meetings | 2027 deadlines: early Sep 13, 2026; final Nov 1, 2026. Pitch day Feb 19, 2027 in Missoula, Montana |
| CAPE New Writers Fellowship ↗︎Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) · Asian and Pacific Islander TV writers; apply with a half-hour or hour pilot. | National | Spring mentorship and training program (no cash stated) | 2027 submissions open fall 2026 |
| Chicken & Egg Films (Egg)celerator Lab ↗︎Chicken & Egg Films · Women and gender-expansive directors on a first or second feature doc, early to mid-production. | National | $40,000 | 2027 lab closed Apr 29, 2026; next call tentatively early 2027 |
| Easterseals Disability Film Challenge ↗︎Easterseals · Filmmakers who make a short over a five-day window that helps change how the world sees disability. | National | Awards and prizes; past winners got further development through an Adobe alumni grant program | Yearly (13th edition in 2026); registration for the next challenge posted on the site |
| European Film Market and Berlinale Co-Production Market ↗︎Berlin International Film Festival · Producers, sales agents, buyers and financiers; paid accreditation. Separate curated calls for projects. | National | Market access, project pitches and co-production meetings | Each February in Berlin. Open now: EFM Frontières Focus call for genre projects (until Nov 15, 2026) and Berlinale Series Market Selects |
| Film Independent artist development programs ↗︎Film Independent · Screenwriting Lab, Fast Track, Documentary Story Lab and Humana Foundation Shorts; rules vary by program. | National | Labs carry no grant; Sloan Fast Track grant $20,000; Humana shorts $100,000 all-in budget | Humana shorts deadline Oct 26, 2026; other dates on the applications page |
| Firelight Media Documentary Lab ↗︎Firelight Media · US-based filmmakers of color directing a first or second feature doc; 2026 took post-production projects only. | National | $25,000 | 2026 window Apr 6–May 4, 2026, closed; next not posted |
| First Peoples Fund Artists in Business Leadership Fellowship ↗︎First Peoples Fund · US-based Native artists 18+ who are enrolled tribal members or meet FPF's guidelines, at any career stage, building an arts business. Performing artists use FPF's separate performing arts fellowship. | National | $10,000 plus business training and a convening | 2027 fellowship window ran June 3–July 15, 2026; yearly |
| Gotham Week Project Market ↗︎The Gotham Film & Media Institute · New fiction and documentary features and series in development or in progress. Open sections require a Gotham Essentials ($125/yr) or Insiders ($250/yr) membership. | National | Curated one-on-one meetings with financiers, distributors, broadcasters, sales agents and programmers | Yearly; 2026 ran Sep 27–Oct 3 in Brooklyn. 2026 deadlines were Apr 23 ($25) and May 14 ($45) |
| Hot Docs Deal Maker ↗︎Hot Docs · Documentary projects in development, production or post. | National | Pre-scheduled one-on-one pitch meetings with buyers and funders | Deadline Dec 10; meetings during the Apr 26–29, 2027 market in Toronto |
| Hot Docs Forum ↗︎Hot Docs · Documentary projects seeking international co-financing; check the Forum guidelines for eligibility. | National | Pitch to commissioners and funders from around the world | Submission deadline Dec 10; market runs Apr 26–29, 2027 in Toronto |
| Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator ↗︎Kartemquin Films with Hulu · Directors or producers of a nonfiction feature or series in production or post about Indigenous and Native American communities, with at least one nationally screened film. Indigenous filmmakers and Midwest ties get priority. | National | $30,000, mentorship, a 'braintrust lab' and a pitch to Hulu executives | Runs every other year or so (2021, 2023, 2025 cohorts); check for the next call |
| Humanitas New Voices Fellowship ↗︎Humanitas · Film and TV writers 21+ living in the US (citizenship not required), not yet established at WGA level. | National | $7,500 stipend, a mentor and recognition at the Humanitas Prizes | 2026 window Feb 18–Apr 6, 2026 ($55 fee); recurs yearly |
| IDFA Forum and Docs for Sale ↗︎International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam · Documentary projects seeking international co-financing (Forum) and finished docs seeking buyers (Docs for Sale); accreditation required. | National | Pitches and meetings with broadcasters, funders and buyers | IDFA 2026: Forum Nov 15–18 and Docs for Sale Nov 14–18 in Amsterdam; recurs every November |
| IFFR CineMart ↗︎International Film Festival Rotterdam · Feature projects from anywhere seeking international co-production partners; curated selection. | National | Meetings with financiers, co-producers and sales agents | Submissions open for CineMart 2027, held Jan 31–Feb 3, 2027 |
| KTQ Labs ↗︎Kartemquin Films · Filmmakers with a first or second rough cut of a documentary feature, short or series; alumni, Midwestern stories and BIPOC filmmakers get priority. | National | Free works-in-progress feedback session for up to two key creatives | Rolling |
| LAIKA x The Gotham Animation Accelerator ↗︎The Gotham Film & Media Institute with LAIKA · Early- to mid-career animation creators developing a pitch for an animated short. | National | Pitch development support from LAIKA and The Gotham | 2026 cohort announced; watch for the next call |
| MacDowell Fellowship ↗︎MacDowell · Artists of any background and country in disciplines including film/video arts; acceptance is based on artistic excellence. | National | Free residency in New Hampshire; need-based stipends and travel grants available | Next deadline Feb 10, 2027 (opens Jan 15, 2027) for Sep 2027–Feb 2028 residencies |
| Marché du Film (Cannes) ↗︎Festival de Cannes · Producers, sales agents, buyers and financiers; paid badges. | National | Registration fees vary | Next edition May 11–19, 2027 in Cannes |
| Michael Collyer Memorial Fellowship in Screenwriting ↗︎Writers Guild Initiative with The Black List · Emerging feature screenwriters under 25 (age verified); feature scripts only. | National | $10,000 stipend plus a year of mentorship | 2027 submissions open now through Jan 8, 2027 on the Black List website |
| MIPCOM Cannes ↗︎MIPCOM · TV and digital content producers, buyers and distributors; paid badges. | National | Registration fees vary | Next edition Oct 18–21, 2027 in Cannes |
| Netflix x NALIP Director Incubator ↗︎National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) with Netflix · Emerging Latino directors making a proof-of-concept short. | National | Four $45,000 production grants, plus mentoring and an industry showcase | 2026/27 cycle closed; recurs yearly |
| NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program ↗︎National Hispanic Media Coalition · Latino TV writers 18+; industry experience not required; virtual participation by daily video conference. | National | Training and industry access (no cash stated) | Yearly; 2026 cohort announced |
| Pillars Artist Fellowship (Frames) ↗︎Pillars Fund · Directors and screenwriters who work in and alongside Muslim communities, with two complete work samples (films directed, or feature/pilot scripts written). | National | Yearlong fellowship for 10 fellows, opening with a New York retreat (grant amount not stated) | Last window ran Oct 15–Nov 17, 2025; 2026 cohort announced Oct 2026 |
| Points North Fellowship ↗︎Points North Institute (Camden International Film Festival) · Up to six teams of early to mid-career documentary filmmakers with a feature doc to pitch. | National | Mentorship, a week in Maine during the festival, the live Points North Pitch and industry meetings; lodging provided | Yearly; 2026 deadlines ran Jan–Feb 2026 ($25 early fee); next cycle opens late 2026 to early 2027 |
| Realscreen Summit ↗︎Realscreen · Nonfiction and unscripted producers, buyers and commissioners; paid registration. | National | Pitch meetings and networking with networks and streamers | Yearly in winter; the 2026 edition ran in February alongside NATPE Global |
| Redford Center Fellowship for Environmental Film ↗︎The Redford Center · Documentary filmmakers telling urgent, intersectional environmental stories. | National | $40,000 first-year funding, a three-day summit, mentorship and an invitation to apply for more production or impact money | 2026 open call closed; recurs yearly (10th year in 2026) |
| Shore Scripts Short Film Fund ↗︎Shore Scripts · Short film scripts; see the fund's rules for eligibility. | National | $15,000 production grant and $4,000 finishing grant | Fall season final deadline Oct 30, 2026; runs in seasons |
| Sundance Catalyst ↗︎Sundance Institute · Fiction or nonfiction features (60+ minutes) with a director and producer attached, budgets up to $3M (fiction up to $5M case by case), a financing gap of at least $300,000, and a lead producer with a feature credit and independent financing experience. Pre-application by request; full application by invitation. | National | Investors at the Forum put in $10,000–$100,000 as grants or $25,000–$1,000,000 as equity; deals are negotiated directly | Submissions reopen summer 2027 for the 2028 Forum; the 2027 Forum runs Mar 31–Apr 3, 2027 |
| Sundance Episodic Lab ↗︎Sundance Institute · Writers 18+ (up to two per project), any nationality, with an original scripted live-action or animated series and a full English pilot. Writers who've sold a produced series to a US studio or network, or worked above co-producer on a US scripted series, are out. | National | Six-day in-person lab with travel, lodging and food covered; alumni can tap the Episodic Advancement Fund | 2027 window closed Aug 25, 2026; next opens summer 2027; $50 fee via FilmFreeway |
| Sundance Feature Film Program Development Track (Screenwriters Lab) ↗︎Sundance Institute · Writers, writer-directors or teams developing a first or second fiction feature; a complete screenplay draft is usually required. | National | Lab travel, lodging and food covered for up to two people per project; FFP gives alumni over $300,000 a year in grants | 2028 Development Track application open Mar 30–Apr 20, 2027; application fee (listed at $40 in the last cycle) |
| Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship ↗︎Sundance Institute with Adobe · Filmmakers ages 18 to 25; apply with a short film. | National | A year of mentorship, a June lab and a Sundance Film Festival ticket package; no stipend stated | Opens Nov 12, 2026; closes Feb 11, 2027 |
| Sundance Merata Mita Fellowship ↗︎Sundance Institute Indigenous Program · US-based and international Indigenous women working toward directing a feature. | National | Cash grant, a Sundance Film Festival trip and mentorship (amount not stated) | Open now; closes Nov 3, 2026 |
| Sundance Native Lab Fellowship ↗︎Sundance Institute Indigenous Program · Emerging Native American, Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native filmmakers (and Canadian First Nations, Métis and Inuit) working on a feature or series. Writing teams aren't accepted. | National | Lab in Santa Fe, New Mexico; free to apply | Opens Dec 1, 2026; closes Dec 22, 2026 |
| Sundance Producers Track (Producers Lab and Fellowship) ↗︎Sundance Institute · Emerging lead producers (not the writer or director) with a work-in-progress feature. Fiction: US resident, at least one credit and no more than two narrative features, with an option or attachment in hand. Documentary: in production or post, US-based (or Europe/Latin America). | National | Yearlong fellowship with a grant for personal and project costs; lab travel, lodging and meals covered | Opens Nov 17, 2026; closes Feb 10, 2027. Fiction fee $45; no fee listed for documentary |
| TorinoFilmLab ↗︎Writers, directors, producers and story editors from anywhere developing features or series. | National | Training, development funding and networking; some labs end in pitches to financiers | 2027 open calls: ScriptLab Nov 3, 2026; ComedyLab Nov 30; Green Narratives Dec 4; SeriesLab Dec 16, 2026 |
| Venice Gap-Financing Market ↗︎La Biennale di Venezia (Venice Production Bridge) · Selected fiction, documentary and immersive projects looking to close a financing gap. | National | One-to-one meetings with financiers and co-producers | Yearly during the Venice Film Festival; 2026 ran Sep 4–6 with projects announced July 3 |
| Yaddo residency ↗︎Yaddo · Professional artists making new work, including narrative, documentary and experimental film, animation and screenplays. Students aren't eligible; apply every other year. | National | Free residency in Saratoga Springs, New York; modest access grants for travel | Winter cycle: portal opens Nov 20, closes Dec 20 (or at 1,600 applications). Summer cycle: June 1–July 1. $35 fee |
Programs change: confirm on each one’s own page before you apply. Not legal or financial advice.