March 2026 Opportunities Mini Slate: Industry Greenlights and Gateways

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

The Awesome Foundation is a global community comprised of autonomous chapters that support “awesome” projects through micro-grants of $1,000, usually given out monthly. Dozens of documentaries, narratives, film clubs, and festivals have received support. There are no fees to apply.

In each chapter, ten or more “trustees” contribute funds that are given on a no-strings-attached basis. Most chapters are geographic, but a few are organized along thematic lines (Conservation and Climate, Disability, etc.)

Most chapters show a strong preference for projects that contribute to their own communities, though some occasionally consider applications from further afield. Applicants are encouraged to apply to a chapter in a location where they have roots or that they think would have a particular interest in their project.

If you don’t see a chapter near you and are interested in starting one, find more information here.

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

APPLY BY: Application opens March 3 and closes June 9

OVERVIEW

The SFFILM Documentary Film Fund (DFF) supports engaging documentaries in post-production which exhibit compelling stories, intriguing characters, and an original, innovative visual approach. Since its launch in 2011, the SFFILM Documentary Film Fund has distributed more than $900,000 to advance new work by filmmakers nationwide

DFF grants are awarded once each year to documentary feature projects and are open to filmmakers internationally. The Documentary Film Fund grants its support to approximately 3–4 projects each year with grants of $10,000–$20,000. As with all SFFILM grants, in addition to the cash awards, recipients will gain access to numerous benefits through the comprehensive and dynamic SFFILM Makers artist development program.

SCHOLARSHIP

APPLY BY: March 15

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Must identify as Jewish
• Must be at least 16
• Must be a permanent and legal resident of Los Angeles County for a minimum of three years
• Must be a U.S. citizen or documented legal permanent U.S. resident with a Green Card
• Must be planning to attend or are currently attending an accredited public or private college, university, or vocational school in the U.S.
• Must be enrolled as a full-time student. JVS SoCal does not fund part-time enrollment, summer-only programs, gap years, Yeshiva, or unaccredited schools
• Must maintain a minimum 2.7 GPA (per term) for Undergraduate Students or a minimum 3.0 GPA (per term) for Graduate Students
• Must have a demonstrated and verifiable financial need

Contact

Julia Furer Scholarship Program Director
julia.furer@jvs-socal.org

Joyce Cele Scholarship Program Coordinator
jcele@jvs-socal.org

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

APPLY BY:  April 2

This program offers one production grant of $15,000 and one finishing grant of $4,000 for narrative shorts in all genres. Filmmakers will own their work in perpetuity, but Shore Scripts will be listed as an executive producer in the finished credits. Of the twenty-four shorts awarded, several have gone to top-tier film festivals, including Sundance, Tribeca, BFI London, and Palm Springs.

Our Short Film Fund provides an opportunity for emerging writers, directors and producers from around the world to receive much-needed financial support to get their work produced and seen. We accept narrative short films (live-action & animation), web series pilots, and proof-of-concept shorts for TV series and features.

Many of our alumni have gone on to gain representation, sell their screenplays, get staffed on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, & BBC shows, and develop their shorts into features and TV shows.

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

APPLY BY:  April 2

In celebration of 25 years of national artist support, the 2027 Open Call invites project proposals from individual artists for the Creative Capital Award and the new State of the Art Prize. All grants will be awarded via a national, open call, external review process.

The Creative Capital Award provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants for the creation of innovative, original, and imaginative new artistic works. The Award provides unrestricted project grants from $15,000 up to $50,000, plus professional development support, industry connections, and community-building opportunities

The State of the Art Prize aims to recognize and support one artist from every U.S. state and inhabited territory, with an unrestricted artist grant of $10,000. Through the 2027 Open Call for the Creative Capital Award, Creative Capital will also select recipients for the new State of the Art Prize.

FELLOWSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

APPLY BY: April 23

The creator(s) of the project must self-identify as Black and be based in the United States.

• This grant is open to artists who create primarily immersive experiences, as well as those who are new to the immersive industry who are interested in pushing the boundaries of their existing practice.
• We invite early career and established creators to pursue this grant.
• The applicant must be the director, lead producer of the project, or be in a similar leadership capacity.
• The applicant must be at least 18 years old.

Selection Criteria

• The grant awardee will be chosen by a selection panel made up of the grant’s board of directors and other arts professionals.
  • During our selection process, we use the Aesthetics Perspectives framework developed by Animating Democracy (a program of Americans for the Arts). It includes 11 attributes: Commitment, Communal Meaning, Disruption, Cultural Integrity, Emotional Experience, Sensory Experience, Risk-taking, Openness, Resourcefulness, Coherence, and Stickiness.

• We are also looking for applications that demonstrate clarity and feasibility.
  • We need to clearly understand what the artist wants to create, how it is immersive, and how an audience will experience it.
  • We also need to have confidence in the artist’s ability to execute their proposed idea. We will be looking closely at the budget, timeline, and projected challenges to see if the artist has thought through the needs of the project and the steps of the process.
• You can find the full rubric the voters will use to evaluate applications HERE