2025 Berkeley
FILM Foundation
Grants Program
GRANTS OVERVIEW
The Berkeley FILM Foundation’s core work is providing project grants to locally made films and offers two open call grant programs each year. The Documentary Grant Program opens annually in April and the Narrative Short Grant Program opens in August each year. The grants we provide are between $5,000 – $25,000 each and the application mirrors IDA’s Core Application used by many film organizations around the country.
To qualify for a BFF grant, you must be an East Bay resident. Requirements differ for each of our grant programs, so please refer to each program page for full guidelines and eligibility.
“I am very grateful for Berkeley FILM Foundation’s award to my personal documentary “Home Yet Far Away” about finding home in America as an Iranian immigrant. Funding for personal films is very hard to come by. The BFF grant not only helped me financially, but also provided me with an industry credential with which to solicit additional funding for my project.”