STUDENT GRANTS

The 2025 Student Grants application window is now closed. The program will reopen in April 2026. 

The Berkeley FILM Foundation is committed to supporting the next generation of documentary filmmakers by offering dedicated grants to students enrolled in accredited universities. 

These grants are open to both undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students who are actively working on documentary film projects. While applicants must reside in the East Bay, the school you are enrolled in can be located anywhere.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available and may be applied toward production, post-production, and distribution costs. The Foundation accepts submissions for both short-form and feature-length documentaries.

Student grant applications are accepted each spring and require a separate application form from those built for professional filmmakers, though all applicants must adhere to the same deadlines. This initiative reflects the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging talent and promoting compelling, socially relevant documentary work.

As a proud partner of the UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, the Foundation continues to strengthen its ties to the academic and filmmaking communities.