The Whickers Film & TV Funding Award for Filmmaker Worldwide 2024 – Apply Now

The Whickers Film & TV Funding Award is an annual scholarship granted to upcoming filmmakers from any part of the world who have a promising pitch for a director-led documentary that meets the core criteria specified below. The Whickers Film & TV Funding Award is one of the most paramount documentary awards in the world and includes a £100,000 main award and a £20,000 development award for the runner-up.

The Whickers Film & TV Funding Award is available to any filmmaker globally and encourages international filmmakers to apply. Applicants must be the filmmaker or the co-director of their first 50+ minute documentary film. Projects must be in the late development to early production stage when applying. The award money cannot be paid to an individual; thus, applicants must either provide proof of company viability, have a fiscal sponsor on board, have a nominated production company on board to create a dedicated project account for their film or confirm that they are willing to set up a limited company and dedicated project account if shortlisted. Applicants must provide up to six minutes of original taster footage at the time of applying.

Applicants must have an executive producer on board when applying, be accessible to an English-speaking audience, and have a budget for their 50+ minute documentary film that does not exceed £400,000 at the time of application. Applicants who have other funding sources exceeding £300,000 at the time of application are not eligible. If shortlisted, applicants must be available to travel to the UK in June to pitch their project at Sheffield DocFest, with reasonable travel and accommodation covered by The Whickers.

The selection process involves a director-led story, engagement, curiosity, original use of technology, and being nonpartisan. Applications open on 2nd October 2023 and close on 31st January 2024 (23:59 GMT). Late April 2024 will see shortlisted projects announced, with finalists pitching their projects at Sheffield DocFest in June 2024. The winner of the Film & TV Funding Award will be announced at the Sheffield DocFest Awards Ceremony the same month. For more information and to apply, visit The Whickers website.