Five emerging filmmakers will receive $60,000 each, doubling the amount of grants awarded in the previous year’s program.
Submissions open September 21, with new support from Panavision, OWC, AJA, and ShotDeck and winners selected by acclaimed filmmakers Kogonada, Josephine Decker, Pete Ohs, Sarah Winshall, and Jomo Fray, ASC.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Vimeo, the leading video experience platform for creators and enterprises, announced the newest edition of the Short Film Grant Program, now in its second year. The program divides the $300,000 prize pool—double last year’s grant prize and one of the largest grants of its kind—equally among five emerging filmmakers. Each recipient will also receive the creative resources and industry support needed to bring their next story to life.
Following more than 3,100 submissions in its inaugural year, the Short Film Grant Program returns in 2026 with an expanded slate of partners, a new jury, and additional creative resources from across the filmmaking community. This year’s grant is made possible with support from Panavision, Other World Computing (OWC), AJA, and ShotDeck.
The 2026 grant will provide five filmmakers with funding, mentorship, equipment, and creative resources to support them throughout the filmmaking process:
- $60,000 in funding to produce an original short film
- Mentorship from members of the selection jury and Vimeo’s Curation Team
- Access to Panavision camera packages
- Access to OWC storage for the duration of the project
- Access to ShotDeck’s library of cinematic imagery and creative resources
- A Vimeo Advanced subscription and distribution support on Vimeo, connecting filmmakers with Vimeo’s global creative community
“Independent filmmakers have been key to Vimeo's success and rekindling that connection is one of our top priorities at Bending Spoons,” said Matteo Danieli, Co-founder of Bending Spoons. “Doubling the Short Film Grant to $300,000 is the first of several initiatives aimed at supporting filmmakers throughout their creative process—we look forward to bringing these new ideas to life in the coming months."
"So many filmmakers attribute their success to the moment when someone took a chance on their work before the rest of the world knew their name. We want to create more of those opportunities," said Ina Pira, Head of Curation at Vimeo. “With Vimeo's Short Film Grant, we're looking to discover the next generation of filmmakers and give them the resources, encouragement, and community support they need to bring their creative vision to life."
This year’s winning projects will be selected based on their originality, potential impact and resonance, feasibility of execution, and overall artistic merit by an all-new jury representing some of the most distinctive voices in independent film: filmmaker Kogonada; filmmaker Josephine Decker; filmmaker Pete Ohs; producer Sarah Winshall; and cinematographer Jomo Fray, ASC.
“I was deeply honored when asked to be a judge for the program this year. Short films are a pillar of filmmaking and a stepping stone for so many,” said Jomo Fray, ASC. “Vimeo was always at the heart of my early career—I can recall so many nights with friends and fellow filmmakers staying up watching shorts and Staff Picks and getting ever more energized about what we could do next. It means a lot and it’s deeply gratifying to be able to give back to something that gave me so much.”
“There are so few initiatives that support short filmmaking, and so many filmmakers trying to make shorts,” said one of last year’s winners Sofia Camargo. “Vimeo is clearly meeting a need that's been there all along. I can't overstate how much it meant to be trusted as a creator, given the freedom and support to actually explore an idea.”
Submissions for the Vimeo Short Film Grant Program will open on September 21, 2026. Winners will be notified by March 15, 2027, with projects to begin production immediately after. Filmmakers can visit www.vimeo.com/shortfilmgrant for official rules, including eligibility requirements, prize descriptions, submission details, and complete program information.
About Vimeo
Vimeo is the leading video experience platform that enables anyone to create high-quality video experiences to bring ideas to life. Vimeo proudly serves a community of millions of users—from creative storytellers to globally distributed teams at the world's largest companies—whose videos receive billions of views each month. Vimeo joined the Bending Spoons portfolio of brands in November 2025. Learn more at https://www.vimeo.com.
About Panavision
Panavision is a pioneer in optics and camera technology, offering renowned rental services and world-class support that empower storytellers working in feature films, television series, commercials and more to realize their creative vision exactly as they intend. Learn more at https://www.panavision.com.
About OWC
From SSDs and external hard drives to expansion products and enterprise storage, OWC delivers workflow solutions tailored for any creative project. Learn more at https://www.owc.com.
About AJA
AJA Video Systems is a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge technology for the broadcast, cinema, proAV, and post production markets. The company develops a range of powerful, flexible video interface and conversion technologies, digital video recording solutions, and color management, streaming, and remote production tools. Learn more at https://www.aja.com.
About ShotDeck
ShotDeck is the original library of cinematic imagery with millions of reference images and clips from movies, TV, music videos, and commercials. Learn more at https://shotdeck.com.
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