Hubert Bals Fund: Script and Project Development Support

Eligibility and project requirements

The gate is nationality, and it is the thing to check first. The director and main producer should live and work in, and be nationals of, one of the fund's eligible countries, and projects should be mainly set and shot in one of them. The list covers Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and parts of Eastern Europe; the UK, US, Canada, Australia and all of western Europe are absent. The diaspora clause reopens it only to filmmakers originating in an eligible country who now live elsewhere through dual nationality, refugee status or a residency permit, with priority given to films majority shot in an eligible country. So a UK-based writer qualifies only if they are themselves from an eligible country. On co-directed projects, if either director is neither a national nor in diaspora, you cannot apply. The applicant must be the director or the main producer, and a project is ineligible if the director has no previous directing experience or credits, so a screenwriter who does not direct can only reach this fund as the main producer of a project fronted by a credited director. A producer need not be attached. Narrative features only: shorts and television films are not considered, and creative documentary only in limited cases. A project is ineligible if more than 25 per cent of the budget is confirmed, if it has taken part in more than one development lab or residency, or if it already holds two or more selective public development grants. Applications in English, maximum two projects per round, resubmission by invitation only.

Formats

Feature

Deadlines & fees

Dates and fees checked against the official site 19 Oct 2026.

Prepare your entry

Prizes

Grants of up to 10,000 euro, awarded to 20 projects in 2026 and 15 in 2025. How the money is disbursed is not published. No repayment, recoupment or profit participation appears anywhere in the fund's terms, so no cash goes back. But there is a real cost in rights, and it should be read before applying. IFFR asks for a front credit with the Hubert Bals Fund logo; the world, international or Benelux premiere must take place at International Film Festival Rotterdam with no screening fees charged; the Benelux exploitation rights transfer to the fund by default if no Benelux distribution agreement is concluded within six months of the world premiere; and IFFR takes non-exclusive worldwide VOD rights so the film can be included in its curated online content.

Judging

Assessed by a small selection committee whose members are not named, over two phases: an online form, then a dossier from pre-selected projects within a week. Decisions cannot be appealed and no feedback is offered. IFFR rarely supports projects with budgets over 1.2 million euro. For 2026 the fund particularly welcomed applications from filmmakers working in Southeast Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Note that IFFR uses three different names for this scheme across its own pages. A script is not accepted at application: a treatment is required and sending a script instead is expressly disallowed.

Frequently asked questions