Nipkow Programm

Deadlines & fees

Dates and fees checked against the official site 10 Aug 2026.

Key facts

Formats

Feature

Eligibility

Open worldwide

Required materials

Complete application in English · A first-draft script or developed treatment in English; a developed treatment alone suffices for documentary · A full-length sample of previous work as a downloadable link, no trailers · A video presenting your director's note and your motivation for applying · Two letters of recommendation from industry professionals · A producer letter confirming engagement and development status · A signed rights declaration confirming underlying rights ownership, or a valid option for adaptations

No nationality or residency restriction is stated anywhere in the eleven mandatory conditions, and the application page describes media professionals from all over the world. Note however that the site's own header tagline reads scholarships for European audiovisual media professionals, which contradicts that, so the position is less certain than the application page suggests. You must be a professional writer, director, producer or animator, not a student, with at least one credited feature-length work of 70 minutes or more in the same role you are applying in; co-directing and co-writing credits explicitly do not meet this requirement. An alternative route exists for applicants without a feature whose short film won an award at Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Sundance, Toronto, Venice, Tokyo or Busan. The project must be a new feature intended for theatrical release, fiction, documentary or animation, so television and series work is excluded. An attached producer is required, only one applicant per film project may apply, and a Nipkow fellowship can only be held once in a lifetime. Fellows commit to working solely on their projects while in Berlin. Visa responsibility is not addressed anywhere on the site.

Prizes

A stipend of 1,500 euro per month for up to three months, so a maximum of 4,500 euro. Read the next part before treating that as generous: travel and accommodation are not covered and must be arranged by the fellow, which Nipkow states twice. Since the residency requires living in Berlin for the full duration in one uninterrupted block, and fellows are expected to work solely on their projects while there, that 4,500 gross has to cover return travel, up to three months of Berlin accommodation and all subsistence, with no other income. Against Berlin short-let rates this is plausibly cost-neutral at best and loss-making for anyone travelling from outside Europe. What the fellowship actually buys is the network: individual consultations with script consultants and potential co-producers, tailor-made workshops and training seminars. No recoupment, repayment, clawback or profit participation is published. Credit obligations are broader than most: the Nipkow Programm must be credited with its logo in the opening and closing credits and all promotional materials.

Judging

Selection is by an international jury meeting once a year, whose members are not named. The number of awards per cycle is not published; only the cumulative figure of 625 fellowships since 1992 is given, of which 261 went to women. Whether feedback is offered is not addressed. Payment is back-loaded: an interim report is required before the final stipend instalment is disbursed, and all participants must write a final report before receiving their final monthly grant. Fellows also agree to provide periodic updates on project progress after the fellowship ends.

Frequently asked questions