Nipkow Programm
Fellowship · 2026Prestige 68/100
A Berlin residency paying 1,500 euro a month, out of which you fund your own flights and Berlin rent.
Deadlines & fees
Closed for this cycle
The last round closed on 5 January 2026 at 11pm Berlin time, for residencies scheduled between 1 June and 30 November 2026, and no new window has been published. The cycle before closed on 17 February 2025 for the equivalent 2025 window. Note the deadline moved by around six weeks between those two cycles, so expect a single annual round closing in the northern winter rather than a repeating date. Also be aware the live page still carries stale 2025 text alongside the 2026 conditions.
Dates and fees checked against the official site 9 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.
The PreList verdict
A three-month Berlin residency built around exactly the thing most schemes skimp on: one-to-one time with script consultants and potential co-producers, plus tailor-made workshops on packaging, sales and distribution. Running since 1992 with 625 fellowships behind it, and aimed squarely at getting a feature into international co-production. If what you need is a European network rather than notes, this is a serious offer, and there is no recoupment or profit share anywhere in the terms.
The honest part is the money, and the headline badly oversells it. The stipend is 1,500 euro a month for up to three months, so 4,500 at most. Travel and accommodation are not covered, which Nipkow states twice, and the residency requires you to live in Berlin for the whole period in one unbroken block while working solely on your project. So that 4,500 has to fund your flights, up to three months of Berlin rent and everything you eat, with no other income permitted. Against actual Berlin short-let rates that is roughly break-even at best, and a loss if you are travelling from outside Europe. Go for the consultations and the network, and budget as though the stipend were a contribution rather than a wage.
Two eligibility traps worth knowing. The credit requirement is strict and specific: one credited feature-length work of 70 minutes or more in the same role you are applying in, and co-writing credits explicitly do not count, so a shared feature credit will not qualify you. And you need a producer attached. You can only hold a Nipkow fellowship once in a lifetime. The last round closed in January 2026, the one before in February 2025, so the date moves: expect a winter deadline rather than a fixed one.
Dylian Salvatore, Founder of The PreList · Updated 9 Aug 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1,500 euro a month as good as it sounds?
No. Travel and accommodation are not covered, and Nipkow says so twice. You must live in Berlin for the full duration in one unbroken block and work solely on your project, so the maximum 4,500 euro has to cover flights, up to three months of Berlin accommodation and all living costs, with no other income. Treat it as a contribution rather than a wage.
Can I apply from outside Europe?
Probably, though it is not fully certain. No nationality or residency restriction appears in the eleven mandatory conditions and the application page refers to media professionals from all over the world, but the site's own header tagline describes scholarships for European audiovisual media professionals. Visa responsibility is not addressed anywhere.
Does a co-written feature credit qualify me?
No. Nipkow requires at least one credited feature-length work of 70 minutes or more in the same role you are applying in, and states explicitly that co-directing and co-writing credits do not meet the requirement. There is an alternative route for short films that won an award at Berlin, Cannes, Locarno, Sundance, Toronto, Venice, Tokyo or Busan.
When is the next deadline?
Not published. The last round closed on 5 January 2026 at 11pm Berlin time and the one before on 17 February 2025, so the date has moved by around six weeks between cycles. Expect a single annual round closing in the northern winter.
Is your script right for Nipkow Programm?
Upload your screenplay and The PreList scores how well it fits this fellowship: genre, format, eligibility and readiness, before you spend anything.
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