BERLINALE WORLD CINEMA FUND (WCF) 🟢 OPEN NOW
The World Cinema Fund (WCF) is a grant programme run by the Berlin International Film Festival in partnership with the German Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung des Bundes), founded in November 2004. It has funded over 350 productions from 67 countries. In 2016, a special sub- programme — WCF Africa — was created in partnership with the German Federal Foreign Office, giving sub-Saharan African projects additional consideration. The WCF is now led by Sata Cissokho (appointed 2025, of Senegalese descent), who has stated a key priority of growing African representation in the fund. African production companies can apply DIRECTLY — no European partner required for the initial application.
Deadline
🟢 OPEN NOW — Production/Post-production deadline: 9 March 2026. Second round: approximately July 2026.
Cost
FREE — No application fee
Format
Feature-length fiction films and feature-length creative documentaries. Minimum 70 minutes. Short films and TV series are NOT eligible.
Eligibility
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICAN FILM & SERIES MAKERS | 2025/2026 EDITION | Updated March 2026 Compiled March 2026 directed by Cati Weinek with Fab Claude.. Always verify deadlines and eligibility on official programme websites before applying. Film production companies from Sub-Saharan Africa or WCF-eligible regions with a director from that region. OR German production companies working with an African director. If selected, you must attach a German partner to sign the final contract — but you do NOT need this partner to submit.
What You Get
Production funding: EUR 30,000–60,000. Post-production funding: up to EUR 40,000. Distribution funding: up to EUR 10,000. WCF Africa sub-programme automatically considers all Sub-Saharan African projects for additional support. TUI Care Foundation Award: an extra EUR 40,000 specifically for one African film project per year (e.g. Plastic Atlantis, Cape Verde, director Samira Vera-Cruz, received EUR 40,000 TUI Award in 2025). Critically: 90% of WCF money must be spent in the country of production — not in Germany — which is unusually beneficial for African filmmakers.
What to Submit
Online submission form (English or French): synopsis, director statement, script or treatment, financing plan in Euros, sample of previous work. Full guidelines downloadable from the Berlinale website.
Applications are closed
This opportunity is no longer accepting applications. Browse open opportunities
Related Opportunities
Never miss a deadline like this
Weekly deadline alerts, new opportunities, and industry insights for African filmmakers.