Short Films (all stages)

• Eligible length: up to 30 minutes

• Eligible stages: all stages (development, production, post-production)

• Eligible forms: fiction, documentary, animation, hybrid, experimental, essay

Feature-Length Films

• Eligible length: longer than 30 minutes

• Eligible stages: Development, Post-production

• Not eligible: Production stage

• Eligible forms: fiction, documentary, animation, hybrid, experimental, essay

Projects should be original, artistically serious and be intended for television, cinematic, and/or public presentation.

Short Films (up to 30 minutes)

• Development: up to €3,000 (research, concept design, writing, visual references, early creative planning, script development)

• Production or Post-production: up to €7,000

Medium- and Feature-length Films (over 30 minutes)

• Development: up to €5,000 (research, concept design, writing, visual references, early creative planning, script development)

• Post-production: up to €15,000 (editing, sound design, color grading, festival submission packaging)

• Production costs are not eligible

Grant amounts are allocated at the discretion of the selection committee, based on submitted budgets, timeline and feasibility.

We will be offering two information sessions for interested filmmakers, scheduled in two different time zones, in September and October. Dates and times will be announced on PFI’s social media channels.

In case you have any questions please contact the PFF team at fund@palestinefilminstitute.org 

• Applications are open to projects by Palestinian directors residing in Palestine or the diaspora - there are no residence requirements beyond nationality/origin.

• Applicants do not need citizenship, but must have a recognised link to Palestine.

• Non‑Palestinians are only eligible if the film director is Palestinian; for example, a non‑Palestinian producer can apply provided the director is Palestinian.

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application.

• To apply for feature- or medium-length films, applicants must have previously directed at least one short film.

• Applicants for short films are welcome regardless of prior directing experience.

• For development, directors and/or producers may apply.

• For post-production, only the producer may apply. In cases where the producer and director are the same person, this is acceptable.

• Both individuals and collectives (of directors and producers) may apply, with one designated lead applicant (director or producer) responsible for communication and accountability.

No thematic limitations are imposed, but all projects must demonstrate:

• Ethical and equitable engagement with subjects and collaborators

• A clear and creative vision outlined in the application form. 

• Compatibility with PFI’s Community Agreement and
  the Industry Protocol in Times of Genocide

The Palestine Film Fund prioritizes applicants:

• Living and working in Palestine

• Based in low- and middle-income countries

• Working in contexts with limited access to traditional film financing
  addressing underrepresented or marginalized perspectives (such as Palestinian refugee camps).

All grantees must agree to and uphold the Palestine Film Fund ’s Community Agreement, which includes:

• Zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment, or exploitation

• Ethical and equitable storytelling and labor practices

• Transparent, respectful collaboration

By applying to the PFF, you agree to uphold the Code of Conduct, you can read it in full here.

• A logline (max. 80 words)

• A synopsis (max. 500 words), 

• A treatment (max 1500 words)

• A motivation statement director (max. 1000 words) if applicable also for the producer

• A Biography and Filmography of Director and/or Producer

• An explanation of the project’s current stage and develop/production schedule, 

• A list of partners involved in the project, 

• Link to visual material (if available, for production applications obligatory)

• For fiction projects: a treatment (if, in development) and a script (if, in production, only for shorts) 

• An overall  budget and financing plan (download template here)

• An overview of the expenditure of the PFF grant (download template here) 

Applications are accepted in both English and Arabic. Visual material is ideally submitted with English subtitles, but this is not mandatory. 

Please submit via the online form, which is only accessible on this page while submissions are open. Applications sent by email will not be considered. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. 

• All awarded funds received from the PFI Fund must be expended within 12 months of the date of contract signing in accordance with the contractually agreed upon timeline and deliverables, unless otherwise agreed upon through written extensions. The PFF process does not dictate an overall timeline for the completion of the film.

• The grant can not cover expenses that occurred before the contractual grant period begins. 

• For development funding, payment is intended to be made directly to the director. If this is not possible for any reason, a signed statement from the director explaining the reason must be provided. 

• For post-production funding paid to a non-Palestinian producer, a letter of agreement confirming this arrangement must be provided and signed by the director.

• Reporting shall be carried out using a simple budget template and narrative report template provided by PFF, and shall include the contractually agreed-upon deliverables (e.g., a trailer, a developed treatment, a final cut, or a completed film).

• All funds shall be disbursed in two instalments: eighty-five percent (85%) upon execution of the contract, and the remaining fifteen percent (15%) upon submission and acceptance of all required reporting documents and deliverables.

Applicants may reapply with the same project up to two additional times if previously rejected.
Past grantees may reapply with a new project after two full funding cycles (typically one year) have passed.

Applicants must be Palestinian directors residing in Palestine or the diaspora - there are no residence requirements beyond nationality/origin.

Yes, you can apply if this is your first time directing a short film.

No. People applying for feature funding, need to have directed and successfully released at least one short film before.

Yes, you can apply for a short film at any stage, and for a feature in development as a director/author. For feature post-production, your producer should apply (unless you are both director and producer). If your set-up is different, please feel free to reach out to us.

To be eligible for the fund, the project needs a Palestinian director, but can have a non-Palestinian producer.

The fund supports short, medium, and feature-length films across all genres. Short films may apply for development, production, or post-production support, while feature films may apply for development and production support.

No. Unfortunately, the PFF does not support series projects.

Yes, once you have concluded a funding period successfully, you may apply the same project for another stage of production in another cycle. But please remember, in accordance with the Reapplication Policy of the PFF, past grantees may reapply after two funding cycles only.

Projects can be submitted in English and Arabic.

Yes, films from any length up to 30 minutes can be submitted as a short film project.

No, unfortunately you can not apply with multiple projects in one cycle as a director.

Yes, you can apply for more than one as a producer, also if you applied as a director before. 

No, unfortunately you can’t apply.

Short film projects can apply for up to 3.000 Euro for development, up to 7.000 Euro for production and post-production. For mid-length and feature film projects in development (e.g. research, concept design, writing, visual references, early-stage creative planning) you can apply for up to 5.000 Euro and for post-production (e.g. editing, sound design, color grading, festival submission packaging) you can apply up to 15.000 Euro.

Yes, applicants may reapply with the same project up to two additional times if previously rejected. A significant development of the project must be demonstrated and approved by the PFF team before the application can be accepted.

After your project is selected you will sign a grantee contract. All amounts will be paid in two instalments, 85% upon signature of contract and the other 15% upon the deliveries (final treatment, final budget, rough cut/ final cut), and a basic overview of incurred and planned expenses.

Yes, you must spend the funding received within 12 months of signing the contract; unless an extension was granted in writing.

No, unfortunately you can only allocate expenses that are spent after the contractual grant period.