New Zealand Film Commission Opens Up to NZ$90,000 Short Film Funding on September 14

The He Kauahi Catalyst Fund supports live-action and animated narrative shorts with grants of up to NZ$90,000, with the next application round running from 14 September to 12 October 2026.

The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) is preparing to open the next round of its He Kauahi Catalyst short film fund, offering eligible filmmakers grants of up to NZ$90,000 towards the production of narrative short films.

Applications will open on 14 September 2026 and close at 1pm on 12 October 2026, giving filmmakers approximately four weeks to submit their projects.

The fund supports both scripted live-action and animated shorts and is intended to help New Zealand filmmakers create ambitious work capable of advancing their careers and competing on the international festival circuit.

Documentaries and episodic projects are not eligible.

Filmmakers can receive up to NZ$90,000

He Kauahi Catalyst provides grants of up to NZ$90,000 per successful project for production and delivery.

Eligible projects can be:

• Narrative live-action short films
• Narrative animated short films or
• Animated shorts intended as proof-of-concept projects for an animated feature film

The NZFC specifically identifies festival potential as one of the qualities it looks for when assessing applications, alongside artistic excellence, a distinctive filmmaking voice and innovation in storytelling or production.

Projects must have significant New Zealand content.

The fund cannot retrospectively cover costs that filmmakers have already incurred.

Who can apply?

The opportunity is restricted to filmmakers connected to New Zealand rather than operating as an international open call.

Applicants must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents and hold the necessary rights to the short film project.

The fund is also aimed at filmmakers who have already demonstrated a degree of professional or festival experience.

Applicants generally need to be a writer, director or producer with at least 80 minutes of cumulative scripted work that has already been theatrically released, broadcast or screened at qualifying festivals.

Alternatively, filmmakers may qualify through previous short-film festival selection or by demonstrating significant achievement in another narrative discipline.

The NZFC also requires applicants to have no overdue deliverables with the Commission.

Only one application per funding round can have the same individual director attached.

Documentaries are not eligible

One important restriction is that He Kauahi Catalyst is specifically a narrative short film fund.

Documentary and episodic projects are excluded.

Live-action and animation are both accepted, while animated filmmakers have an additional option to use a short as a proof of concept for a planned animated feature.

Those proof-of-concept applications require additional feature-film development material, including information about the larger project and an explanation of how the short would advance it.

What filmmakers need to submit

Applications are made through the NZFC online application portal.

Applicants need to prepare a substantial creative and production package rather than a simple pitch.

Required materials include a short-film script and a proposal covering the film’s creative vision and filmmaking team.

The proposal should include a logline, one-page synopsis, filmmaker notes, director’s treatment, key creative biographies and a link to the director’s previous work.

Applicants must also submit a detailed production budget and proposed production schedule.

Animated projects can provide a story outline in place of a conventional screenplay in certain circumstances and may also submit visual development material such as character designs, storyboards, animatics and world-building artwork.

Proposed AI use must be disclosed

The NZFC’s current guidelines also address the use of artificial intelligence in projects seeking funding.

Applicants planning to use AI are asked to explain that use within their funding application.

The Commission says its assessment will consider areas including creative integrity, transparency, cultural authenticity, legal responsibility and the wider impact of AI use on the screen industry.

The guidelines emphasise that AI should support rather than replace human creativity.

For projects involving Māori content, filmmakers must also ensure that AI use respects Māori knowledge and cultural considerations and includes appropriate consultation.

Decisions are expected within six to eight weeks

Eligible applications are reviewed by the NZFC funding team alongside at least one external industry practitioner.

The Commission estimates a six-to-eight-week turnaround for funding decisions after receiving an eligible application.

Assessment considers factors including the director’s voice, thematic depth, quality of the script, integrity of the storytelling, the filmmaking team’s ability to deliver the project and whether the proposed budget and production plan are achievable.

The fund also prioritises projects that contribute to authentic and diverse stories connected to Aotearoa New Zealand.

He Kauahi has already backed festival-focused shorts

He Kauahi Catalyst is an established NZFC programme rather than a newly created fund.

Previous rounds have supported narrative and animated projects with grants reaching the same NZ$90,000 level.

The fund is deliberately structured around short films as a talent-development tool, with the NZFC describing festival success and career progression as part of the programme’s objectives.

That makes the opportunity particularly relevant to filmmakers looking to create a polished short that can function both as a standalone work and as a calling card for larger projects.

Filmmakers outside New Zealand looking for internationally accessible funding can also explore Indie Shorts Mag’s coverage of the Shore Scripts Short Film Fund, which is currently offering a $15,000 production grant and a separate $4,000 finishing award.

He Kauahi Catalyst 2026 key details

• Fund: He Kauahi Catalyst
• Organisation: New Zealand Film Commission
• Applications open: 14 September 2026
• Deadline: 12 October 2026 at 1pm
• Maximum grant: Up to NZ$90,000
• Eligible formats: Narrative live action and animation
• Animated feature proof-of-concept shorts: Eligible
• Documentaries: Not eligible
• Episodic projects: Not eligible
• Applicant nationality: New Zealand citizens and permanent residents
• Project requirement: Significant New Zealand content
• Application method: NZFC application portal
• Estimated decision timeframe: Six to eight weeks

For eligible New Zealand filmmakers, the most important step before applications open on 14 September is to make sure the project satisfies both the applicant-experience requirements and the significant New Zealand content test.

With the application window closing on 12 October, filmmakers intending to apply should already be preparing their script, director’s treatment, budget, production schedule and supporting materials rather than waiting for the fund to formally open.