UC Berkeley Documentary Fellowship Offers Up to $10,000 for Short Films Worldwide

The Mycoskie–UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship will fund up to five short-form documentary projects with grants of as much as $10,000 each. International filmmakers can apply until 5 October 2026.

Short-documentary filmmakers have another substantial funding opportunity to consider this autumn, with the Mycoskie–UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship accepting applications for documentary projects from around the world.

The fellowship, administered through the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, is offering a dedicated Short-Form Documentary Grant for films running 40 minutes or less.

Up to five filmmakers will receive grants of as much as $10,000 each, creating a potential $50,000 pool specifically for short-form documentary projects.

Applications close on 5 October 2026.

There is no application fee, and documentary filmmakers can apply regardless of nationality or country of residence.

Up to five short documentaries can receive $10,000 each

The short-form strand is one of two documentary funding tracks being offered through the fellowship.

For the 2026 funding round:

Short-Form Documentary Grant: Up to five filmmakers can receive as much as $10,000 each for documentaries running 40 minutes or less.

Feature-Length Documentary Grant: Up to three filmmakers can receive as much as $20,000 each for documentaries running more than 40 minutes.

Applicants cannot apply to both categories during the same funding cycle.

For short filmmakers, the structure is particularly attractive because the full short-form grant is paid upfront rather than being divided into instalments.

Selected filmmakers are expected to participate in three or four virtual cohort meetings, provide a written progress and spending report within six months and share the completed film with the Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.

The opportunity is open internationally

The fellowship is not restricted to US filmmakers.

UC Berkeley says filmmakers living outside the United States can apply regardless of nationality or citizenship.

Applications must be submitted in English, although documentaries themselves can be produced in other languages provided the finished film includes English subtitles.

Only individual filmmakers can apply. Applications submitted on behalf of universities, foundations, non-profit organisations or other organisations are not eligible.

Collaborative filmmaking teams can still participate, but one filmmaker must act as the primary applicant and receive the fellowship funding.

There is no application fee.

What kind of documentaries qualify?

The programme is specifically focused on documentaries exploring psychedelics and their intersection with science, policy, business and culture.

The fellowship is looking for cinematic non-fiction stories rather than academic research projects or promotional work.

Fiction films are not eligible.

Documentaries commissioned by NGOs or brands are also excluded.

Projects centred on cannabis do not qualify under the programme’s definition of psychedelic substances.

UC Berkeley additionally says it will not support proposals built around filmmakers taking illegal psychedelic substances and documenting their own experience.

For filmmakers interested in science, medicine, mental health, culture, public policy or changing approaches to psychedelic research, however, the brief leaves considerable room for documentary storytelling.

Previously distributed films are not eligible

There is an important restriction for filmmakers considering an application.

A project that has already been publicly distributed cannot receive funding.

That includes documentaries that have already appeared through:

• theatrical screenings
• film festivals
• educational screenings
• community screenings
• other public distribution

The fellowship is therefore aimed at projects still being developed or produced rather than finished shorts that have already begun their festival run.

Applicants may submit only one project during the funding cycle.

Graduate students can apply, with additional requirements

Student filmmakers can also apply for the Short-Form Documentary Grant, although additional conditions apply.

UC Berkeley says student applicants must be enrolled at the graduate-school level and need a letter of support from a faculty adviser supervising completion of the film.

That letter must be submitted before the application deadline.

Students developing feature-length documentaries are not eligible to apply to the feature grant and should instead use the short-form programme where applicable.

Applications close 5 October

Filmmakers have until 5 October 2026 to submit.

The fellowship says deadline extensions will not be available.

Applications are made through Submittable rather than by email, and applicants should allow enough time to complete the documentation required under the programme’s non-fiction funding standards.

Funding decisions are expected to be communicated by December 2026.

Key details

• Programme: Mycoskie–UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship
• Short-film grant: Up to $10,000 per project
• Number of short-form grants: Up to five
• Short-documentary runtime: 40 minutes or less
• Eligibility: Filmmakers worldwide
• Application fee: Free
• Deadline: 5 October 2026
• Notification: December 2026
• Eligible format: Documentary only
• Previously publicly distributed films: Not eligible
• Application method: Submittable

The funding arrives at a useful stage in the year for documentary filmmakers developing new work, particularly because the programme combines international eligibility, no submission fee and a funding category created specifically for shorter documentaries.

Filmmakers looking for other documentary funding opportunities can also read Indie Shorts Mag’s coverage of the Guardian and Arte short documentary fund, another programme supporting ambitious short-form non-fiction projects.

With fewer than four weeks remaining before the deadline, filmmakers with projects that fit the psychedelic science, culture or policy brief should review the full eligibility requirements before beginning their application.