FWB Global Fellowship

Overview

The Filmmakers Without Borders (FWB) Global Fellowship is a fully funded, 10 to 12 month teaching residency that places experienced filmmakers and educators in schools and community organizations across 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Fellows teach filmmaking, media literacy, and digital technology skills to students who would otherwise have no access to media production education. The program is run by FWB, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in New York.

Placement countries include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, Tanzania, and Thailand. Fellows teach daily, guiding students through the production of their own multimedia projects while developing team-building and leadership skills.

Current status: As of July 2026, all FWB fellowship and grant programs are listed as on hold on the official website. The pause began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Filmmakers interested in the program should monitor the FWB site for updates on when placements will resume.

What It Covers

The fellowship is fully funded. Accepted fellows receive:

• Round-trip international airfare to and from the placement country
• Housing and accommodation for the full 10 to 12 month placement
• Three meals per day, seven days per week, for the full 52 weeks of the placement
• A customized curriculum and lesson plans
• Classroom equipment including cameras, microphones, laptops, and software
• Additional educational resources
• 24/7 support throughout the placement

The fellowship does not provide a cash salary or stipend. It covers the cost of living and working in the placement country, but fellows are not paid for their teaching. The model is closer to a volunteer placement with full logistical support than to a paid residency.

Eligibility Requirements

FWB has specific, non-negotiable eligibility criteria. Applicants must:

• Hold a Bachelor's degree (in film studies, education, or a related field)
• Have at least 2 years of film or media-related professional experience
• Have a minimum of 6 months cumulative teaching or mentorship experience (formal or informal)
• Be proficient in relevant digital technologies
• Be able to provide samples of their own film or media work
• Be highly flexible, mature, and genuinely interested in teaching
• Be available for the full 10 to 12 month placement period

Applicants from any country are welcome to apply. Fluency in a second language is valued but not required. The program does not train fellows in filmmaking basics; it places experienced practitioners who already have production skills into teaching contexts.

Application Process

The application requires:

1. An online application form
2. A $45 USD application fee (waived for Peace Corps, VSO, ICS Network, UN Volunteers, Teach For America, City Year, and Americorps alumni)
3. A 3 to 5 minute video essay introducing the applicant, their background, and their motivation for participating
4. Supporting materials including a CV and work samples

After submission, applications are forwarded to an admissions committee for initial review. The review process takes 2 to 6 weeks from the application deadline. Successful applicants are then contacted for a series of telephone or Skype interviews with FWB staff. Final offers of admission are generally issued 2 to 3 months after the relevant application deadline. Unsuccessful applicants are notified within 6 weeks of the deadline.

FWB recruits on a rolling basis with Priority and Final deadlines. Filmmakers should consult the FWB fellowships page for current deadlines and open placements.

What Fellows Actually Do

Fellows teach filmmaking and media literacy on a daily basis in their assigned placement school or community organization. The curriculum covers camera operation, editing, storytelling, and digital technology skills. Students produce their own short multimedia projects over the course of the residency.

The teaching load is substantial. Fellows are in the classroom daily, working with students who in most cases have never used a camera or editing software before. The program is designed for people who want to teach, not for filmmakers looking for a subsidized international production residency. Fellows who arrive expecting to focus on their own creative work tend to struggle; those who arrive committed to the teaching mission tend to succeed.

Who Should Apply

Experienced filmmakers and media educators who want to spend 10 to 12 months teaching in an underserved community abroad. The fellowship is best suited to filmmakers who have completed significant production work, have some teaching or mentorship experience, and are looking for a structured way to apply their skills in a global development context.

The program is not a good fit for filmmakers seeking funding for their own films, those who cannot commit to the full 10 to 12 month placement, or those who are not genuinely interested in teaching young people. The fellowship covers living costs but does not pay a salary, so fellows need to be financially prepared for an unpaid commitment.

Program History and Context

FWB was founded to address the gap in media education access in underserved communities worldwide. The organization has worked in over 15 countries, placing fellows in classrooms where students have no prior exposure to filmmaking tools or media literacy training. The fellowship model is built on the idea that filmmaking skills, storytelling ability, and media literacy are tools for self-expression and civic engagement, not just vocational training.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced FWB to suspend all fellowship placements. The organization has not announced a definitive timeline for resuming operations. Filmmakers who were planning around this fellowship should verify its current status before committing to the application process.

Comparison With Similar Programs

The FWB Global Fellowship occupies a specific niche: it is a teaching fellowship, not a production grant. Filmmakers comparing it to other opportunities should understand the distinction:

• Production grants (like the Hot Docs-Blue Ice Docs Fund) provide cash for making films. FWB does not.
• Career development fellowships (like the IF/Then Shorts program) provide funding and mentorship for a filmmaker's own project. FWB provides teaching experience.
• Education residencies are the closest comparable category. FWB is one of the few programs that places filmmakers in international teaching roles with full logistical support.

Filmmakers who want to teach abroad should also research programs like the Fulbright Scholar Program and the Peace Corps, which offer different models of international placement with different levels of film-specific focus.

See Also

For understanding how media education connects to the broader film industry pipeline, see Film Grants and the Development Pathway. For an overview of the career pathways available within the film industry, see the Director and Crew glossary entries. For planning a production budget if you are considering applying to other grants alongside this fellowship, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator.