NFMLA NewNarratives Grant

Overview

NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that programs a monthly film festival in Los Angeles, screening 15 to 20 titles per event. Since its launch, NFMLA has screened over 3,500 films from more than 93 countries. Its grant program, NewNarratives, is the primary funding arm for emerging filmmakers within the organization.

NewNarratives launched in 2021 in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery with an initial $100,000 investment. The program has since fielded more than 1,175 applications from over 89 countries and invested nearly $300,000 in emerging filmmakers. The 2026 cycle awards $35,000 in cash grants across six grants in three categories, an increase from the $25,000 distributed in 2025.

The program is open to filmmakers globally, not just US-based applicants. Projects can be at any stage of production, from concept development through post-production and audience distribution strategy. Accepted formats include narrative, documentary, live-action, animation, experimental, and episodic work, in both short and feature lengths.

The 2026 cycle is funded by the Rhulen Family Foundation (honoring independent producer Anthony Rhulen, known for The Butterfly Effect), Athens Services, and Absurd. Applications open July 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and close August 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time. Applicants must be or become NFMLA members at the Rising Creator or Champion level.

What It Covers

The 2026 NewNarratives cycle distributes $35,000 across three grant categories:

NewNarratives General Artist Grants (four grants of $5,000 each):

• Open to short films, feature films, or episodic series in fiction, documentary, live-action, animation, or experimental formats
• Projects may be at any stage: concept development, early development, pre-production, production, post-production, or audience strategy and distribution planning
• Funding is unrestricted within the project

NewNarratives Environmental Storytelling Grant (one grant of $5,000):

• Supported by Athens Services
• Restricted to short films currently in post-production
• Projects must meaningfully explore themes of climate, environmental sustainability, conservation, or humanity's relationship with the natural world
• Open across fiction, documentary, live-action, or animation

NewNarratives Absurd AI Storytelling Grant (one grant of $10,000):

• Supported by Absurd, a new AI storytelling tools company
• Open to short or feature films across fiction, live-action, animation, or experimental work at any stage of production
• Includes a three-month fellowship for the awarded artist to explore Absurd's AI storytelling tools
• Absurd begins onboarding beta users on August 3, 2026

All grantees also receive access to NFMLA's monthly screening series, industry panels, and networking events. NFMLA's monthly festival provides a public exhibition platform that connects funded filmmakers with Los Angeles audiences and industry professionals.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:

• The applicant must have written, directed, or produced at least one project that has been accepted into a film festival or an industry-recognized development competition (such as a screenplay contest)
• The proposed project must be original and unreleased
• The applicant may only submit one project total, including projects on which they share a credit
• Content must be written or created by the applicant
• Application materials must be written in English
• The applicant must be able and willing to complete the project if funding is awarded
• The applicant must be willing to sign a project submission release
• The applicant must be or become a Rising Creator or Champion level member of NFMLA

There are no restrictions on nationality, age, or educational background. The program does not require enrollment in a film school. Unlike many US-based grants, NewNarratives accepts applications from filmmakers worldwide.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the NFMLA website at newfilmmakersla.com/newnarratives. The 2026 cycle opens July 21, 2026 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time and closes August 18, 2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time.

Required submission materials include:

• A work sample of a previously completed narrative, experimental, or documentary feature, short, or episodic project, or a script that has been selected for an industry-recognized development competition
• Video work samples must include English subtitles for any content not in English
• A project proposal or pitch deck for the proposed project
• The first 10 pages of the script (if applicable)
• A project budget
• A creative statement

NFMLA reviews applications and selects grantees based on creative voice, project viability, and alignment with any category-specific requirements. The application is designed to be lightweight for filmmakers who already have their materials prepared. As NFMLA executive director Larry Laboe noted in IndieWire, the application does not require anything beyond what a filmmaker should already have ready if they are attempting to make a project.

Notable Context

NFMLA also operates the Anthony Rhulen Film Fund and other grant initiatives beyond NewNarratives. The organization's monthly film festival runs year-round, providing filmmakers with recurring exhibition opportunities rather than a single annual event. Films submitted to the monthly festival receive consideration for the Best of NFMLA Awards program and access to industry meetings, press opportunities with publications including MovieMaker Magazine, and moderated audience Q&A sessions.

The NewNarratives program has grown each year. The 2025 cycle distributed $25,000 across five grants. The 2026 cycle increased to $35,000 across six grants, with the new Absurd AI Storytelling Grant adding both a larger individual award ($10,000) and a fellowship component. The environmental storytelling category, introduced in 2025 in partnership with the Hollywood Climate Summit, continues in 2026 with support from Athens Services.

Who Should Apply

Emerging filmmakers who have at least one festival-accepted credit and an original project at any stage of production. The program is particularly well suited for filmmakers making their first or second short or feature who need modest funding to move a project forward. Because the grants are relatively small ($5,000 to $10,000), they work best as gap funding or seed money rather than as a primary production budget.

Filmmakers outside the United States should note that NewNarratives is one of the few US-based grant programs that accepts international applications. The requirement for English-language application materials is the only language restriction.

Filmmakers working in environmental or climate-themed short films should specifically target the Environmental Storytelling Grant, which requires only that the project be in post-production. Filmmakers interested in exploring AI tools in their creative process should target the Absurd AI Storytelling Grant, which includes both the largest individual award and a structured fellowship with Absurd's platform.

See Also

For planning your short film or feature budget and determining how an NFMLA grant fits into your financing plan, use the Production Budget Calculator. For strategies on building a body of work as an emerging filmmaker, see Independent Filmmaking. To explore other grant opportunities, see Cinereach Grant and Austin Film Society Grant.