Netflix has announced that its Documentary Talent Fund will return for another year in a “continued effort to provide opportunities and support to underrepresented filmmakers from across the UK and Ireland”.
Five filmmakers and their teams will have the chance to make a short documentary film with a budget of £30,000 each.
Entries will be open from 9 January to 12 February 2026. For the first round, applicants will be required to submit a logline (one sentence), a short synopsis and a creative statement about their documentary idea.
Applicants must be a UK or Ireland resident to apply. Only one application will be accepted per person.
Kate Townsend, Netflix Documentaries, said: “We hope that aspiring filmmakers from across the UK and Ireland will gather their teams over the next month, ahead of applications opening in January, to come up with some amazing and surprising ideas for a short documentary.
“We are looking to work with creatives who may have some experience within the industry but are looking for the next opportunity to super-charge their careers.
“This is a great moment for us to engage with the next generation of documentary makers and support where we can.”
All teams will be under the guidance of Netflix and other filmmaking professionals and will take part in Netflix-hosted workshops covering all aspects of production including legal, creative, HR, production and finance.
The programme is designed as a “stepping stone” for those aspiring to take the next leap in their careers, Netflix said.
So far, the fund has supported 21 films with over 65 festival screenings and filmmakers have gone on to win numerous awards and accolades for their work.
In their finished forms, each documentary must be between eight to 12 minutes long and will live on Netflix See What’s Next YouTube Channel following festival runs.
The brief for these short documentaries is “CHANGE”.
Elisabeth Hopper returns as lead producer of the fund for the fourth year, alongside producers Georgie Yukiko Donovan (unit director, Heart of Invictus) and Daisy Ifama (Netflix Doc Fund alumni 2021/22).
Molinare Creative Group will serve as the sole post-production supporter on this initiative. The award-winning team will provide full post-production services for all five upcoming Netflix Documentary Talent Fund pairs, supporting filmmakers with end-to-end expertise.
As part of the fund, the team will also lead an in-depth post-production workshop, sharing knowledge and insights to help filmmakers navigate the entire process.
Further details on how to apply can be found on the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund website.
