IDFAgrant
IDFA Bertha Fund Classic (IBF Classic)
- Who Can Apply: Directors of creative documentary films who hold the nationality of, and live and work in, a country on the IBF Classic Country List. Development entries must come from the director; Production & Post-production entries from the director or producer (projects without a producer are accepted; any main producer must be based in a listed country). Starting and experienced directors are both supported.
- The Focus: Creative, author-driven documentary films of any length, at any stage from research and development to post-production. Not for series, study-curriculum films, or immersive and interactive projects.
- The Funding: Maximum contribution per project: EUR 7,500 for Project Development; EUR 25,000 for Production & Post-production. Selected projects also get tailored coaching and market support.
- Key Requirements: MyIDFA entry form by 23:59 (applicant's time zone) on February 10, 2027: project details, crew list, logline (max 50 words), synopsis (max 400 words), project description (max 1,500 words), topic summary or motivation (max 1,000 words, or a short video), director and producer biographies and filmographies, project stage and timeline (max 200 words), and a streaming link to audiovisual material with English subtitles (Development: at least 2 minutes; Production: 3 to 20 minutes; Post-production: about 20 minutes).
Applications openlate December 2026
DeadlineWednesday, February 10, 2027
AwardProject Development: maximum contribution €7,500 per project; Production & Post-production: maximum contribution €25,000 per project.
Locationmulti_national
ParticipationRemote
Career stagesAll Stages
Disciplinesdocumentary film
Application notesApply online through the MyIDFA entry form: register for a MyIDFA account, go to My Submissions and choose the IDFA Bertha Fund entry form. Entries for the February 10, 2027 deadline open in late December 2026. The form must be complete by 23:59 on the deadline day in the applicant's time zone and can be submitted only once; incomplete applications are not considered. Forms are in English (French is allowed for applicants from the listed francophone countries). Two categories: Project Development (must be entered by the director) and Production & Post-production (entered by the director or producer; projects without a producer are accepted). The entry form includes: basic project details; list of crew members; logline (max 50 words); synopsis (max 400 words); project description (max 1,500 words: story structure, characters or themes, artistic approach); topic summary or motivation (max 1,000 words, or a link to a short video by the director instead); biography and filmography of the director(s) and of the producer(s); project stage and timeline (max 200 words); link to audiovisual material; and, for Development only, an implementation plan for the research or fundraising teaser. Audiovisual material: Development needs original material from the project, minimum 2 minutes (a photo presentation or style references from other sources are not accepted), plus one previous work if applicable; Production stage needs a trailer, demo or edited sequence of 3 to 20 minutes (about 10 minutes is recommended); Post-production stage needs an edited sequence or rough-cut selection of about 20 minutes (the full rough cut for a qualifying re-application). All material must have English subtitles and be a streaming link (for example Vimeo or YouTube, password allowed, no login or download; no file uploads, PowerPoint or unedited rushes) that stays online for at least three months after the deadline. Pre-selected applicants are told within 8 weeks and then have one week to return a longer form with an extensive budget, finance plan, fundraising strategy and production schedule (plus a co-production agreement if a producer from a non-listed country is attached). Final results come within three months of the deadline. Check eligibility first with the fund's online checker or by emailing idfaberthafund@idfa.nl.
Contactidfaberthafund@idfa.nl
IDFA