Welcome to the application for the 2026 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund. To apply, you must be an Alum of the Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellowship and have received an application code directly from Sundance Institute.
We appreciate your time and effort in the application process, and we salute you on your independent filmmaking journey.
The deadline for the 2026 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund is June 30, 2026, at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT/4 p.m. ET. All filmmakers who submit applications by this deadline will be notified in Fall 2026 regarding the status of their application.
The Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund aims to provide meaningful support for short films through direct project investment and creative consultation. Open only to alumni of the Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellowship, the short film fund will grant five films $35,000 USD, aiming to provide the resources needed to complete their films within one to two years.
Submissions are accepted starting with early development through production. All proposals must convey a vision for a finished short film. Fiction short films must be completed within one year of granting. Hybrid/nonfiction short films must be completed within two years of granting. Exceptions can be made if grantees face extraordinary circumstances and receive written approval from Sundance Institute Ignite.
Once your film premieres, we are unable to provide post-production funding support. Picture-locked cuts are also ineligible for funding. You do not need any prior funding or a fiscal sponsor in order to apply.
WHAT WILL I NEED IN ORDER TO APPLY?
Written responses
Line-item budget
Visual samples
Completed previous directing sample (any length or genre)
Current work sample
Fiction: Completed script
Nonfiction: Sample footage or detailed treatment
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I APPLY?
Applications go through a multistage review. Applications for the short film fund are evaluated on several criteria, including strong artistic vision, compelling storytelling, conceptual excellence, originality, feasibility, and potential to connect with an intended audience. Film teams’ career status and access to resources, both financial and creative, are taken into consideration to ensure funds are prioritized for those who need them most. The potential for impact on both the life of the film and the filmmaker’s development will also be evaluated.
We will be conducting virtual interviews in August 2026 with a small finalist group. You will be notified by us directly by email (to the main contact’s email address as provided in the application) once a decision has been made.
You may send any significant updates to ignite@sundance.org. However, due to the volume of projects that we receive, the Sundance Institute Ignite program does not guarantee that updates will be incorporated into the project’s review.
WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS?
Please refer to our FAQ. Please direct any further questions to ignite@sundance.org.
HOW DO I START MY APPLICATION?
Go to the online application portal and sign up for an account, or log in with an existing account.
Log in and select “2026 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund.”
Click “Apply.”
Input the code.
Get started!
2026 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund
Welcome to the application for the 2026 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund. To apply, you must be an Alum of the Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellowship and have received an application code directly from Sundance Institute.
We appreciate your time and effort in the application process, and we salute you on your independent filmmaking journey.
The deadline for the 2026 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund is June 30, 2026, at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT/4 p.m. ET. All filmmakers who submit applications by this deadline will be notified in Fall 2026 regarding the status of their application.
The Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund aims to provide meaningful support for short films through direct project investment and creative consultation. Open only to alumni of the Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellowship, the short film fund will grant five films $35,000 USD, aiming to provide the resources needed to complete their films within one to two years.
Submissions are accepted starting with early development through production. All proposals must convey a vision for a finished short film. Fiction short films must be completed within one year of granting. Hybrid/nonfiction short films must be completed within two years of granting. Exceptions can be made if grantees face extraordinary circumstances and receive written approval from Sundance Institute Ignite.
Once your film premieres, we are unable to provide post-production funding support. Picture-locked cuts are also ineligible for funding. You do not need any prior funding or a fiscal sponsor in order to apply.
WHAT WILL I NEED IN ORDER TO APPLY?
Written responses
Line-item budget
Visual samples
Completed previous directing sample (any length or genre)
Current work sample
Fiction: Completed script
Nonfiction: Sample footage or detailed treatment
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I APPLY?
Applications go through a multistage review. Applications for the short film fund are evaluated on several criteria, including strong artistic vision, compelling storytelling, conceptual excellence, originality, feasibility, and potential to connect with an intended audience. Film teams’ career status and access to resources, both financial and creative, are taken into consideration to ensure funds are prioritized for those who need them most. The potential for impact on both the life of the film and the filmmaker’s development will also be evaluated.
We will be conducting virtual interviews in August 2026 with a small finalist group. You will be notified by us directly by email (to the main contact’s email address as provided in the application) once a decision has been made.
You may send any significant updates to ignite@sundance.org. However, due to the volume of projects that we receive, the Sundance Institute Ignite program does not guarantee that updates will be incorporated into the project’s review.
WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS?
Please refer to our FAQ. Please direct any further questions to ignite@sundance.org.
HOW DO I START MY APPLICATION?
Go to the online application portal and sign up for an account, or log in with an existing account.
Log in and select “2026 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Short Film Fund.”
Click “Apply.”
Input the code.
Get started!