The Hubert Bals Fund is now accepting applications for the 2025 round of its Development Support scheme, offering grants of up to €10,000 to support the early development of projects by eligible filmmakers.

“To work independently, to have a grant at this stage, it’s really great because then you don’t have to take up commercial work to survive,” said All We Imagine as Light director and previous recipient Payal Kapadia in a recent interview.

Kapadia is one of a number of distinguished filmmakers whose recent successes have been supported by the scheme. Brazilian filmmaker Gabriel Mascaro's near-future Amazonian journey O último azul (pictured above) also received HBF Development funds, and won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale last month.

There is only a week to apply, with the deadline on 13 March 2025 at 23.59 CET.