$300000 Prize Pool, Five $60000 Awards, Panavision Camera Packages | CineD

Subscribe to News – Industry Vimeo has opened the second edition of its Short Film Grant, doubling the total fund to $300,000 and the individual award to $60,000 for each of five emerging filmmakers. This year’s supporting partners are Panavision, OWC, AJA, and ShotDeck, replacing last year’s Nikon and RED partnership. A new five-person jury that includes Kogonada and Jomo Fray, ASC will pick the winners. The first Vimeo Short Film Grant launched in March 2025 as a $150,000 program presented by Nikon and RED, with five recipients receiving $30,000 apiece and a choice of Z-mount V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X cinema cameras or Nikon Z9, Z8, and Z6III mirrorless bodies. Vimeo says that inaugural round drew more than 3,100 submissions. For 2026 the cash component has doubled and the camera supplier has changed. The timing is notable. Vimeo was acquired by Bending Spoons in November 2025, and the months since have brought deep layoffs at the platform and a public debate about whether Vimeo still serves the filmmakers who built its reputation. Bending Spoons co-founder Matteo Danieli presents the expanded grant as the opening move of a broader push. “Independent filmmakers have been key to Vimeo’s success and rekindling that connection is one
Read More