Grants & Support

AI Filmmaking Resources · Next New Wave

Nine funding and support programmes for filmmakers. No unrestricted, currently open AI cash production grant for Malaysian applicants was verified on 11 November 2026. Tool credits, training and partnership benefits are listed separately from cash.

Last source check: 11 November 2026. An unspecified fee, closing time or eligibility rule remains unconfirmed. Check the linked terms before committing money or publishing a project.

Open now · rolling support

Higgsfield Filmmaker Grant

Online / international · Tool credits, not cash.
Deadline: no fixed closing date; weekly project review.
For creators publishing qualifying Open Projects through Higgsfield. Share the production workflow, prompts, settings and assets; there is no separate application form. Up to 200,000 generation credits are advertised. Tool-use costs may apply; no cash award is stated. The workflow becomes public, so clear collaborators’ permissions and consider premiere restrictions.
Official programme and workflow · Verified 11 Nov 2026.

Higgsfield Creator Partnership Program

Online / international · Creator partnership and credits.
Deadline: rolling application; no fixed date stated.
Portfolio-based selection, advertised in 35+ countries; Malaysia’s availability still needs confirmation. Applicants submit their creative work and follow Higgsfield’s programme requirements. Monthly plan credits are separate from contingent affiliate earnings. This is neither a guaranteed paid commission nor a cash production grant. Confirm account costs and participation commitments.
Official application and terms · Verified 11 Nov 2026.

Luma Creative Partner Program

Online / international · Tool credits and professional support.
Deadline: rolling expression of interest; no fixed date stated.
For creators with a strong portfolio and usually 5,000 followers or an engaged community. Country eligibility is subject to selection. Partners use Luma regularly and publish 2–3 attributed posts monthly. Benefits include monthly credits, early access and staff sessions; no cash grant is stated. Confirm account costs and ongoing promotional obligations.
Official programme and interest form · Verified 11 Nov 2026.

Open now · geographically restricted

Google.org × Akuna — From Script to Screen with AI

Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa · Training and selected production support.
Deadline: 15 November 2026; closing time not stated.
A 12-week cohort beginning February 2027 for storytellers in the five specified African countries. It is not a general application route for Malaysian-based filmmakers. Includes AI-supported filmmaking, mentoring and selected project pitches. USD 1,000,000 is the programme’s total funding, not an individual grant. Confirm fees, travel, detailed residency rules and selected-project allocations in the application terms.
Official call · Verified 11 Nov 2026.

Upcoming rounds

No forthcoming support round with confirmed opening dates was verified. The programmes below remain a watchlist, not confirmed open calls.

Watchlist · current intake unconfirmed

TapNow Creator Partnership Program (CPP)

Online · Tool credits / creator support.

Deadline: unconfirmed.

TapNow’s official community confirms its creator programme offers Tapies tool-credit rewards. No cash grant is confirmed. Current applications, credit allocation, creator commitments and Malaysian / Southeast Asian eligibility remain unverified.

Official TapNow community · Checked 12 November 2026.

Runway — Hundred Film Fund

International · Cash production funding plus separate tool credits.
Current deadline: unconfirmed.
The 2024 launch covered AI-supported shorts, features and other formats, advertising USD 5,000–1,000,000+ in cash support alongside credits. Current nationality, entity, tool and application-cost rules need reconfirmation. Older application routes now lead to Runway Studios. Do not treat the historical fund as a rolling open call or assume a 31 December deadline.
2024 fund announcement · Current Runway Studios · Verified 11 Nov 2026.

Adobe Film & TV Fund

International / partner programmes · Broader film and television funding.
Current direct-entry deadline: none verified.
The 9 November 2026 announcement describes USD 1,000,000 in combined direct support to ten filmmakers. This is an aggregate allocation, not an award available to every applicant. Access uses partner or nomination routes; a general Malaysian direct-entry route was not established. The fund is not exclusively for AI work. Eligibility, tools, fees and the next intake depend on the relevant partner programme.
Official cohort and fund announcement · Verified 11 Nov 2026.

Future Animation — 3rd AI-assisted Production Support Scheme

Hong Kong · Restricted production and technical support.
Current deadline: unverified; available guidelines date from 2025.
For eligible Hong Kong companies making 15–20-minute AI-assisted animation projects; this is not a direct route for a Malaysian individual. Historical proposed support was capped at HKD 850,000 per company: HKD 600,000 production plus HKD 250,000 technical support. The guideline was subject to approval. Confirm a current intake, company requirements, funding agreement and fees before relying on those amounts.
Official 2025 guidelines (PDF) · Verified 11 Nov 2026.

Expired / Try next round

NFMLA NewNarratives — Absurd AI Storytelling Grant

Los Angeles, USA · Cash grant and fellowship.
2026 round closed; next opening and deadline unannounced.
The 2026 award provided USD 10,000 plus a three-month AI storytelling fellowship for an emerging filmmaker. Short and feature storytelling are relevant, but Malaysian-based applicants’ eligibility has not been confirmed. Check the next round’s residency, format, tool, fee and participation requirements before preparing an application.
NFMLA programme history · Partner’s grant announcement · Verified 11 Nov 2026.