Mycoskie–UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship 2026: Up to $20,000 for Documentary Filmmakers Worldwide
The Mycoskie–UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship offers production and post-production funding for documentary filmmakers worldwide exploring the science, policy, business, and culture of psychedelics. Selected feature-length projects can receive up to $20,000, while short-form projects can receive up to $10,000.
Overview
The Mycoskie–UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship, a project of the U.C. Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, supports filmmakers producing documentaries that examine the rapidly evolving world of psychedelics. The program seeks compelling cinematic narratives exploring scientific research, drug policy, commercial ecosystems, and cultural practices.
For 2026, the fellowship provides two distinct funding tracks:
- Feature-Length Documentary Grant: Up to $20,000 per filmmaker for projects longer than 40 minutes (three filmmakers selected).
- Short-Form Documentary Grant: Up to $10,000 per filmmaker for projects 40 minutes or less (up to five filmmakers selected).
Benefits
- Production or post-production financial support ranging from up to $10,000 to up to $20,000.
- Feature-length awardees receive half upfront and the remainder after a six-month progress update, while short-form awardees receive the full amount upfront.
- Participation in 3 to 4 virtual cohort meetings for successful fellows.
- Free application process with no submission fee.
Eligibility
- Open to individual documentary filmmakers worldwide, regardless of nationality or citizenship status.
- Applicants must serve as the director of the project and have relevant prior work samples.
- Projects must be documentary, nonfiction, or an eligible hybrid film; fiction films, cannabis stories, first-person illegal-substance experiences, and previously publicly distributed films are ineligible.
- Applications and finished films must include English subtitles if produced in another language, though the application must be written in English.
- Student applicants for the short-form track must be enrolled at an intermediate level or higher in a U.S.-based undergraduate or graduate-level film or journalism program and have a supporting faculty advisor. Current students cannot apply for the feature-length grant.
How to Apply
Applicants must choose between the feature-length or short-form grant category and submit only one story pitch per year. Applications must be completed online through the official grant portals.
Deadline
The application deadline is October 5, 2026, with award decisions expected to be communicated by December 2026.