# Vimeo puts $300,000 behind five new filmmakers

> Vimeo's short film grant doubles its pot, and five emerging directors split the money plus mentorship.
- Title: Vimeo puts $300,000 behind five new filmmakers · Variety
- Summary: Vimeo's short film grant doubles its pot, and five emerging directors split the money plus mentorship. Five emerging filmmakers will each get funding…
- Keywords: vimeo, short film, grants, filmmaking, emerging talent, entertainment, culture, puts, 300, 000, behind, five
- Source: Variety — https://variety.com/2026/film/news/vimeo-doubles-short-film-grant-program-1236861332
- Author: Tanya Fedak
- Published: 2026-09-14T16:38:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: vimeo, short film, grants, filmmaking, emerging talent, entertainment, culture
## Vimeo doubles the pot
The second annual Short Film Grant Program comes with $300,000, twice what Vimeo put up last year.
## Five filmmakers split it
The money goes to five emerging filmmakers, who each get funding to make an original short.
## Money is not the whole prize
Winners also get mentorship and resources meant to speed up the filmmaking process and their careers beyond this one short.
## Betting before the world notices
Vimeo's pitch is the early bet: backing a filmmaker in the window before anyone knows the name.

> So many filmmakers attribute their success to the moment when someone took a chance on their work
## Hunting the next generation
Ina Pira, head of curation at Vimeo, frames the grant as a discovery tool for filmmakers who need backing and a community around them.

> give them the resources, encouragement and community support they need
## A second year, scaled up
Doubling the prize in year two signals Vimeo wants the grant to be a real launchpad, not a one-off marketing gesture.
## Key takeaway

Five emerging filmmakers will each get funding, mentorship and resources from a $300,000 pool to make an original short.