DOCUBOX & France in Kenya to Connect East African Short Filmmakers to Global Market

DOCUBOX‘s East African Documentary Film Fund (DOCUBOX EADFF), in partnership with France in Kenya, has announced the East African short film fiction development grant. The intent is to connect East African filmmakers to Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and Market, the world’s leading short film market. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, DOCUBOX EADFF is an independent, non-profit film fund founded in 2013 by filmmakers to support talented artists across East Africa. By providing funding, grants, screening opportunities, and mentorship programmes, it helps regional filmmakers produce high-impact documentaries and narrative short films. 

Through the East African short fiction development grant, five writers and directors developing short fiction projects will receive financial and professional support to strengthen their projects, before travelling to France to pitch and connect with international film professionals at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and Market.

Docubox, the East African Documentary Film Fund, is the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative is part of France’s broader cooperation with the cultural and creative industries in East Africa, with a focus on supporting talent development, professional mobility and access to international networks and markets.

The call is open to East African writers and directors who have written or directed at least two short films or audiovisual works; have had previous work screened at festivals, cinemas, on television, or on VOD, and are currently developing a short fiction project. Selected filmmakers will receive a €2,500 development grant, three months of online mentorship in scriptwriting, story development and pitching, plus three days of training, pitching and industry access at Clermont-Ferrand. The deadline for application is 20th September, 2026. 

The initiative is part of France’s broader cooperation with the cultural and creative industries in East Africa, with a focus on supporting talent development, professional mobility, and access to international networks and markets. By providing funding and mentorship to selected filmmakers, the programme will equip selected filmmakers with the creative and business tools and language to refine their script and pitch. Importantly, it removes the steep financial and geographic barriers that traditionally isolate African creators by funding a trip directly to the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Market, the world’s premier short film hub. This exposure allows East African storytellers to pitch directly to global buyers, secure international co-productions, and elevate the visibility of regional narratives on the world stage.