New Round of Studio Caribe also open to filmmakers from Suriname
With Studio Caribe, the Netherlands Film Fund offers filmmakers from the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands the opportunity to further develop their talents and contribute to a richer film landscape with original stories from and about the islands.
Thanks to additional funding made available through International Cultural Policy (ICB), this year’s programme also includes space for two films by filmmakers from Suriname, aiming to build a sustainable, equal and long-term cultural partnership between the Netherlands, the Caribbean islands and Suriname.
The Netherlands, the Caribbean islands and Suriname share a common history, languages, themes and audiences. By connecting Suriname to existing Caribbean networks, a regional film ecosystem is created in which filmmakers, producers and institutions strengthen one another.
From all applications, 14 projects will be selected for the development phase. In addition to financial support, the selected filmmakers will receive coaching and training, and take part in workshops to further develop their film plans.
In the next year, 7 of these projects will then be selected for a production grant — 6 from the islands and 1 from Suriname.
Who can apply
The scheme is aimed at screenwriters, directors and producers with an original film idea for the development of a short (children’s) film. Eligible projects fall within the categories of fiction, documentary, experimental film (minimum 5 and maximum 30 minutes) or animation (minimum 1 minute). Applications for this development round of Studio Caribe can be submitted with or without a producer attached.
Deadline
Applications for Studio Caribe can be submitted from March 1st. The deadline is Tuesday, 5 May 2026.
More information
You can find more information about Studio Caribe on the website of the Netherlands Film Fund starting today.
In addition, consultation sessions for Studio Caribe will be organised during the Curaçao International Film Festival (14-19 April) and in Suriname. More information about these sessions and exact dates will follow soon.
The first development round of Studio Caribe took place in 2024, followed by the production round in 2025. Read more about the projects selected for the development round here (Dutch), and click here for the projects that were selected for production support.
