Planet Health Film Fund — Earthrise and Bupa

Sustainability Partner

Earthrise and Bupa in partnership with BAFTA Albert

Presented at SXSW London

We are looking for five filmmakers to create bold, authored short documentaries exploring how our health is deeply connected to the health of our environment.

The Fund

Earthrise and Bupa, with sustainability partner BAFTA Albert and SXSW London, are launching the Planet Health Film Fund, supporting five filmmakers to create original short documentaries exploring the deep, often personal connections between human health and the health of our environment.

The fund will award five filmmakers £20,000 each to create a 10-minute documentary alongside accompanying social content. We are looking for authored stories that explore what keeps us healthy and connected to nature in a rapidly changing and increasingly urbanised world.

The Programme

Selected filmmakers will take part in a dedicated online development programme, with masterclasses from BAFTA Albert, YouTube, Together Films and leading industry voices spanning creative craft, sustainable production, digital storytelling and impact. Filmmakers will also receive ongoing support from Earthrise throughout production, with regular check-ins and feedback at key stages.

As the fund's Sustainability Partner, BAFTA Albert will share its expertise in sustainable screen practices, helping filmmakers explore practical ways to reduce the environmental impact of their productions. Filmmakers will also develop their own audience and impact strategy, exploring how their film can reach and engage audiences beyond its initial release.

The programme will culminate in a World Premiere at SXSW London 2027, followed by a coordinated digital launch on YouTube.

Key Dates

Oct 2026

29 October 2026

Applications open

Nov 2026

16 November, 6pm GMT 2026

Applications close

Dec 2026

December 2026

Applicants notified of outcomes

Jan 2027

Early January 2027

Five selected filmmakers announced

January 2027

Filmmaker development programme begins

Jan – May 2027

January – May 2027

Film development, production and post-production

May 2027

26 May 2027

World Premiere of finished films at SXSW London 2027, followed by a global digital release.

Jun 2027

11 June 2027

Audience award winner announced

Application Criteria

Five awards of £20,000 each.
The £20,000 award must cover the full cost of making and delivering the film and supporting materials. Projects cannot bring additional production finance and must be realistically achievable within this budget and the agreed delivery timeline.

Approximately 10-minute standalone documentary plus 2-minute landscape and portrait social versions.
Documentary / non-fiction only; no scripted fiction.
The short film should be a complete work in its own right rather than a proof of concept or development teaser for a feature.
Projects already in development are eligible to apply and may have undertaken some preliminary filming as part of the development process. Projects must not have entered production or post-production at the time of application.
Final films may be in any language, subject to agreed subtitling and delivery requirements.
No AI-generated content is permitted in audience-facing materials.

Open to international applicants aged 18 or over.
Applicants must have previously directed at least one completed documentary film (short or feature-length), or comparable authored non-fiction work, that has been selected for a recognised film festival, commissioned or distributed by an established broadcaster, editorial or documentary platform. Please see our FAQs for more info.
The lead applicant must be the director of the proposed film. Co-directors are welcome, but one director must be nominated as the lead applicant.
One entry per individual, whether as a lead director or co-director.
Applicants must have a legally registered production company in place at the point of application. The award cannot be paid directly to an individual.

Applications must be made in English.
Applicants must demonstrate appropriate access to their proposed story and, where relevant, principal contributors.
Submitted creative materials presented as the applicant’s own work must be their own or the work of identified collaborators.
If selected, applicants must be available to attend a series of required online development sessions in early 2027. Dates will be communicated in advance.
Applicants must read the full Terms & Conditions before submitting their application.

Our Principles

Creative freedom and filmmaker authorship are at the heart of this fund. These are standalone, authored documentaries, not branded content. Selected filmmakers will retain ownership of their films and be supported to tell the stories they want to tell in their own creative voice.

However, the films will need to operate within agreed editorial, legal and commercial parameters. Full Creative & Editorial Guidelines are set out in the Terms & Conditions, which all applicants must read before submitting their application.

Accessibility

We want to be accessible and welcoming to filmmakers with different access needs. If you require adjustments or support to take part in the application or production process, there will be an opportunity to tell us what you need, and we will work with selected filmmakers to understand how we can best support them.

We also want to build accessibility into the films from the start, rather than treating it as an addition at the end of production. We will work with our industry partner Screen Language, who will support the programme with in-kind subtitling and creative captioning to help make the films accessible to wider audiences.

Applications close 6pm GMT,
16 November 2026

Apply Now

Our ecosystem

Presented by

Bupa is a healthcare company that looks after the health of more than 60 million people worldwide. The partnership between Earthrise and Bupa was founded on a shared belief that for humans to be healthy, they need a healthy place to live. What if we could bring together the science of human health and the data that reveals how our environments affect us? Bupa is on a mission to discover patterns we've never seen before, understand what makes some environments healthier than others and to turn those insights into more personal ways to prevent illness and help people live longer, healthier, happier lives and to make a better world.

Learn more about Bupa

Earthrise is a studio and media platform producing high-impact, multimedia climate storytelling for a global Gen Z audience. Earthrise has reached hundreds of millions of people worldwide, shaping cultural narratives, public engagement and action on the climate crisis. Known for combining rigorous journalism with emotionally resonant storytelling, Earthrise has led partnerships with brands, charities and global platforms, resulting in a Webby Award with Google Arts & Culture and a Cannes Lion for Sounds Right with Spotify. Clients include Patagonia, Meta and Oxfam, with work spanning digital, film and broadcast for YouTube Originals, BBC Natural History Unit and Bloomberg Originals.

Learn more about Earthrise

Building on a legacy

We first launched Planet Health Stories in 2025, where 12 filmmakers from 6 countries produced films exploring access to green space, mental health and community - united by a single, hopeful idea: that caring for ourselves and caring for the planet are the same act. The films were featured in National Geographic, seen by over 31 million people online and 93% of viewers said they felt more connected to nature after watching the series.

Learn more about Planet Health Stories 2025