Empowering creative documentaries and filmmakers

The IDFA Bertha Fund (IBF) is dedicated to strengthening independent, author-driven documentary filmmaking in regions and communities where access to funding and distribution for independent creative documentary film is structurally challenging—across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania. The Fund supports filmmakers working in contexts without robust public–private funding structures or where censorship restricts creative independence. An integral part of IDFA's Filmmaker Support department, the Fund engages with documentary filmmakers whose work is grounded in bold artistic vision, innovation in form, and exploration of new perspectives. IBF-supported films bring truly independent stories to both local and international audiences through distinctive visual storytelling. We collaborate with both emerging and established filmmakers, recognizing that access to resources—not talent or vision—often defines visibility within the film ecosystem globally.