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On this page, you will find all the information about the 2025 Sphera Open Call and the elements you might need to spread the word about it in your network.

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A call for short documentary pitches for independent European media

Sphera Network invites independent European media outlets to submit ideas for short documentaries, aimed at exploring critical social issues through the lens of personal narratives and human-centered storytelling.

The initiative seeks to engage young Europeans (18-25 year-old) in discussions about social issues such as climate change, justice, human rights, and immigration through compelling, human-centered narratives. At Sphera we believe that local independent media are the best places to do that.

The project is a unique opportunity to enhance their cross-border reporting and become a part of a network of like-minded media with a shared mission to engage young Europeans in independent journalism.

<aside> 💌 As part of the initiative, selected media outlets will receive up to €7,000 in funding to produce their short documentary (15-20 minutes), plus additional support for producing 11 social media elements for promotional purposes.

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This project aims to

• Cover European news with a human-centred approach;
• Engage young Europeans in critical discussions;
• Increase the visibility of the the underrepresented regions in the broader European media landscape.
• foster collaboration between European media outlets;

Our mission: to give an opportunity to smaller independent media to take their reporting to the European level and gain visibility

We are looking for fresh, innovative perspectives to amplify voices from regions where independent media coverage is limited. Our aim is to empower independent media to share vital, cross-border stories with European youth (aged 18-25).

Basic info

• Who is eligible? European independent media outlets from one of the 27 European Union countries and Ukraine (excluding Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain) working in one of these European languages: German, English, Bulgarian, Croatian, Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Irish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Dutch, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Swedish, Czech, Ukrainian
• When? The application for the Open Call is open from the 12th of May to the 12th of July
• Where? Workshops and mentoring will take place remotely with Sphera teams
• What? Selected media will produce a short documentary (15-20 minutes) on one of the following topics: social issues, culture, youth, and/or the environment, as well as 11 social media elements for promotional purposes.
• How big is the grant? Selected media outlets will receive up to €7,000 for the production of a short video documentary