There are two current strands of funding available to filmmakers in the South East (as defined by the BFI – see map) via BFI NETWORK:
- Early Development Fund (currently open for new applications)
- Short Film Fund (currently closed for new applications)
If you have any questions about either fund, please contact our Talent Executives, Tom Wightman and Sammy Wong: bfinetwork@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
Early Development Fund
The Early Development funding programme supports projects by writers based in the South East region. Please see here to see which regions we cover at Film Hub South East.
If you’re a new writer with an exciting, bold idea, with or without a producer, this is the fund for you.
‘New writers’ are people who have not yet written a feature film script that has been produced and distributed. This fund is also for producers and directors working with new writers.
This fund is the first step in the BFI’s development support for live-action and animated fiction projects from new writers. It supports people at the very beginning of their development process to produce an initial treatment and related materials.
For details including full guidelines, visit the BFI NETWORK website.
A series of online support sessions has been launched to provide support and guidance before you make your application. See the full programme details and register to attend.
Applications are open now until 11am on Tuesday 19 November.
If you have any questions about the fund, please contact:
bfinetwork@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
Short Film Fund
Applications to the Short Film Fund are currently closed.
Run in partnership with BFI NETWORK, the short film fund is for fiction shorts made by filmmakers in the South East region.
This fund supports the production costs of standalone fiction shorts, in live action, animation and immersive/VR. The fund is intended to stimulate new ideas and stories, so it doesn’t support adaptations of existing material. We welcome applications for amounts from £5,000 up to a maximum of £25,000. We are seeking applications for projects of any length up to a maximum of 15 minutes.
We want to support short films that:
- bring exciting new voices and bold narratives to the screen
- provide space for experimentation and idea-testing
- advance the careers of the filmmakers involved through showcasing their abilities to the industry and the public
Each funding award is accompanied by creative oversight of the short film by our Talent Executives, Tom Wightman and Sammy Wong. As well as working with filmmakers prior to and during production, Tom and Sammy may also be able to advise you on:
- finding screening opportunities regionally and further afield
- ways to meet potential collaborators for your project
- festival strategy for your project
- other means to gain industry exposure for your work
For details including full guidelines, visit the BFI NETWORK website.
If you have any questions about the fund, please contact:
bfinetwork@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk