We are the BFI’s partner for providing support for new and emerging filmmakers across the South East through BFI NETWORK. Thanks to National Lottery funding, we do so via a range of activities, including:
- Advising regional filmmakers on their creative development
- Holding events across the region to encourage networking, filmmaker collaboration and skills development
- Recommending the filmmakers we work with for BFI NETWORK funding.
Through all of this work, we aim to help filmmaking talent from the South East gain a national and international platform and create a regional filmmaking community.
If you have any questions, please contact our Talent Executives, Tom Wightman and Sammy Wong: bfinetwork@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
Check if you’re in the South East region defined by the BFI.
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Our work
Meet the awardees of our Early Development Fund 2023-2024!
Meet the awardees of our Early Development Fund 2023-2024.
Each awarded project, the writer / writer-director of which is based in the South East region, joined the fund at the very beginning of their development process and will go on to produce an initial treatment and related materials.
Projects that are supported at treatment stage and which are completed to schedule will then be able to apply for funding for a first draft of the full feature-length screenplay, or equivalent format for immersive work.
Our team
Thomas Wightman
BFI NETWORK Talent Executive
Prior to this role, Tom worked at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) where he managed STOP PLAY RECORD, a London-wide commissioning programme for emerging filmmakers, from 2015 to 2018; during which time he commissioned, developed and executive produced 72 short films made by filmmakers aged 16-24 for Channel 4’s Random Acts series. The programme also provided free monthly workshops for young people interested in all aspects of filmmaking. Previously Tom also worked for the BBC and gained independent commissions as a Producer and Director in film and visual arts.
Get in touch with Tom at: bfinetwork@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
Sammy Wong
BFI NETWORK Talent Executive
Sammy started her career on the film BEAST (2016) as a runner and assistant at Stray Bear Films. Following on she worked at Revolution Films, BBC Film and Home Team across Film, TV and Short Film. Her most recent credits as a development executive include TIFF winning short SHÉ (SNAKE) by Renee Zhan and Sundance winning feature Scrapper by Charlotte Regan.
Get in touch with Sammy at: bfinetwork@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
David Williams
Film Hub South East Coordinator
Having previously spent six years at Time Out London promoting arts and culture in the city as part of the ecommerce team, David Williams joined the Independent Cinema Office in 2021 as Film Hub South East Coordinator, where he supports the delivery of film exhibition and talent development activity across the region. David studied both Literature & Film and European Cinema as part of an English & Comparative Literature degree at Goldsmiths, University of London, and has also contributed news, reviews, features, and festival coverage to a film blog in his spare time. If you look very closely he can be spotted in the background of the 2010 film Kick-Ass.
Get in touch with David at: filmhubse@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
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