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The FEDS experienceApplications for FEDS 2020 have now closed.
Are you passionate about film and want to work in the industry, but are struggling to find your way in? FEDS is a ground-breaking scheme designed to give newcomers to the film industry the ultimate head-start.
Offering a ten month long paid traineeship in the film exhibition sector, as well as mentoring and industry expert advice, you’ll leave with a CV that will make you top of the list.
We are recruiting ambitious trainees from across the UK who can display these attributes:
- A passion for film
- Excellent communication skills
- Experience of using Microsoft Office packages and email
- The ability to work as part of a team
- A desire to learn
We want to make the film industry more inclusive. Black, Asian and ethnically diverse people, and people who consider themselves to have a disability, are underrepresented in cinema and film festival jobs. That’s why we welcome applications from these groups.
Head of UK Audiences at BFI, Ben Luxford said, “Improving the representation of the industry’s workforce is one of the fundamental aims of BFI2022, so we are delighted to support the return of the ICO’s FEDS programme. It has a fantastic track record in successfully supporting diverse talent to forge great careers in the distribution and exhibition sectors, providing professional opportunities which help us all reach a broader range of audiences.”
FEDS 2020 is supported by the BFI Audience Fund.
What's Involved
- Placements will commence in March 2020 and run until December (10 months)
- Trainees will undertake an office-based placement in an independent film exhibition company. FEDS 2020 placements are available at the Barbican (London), Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival (Berwick-upon-Tweed), HOME (Manchester), Independent Cinema Office (London), Phoenix Cinema (Leicester) and Tyneside Cinema (Newcastle-upon-Tyne)
- Trainees will work full time (defined as 35 hours per week) in host companies, and will regularly attend training sessions with the other trainees, which will further enhance their employability skills and knowledge of the film industry
- Trainees will be paid a monthly training allowance equivalent to the UK/London Living Wage (depending on placement)
- Trainees will be entitled to 16.5 days annual leave, subject to agreement with their host organisation
“Before FEDS, working in the film industry seemed like a completely unattainable goal. As a direct result of this programme, I found a job in the industry before my placement had even finished. It’s literally changed my life and given me both the confidence and the skills I need to forge a lasting career.” – Roisin Mullins, FEDS Trainee 2018
FEDS International Placements
We are delighted that thanks to funding from British Council Film, two of our 2020 FEDS will have the opportunity to undertake a short term placement with an international exhibition partner in early 2021. Previous partners have included Brooklyn Academy of Music (New York, United States) and DOCLAB (Hanoi, Vietnam). The placement will allow trainees to further develop their skills and understanding of film exhibition practice and programming while encouraging and enabling the development of new networks and contacts.
Learn more about the FEDS International experience with these blog posts:
- Maria Cabrera – On the ground at BAM
- Umulkhayr Mohamed – Questioning cultural blind spots in film programming
The FEDS experience
Learn more about the FEDS experience with these blog posts by some of our past trainees:
- Aisha Jan – Documentaries are Real Films too
- Chris Kumar – Fighting the elements: running a festival in the eye of a storm
- Roisin Mullins – Why short films matter
- Umulkhayr Mohamed – Decolonising the Conversation around Diversity
I can’t imagine being in a role that works with film without the FEDS scheme. The film industry, and especially film festivals, seemed so unattainable to me but being on placement in a Northern based festival that champions diversity and inclusivity has opened my eyes to all the possible roles available to me.
Aisha Jan, FEDS Trainee 2018
