BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund FAQs for filmmakers

Our work in the region supports writers, directors and producers with short film production funding, early feature film development funding, and professional development opportunities through events and labs.

We have compiled a list of common questions we receive from Midlands creatives who get in touch regarding the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund. You will also see the answers to some more general enquiries towards the bottom of this page. If you are interested in the BFI NETWORK Early Development Fund you can read our separate FAQs page here.

If you are curious about what we do or have a 121 coming up, please read through the FAQs on this page.

Can’t find the answers you need here? Email us at BFINETWORK@filmhubmidlands.org

Does each region in England have its own BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund?

No- the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund covers the whole of England. When you apply you do so through the BFI NETWORK website. At this point, all applications go to independent readers for assessment before reaching their allocated region.

How do you decide which region a project is allocated to?

This is based on the postcode of the director, which is required at the point of application. This needs to be the permanent living location of the director and directors will be asked to provide evidence of address such as a household utility bill. 

Where does the Midlands region cover?

Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Derbyshire, Dudley, Herefordshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford & Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire (see BFI Regional Map).

What funding is available?

BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund can award between £5000 and £25,000 for:

• stand-alone short films 15-minutes or less including credits.
• the production costs of fiction shorts projects, in both live-action and animation.
• projects which are viewed flat or in an immersive way i.e. VR as long as they are driven by a narrative.
• projects with a director based in England who hasn’t yet directed a fiction feature film that has received UK distribution.
• stand-alone short films which could have a life on the festival circuit- we cannot fund webinar episodes that are part of a larger arc.

I’m thinking of applying for BFI NETWORK funding, where do I start and what advice would you give me?

Firstly, we’d recommend reading or listening to the guidelines here. They give valuable insight into who can apply, what we are looking for and how to put together an application.

If you still have questions once you’ve read the guidelines, we’re happy to help or check below for some further FAQs about making an application. To talk to us you can either book a 121 with the East Midlands Talent Executive here or the West Midlands Talent Executive here or you can email questions to us at BFINETWORK@filmhubmidlands.org.

What are the key changes to the fund this year?

We recommend reading the guidelines as fresh each year to ensure that your application is working closely alongside them.

Key changes this year include limits to the number of applications which can be submitted by a team, page counts for scripts being submitted and details about production companies and individual producers.

Who can apply for the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund?

• Applications must have a minimum of two individuals across the three key creative roles of producer, writer and director. The producer and director cannot be the same person although we do allow applications from Writer/Producers and Writer/Directors.
• The team will need to be able to demonstrate a creative track record as part of the application. This could be student work or something created at a grassroots/non-professional level, and it may be in film, television, theatre or another art form.
• For your project to be handled by the Midlands team, the director must be permanently based in one of the following Midlands locations: Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Derbyshire, Dudley, Herefordshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford & Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire (see BFI Regional Map).

Please always check the most up to date guidelines for full information.

I’m a Midlands based producer- does the talent I work with also need to be based in the Midlands?

No, as a producer you can work with talent from across England. We recommend you speak to the BFI NETWORK team from the region where your director is permanently based (see BFI Regional Map) before making an application. Similarly, we welcome enquiries from producers and writers elsewhere in the UK working with Midlands-based directors.

I’m a director from the Midlands- can I apply without a producer?

You will need a producer to apply for our short film funding. The director and producer both take on a large number of different responsibilities during production and we want to ensure the people in these roles don’t have a split of focus which could lead to a detrimental experience for them, their cast, crew and may even impact the quality of the final film.

How can I find a producer for my short film project?

We get asked this a lot so we have put a lot of our efforts and resources into training producers since the project started in 2018. Whilst this is ensuring there are new regionally based producers coming through across England (please note your producer doesn't need to live in your region) we can't be the judge of how you will vibe with a particular producer or if your project is something they would wish to take forward so whilst we can't matchmaker we have compiled some useful tips on finding a producer here.

Who completes the application form?

When applying for the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund, the producer will submit the application and be listed as the named applicant on the form. The team will need to fill in a creative vision section, and the director will need to write their Director's statement, but the producer will be the main contact for the application form.

If the producer intends to claim Film Tax Relief on the project they will need to run the project through a company that is registered with Companies House. The name of the company will also need to be added to the form at the time of application.

Can I apply to the Short Film Fund with more than one project with the same producer-director team?

We aim to provide as many opportunities to as many individuals as possible across the funds in England, and so to ensure this writers, directors (and writer/directors) are only able to be attached to one application per funding round. This also applies to co-writers and co-directors.

Producers can be attached two applications per round in the role of producer.

This is applicable to applications across the entire fund for the UK and stands when applying with directors in different regions.

Can I apply to BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund for less than £25K?

Yes. The maximum amount we award is £25k, but we accept and strongly encourage applications under this amount. The experience of the team will be taken into consideration within this and we encourage applications with smaller budgets, particularly from newer filmmakers looking to take a risk on doing something new in a short sharp format.

Can I apply to BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund if our budget is higher than £25K?

Yes, we do accept applications for higher budget shorts – but please note that the additional funding must be secured or very close to being secured before you submit your application.

No offer of funding from BFI NETWORK can be made until all additional finance is secured, so we would recommend applying when you have a realistic plan for any additional finance needed, as an application that has gaps in finance cannot be progressed.

Please see full guidelines for guidance on additional funding percentages.

Is there any specific guidance for budgeting my film?

The fund guidelines contain guidance on budgeting however we have also put together our top tips for submitting a budget that addresses the fund requirements. Each film's budget will be unique to the specific script, team and approach to production but there are some common areas where budgets can be strengthened.

Read our budgeting tips here.

Do you fund genre films?

Yes – we fund a broad range of genres and styles.

Do you fund adaptations or biopics?

No - due to the legal clearances required we can only fund original stories, unless adapting your own work (for example theatre or novel) for a film format.

Can you explain what information you need from the different sections of the application form?

Story 

• Please give us a brief description of your story- beginning, middle and end. Ensure this answer and the script presents a complete story with a clear narrative
• Ensure you are presenting a defined story world and characters and that the genre and tone are consistent throughout.
• Ensure you feel confident the story feels fresh and reflects your creative ambition.

Creative Vision- This should come from your director and but bring in big-picture insights into the creative aims of the project from the team

• Why does your team want to tell this story, why is it important to you?
• What do you want audiences to take away from the film? Not all stories need to have a message but they all need to speak to the audience in some way- what is it you want them to feel or think about when they watch your film?
• Does the story include a perspective that is underrepresented or broadens ideas about a narrowly represented point of view?
• How are you going to tell the story creatively- anything practical can go into your Production Proposal- but here we want to know your creative ethos and approach.
• The tone and style of the film, feel free to include any visuals (for example pitch decks or moodboards) as part of your supporting materials.

Audience Impact

We make film to be seen, so this is an opportunity to tell us about audiences, the impact you want the film to have and how your plans will reach them

• How will your film connect with audiences
• Social or cultural impact you are seeking.
• Specific target audiences you have in mind, including in specific places.
• Intentions for festival exhibition of your film.
• Online and/or physical exhibition plans.

Career Benefits 

• How it will have an impact on a specific skill development or your teams’ industry profile.
• What you will do next to continue developing as creatives?
• What your aspirations are beyond this project and why?
• How does the project fit into your body of work?

Production Proposal- This should answer any of the questions raised in the assessment on how you will deliver on your proposal for the budget submitted 

• Help us to understand how you will meet creative challenges, and approach the production of the short.
• If there are stunts of any kind noted in your script- which can include small trips and falls- please explain how you plan to ensure the safety of the cast and crew
• If you are working with child actors, we need to know about your approach to safeguarding and see shorter shooting hours aligned to working time laws as well as the chaperone fees in the budget
• If there are scenes that require nudity or are of an intimate nature you will need to work with an Intimacy Coordinator and build in additional time in your schedule to create a safe set for those involved. Directors UK have a useful set of guidelines for this work here
• Talk about your plans for taking good care of your cast and crew including specifics about well-being interventions, catering and ensuring access to toilet facilities across all your locations
• Describe any accessibility measures you will be taking to ensure the inclusivity of disabled cast and crew

Environmental Impact- Tell us here about your plans to make an environmentally responsible film (Maximum 300 words)

• How will you work in a way that minimises the contribution of your project to climate change and its impact on the environment? Please note that you’ll be required to do a BAFTA albert carbon footprint calculation for your film, pre– and – post-production.

CV summaries and previous work (Maximum 200 words)

• CVs should be brief and only tell us about your experience directly relevant to filmmaking or your previous creative practice
• Tell us about any relevant educational or industry training and awards
• Only provide links to a couple of examples of previous work and ensure its the work you feel best represents your talents and ability

How much contact do you get with the BFI NETWORK Talent Executive if your project is funded?

The Talent Executive provides creative oversight of the short film, as well as working with filmmakers prior to and during production. Once you have been awarded funding, they may also be able to advise you on finding screening opportunities regionally and further afield, potential collaborators for your project and festival strategy for your film.

Can I meet with the Midlands Talent Executive?

The Talent Executives run regular 121 sessions for regional filmmakers to find out more about funding opportunities. You can book in a 121 slot with the East Midlands Talent Executive here. and the West Midlands Talent Executive here. These meetings book up quickly and are primarily for people who have not already had a 121 or connected with the Exec. If you can't find a slot that works for your schedule please bullet point your questions in an email to BFINETWORK@filmhubmidlands.org and we’ll be happy to help via email.

Can you fund documentary projects?

BFI NETWORK only funds narrative fiction work.

Our partners over at Doc Society provide funding and development opportunities for documentary filmmakers. If you are making or aspiring to make documentaries, they are a valuable resource – check out their website here.

Can you help develop TV projects?

No, we work specifically in short films and feature films up to the treatment stage. On occasion, shorts we have funded have been picked up for development into TV projects, but this was after the short film was completed.

Can you fund feature films?

Unfortunately, we can only fund short films through this fund, however, will be announcing details of an early feature development fund later this year. If you are looking for BFI funding to develop a feature script or for feature production finance, you would need to look to the central BFI Development Fund or BFI Production Fund. You can read more about all of BFI's funds here.