The second round of our Film Exhibition Fund is now open for proposals
As part of the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN), Film Hub Midlands (FHM) has been awarded funding from the BFI National Lottery to support the region’s film exhibitors in delivering against the priorities set out in the BFI’s Screen Culture 2033 strategy.
The Film Exhibition Fund supports BFI FAN members to engage a broad and diverse audience with cultural film. The Film Exhibition Fund is intended to support FHM Members to reach new and diverse audiences for British, independent and international films and broader screen experiences in their local communities in line with one or more of the BFI and FAN priority outcomes. Activity supported by The Film Exhibition Fund can vary in length, scale and format. The fund is open to the entire range of members of Film Hub Midlands.
The key priorities of the fund are:
- To create opportunities for children and young people to experience a broader screen culture
- To support public access to a wider choice of film and moving image, including stories that reflect their lives
- To tackle social, economic and geographic barriers for audiences engaging in a broad and diverse screen culture
What types of films can we support?
We will prioritise projects based on screening independent British and international films that are outside the mainstream, and which help audiences experience a rich diversity of stories on screen. If you're not sure if your programming ideas fit with our aims, please get in touch, and we can offer further guidance.
Priority will be given to those Hub members with a demonstrable track record of work that meets BFI FAN’s objectives. Hub members must be able to set out how they will address the BFI Diversity Standards.
If we receive more proposals that meet the assessment criteria than we are able to fund, we will consider how closely projects align with the fund, the geographic areas covered and the types of audiences that will be engaged.
Key information at a glance
- Total amount in the fund for this round: £40,000
- You can apply for: Between £2,000 and £10,000.
- Open for proposals: 30 June 2025
- Deadline for proposals: 28 July 2025, 5 pm
- Confirmation of awards: Week beginning 1 September 2025
- Activity window: September 2025 to February 2026
The Film Hub team is available for one-to-one general support and advice with your proposal form. Please get in touch at hello@filmhubmidlands.org to book a meeting with a member of the team.
Previous projects: In the last round, we made the following awards
Courtyard Hereford
Supporting their integrated audience development strategy, including the expansion of their Radix film club, which has successfully engaged younger audiences through curated screenings and discussions.
Coventry Cathedral
To support their Action Rayz season, which will include Black Diaspora and Women’s Stories, as well as a one-off evening of Disability Short Films.
Falasteen on Film
To support their Film Exhibition Days, an inclusive and expansive project that brings the best Palestinian films and other peripheral cinemas of the global majority to Birmingham.
Malvern Theatres
To support staff training and resources to make the programme more accessible with more relaxed and accessible screenings.
Phizzical Productions
To support the UK Asian Film Festival in Leicester and Coventry, and a new out-of-festival programme titled Filmwallahs, to expand and sustain a South Asian film-loving community.
Unseen Cinema
To support Pocket Film Festival 2026, which provides people in Stafford with new cinema experiences and opportunities to take part in a rich programme of film culture on their doorstep.