Short Film Funding is for fiction shorts, in both live action and animation, and provides grants of up to £15,000 to support the production costs of short films which are 15 minutes or less. Full details of the fund can be found below in the downloadable guidelines.
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.
The director of your short film must live in the Midlands but writers and producers attached to the project can live in outside of the region. You will need a script and a producer attached before you can make an application.
Projects supported by our Short Film Funding will be original ideas rather than adaptations of existing material. Films can be up to 15 minutes in length and should work as standalone titles - though this can include projects that have the potential to be developed into other forms or formats, further down the line.
All application should show how your project responds to the BFI Diversity Standards, e.g. how it might address industry under-representation in relation to disability, gender, race, age, sexual orientation and / or socio-economic status.
This fund provides grants to support the production costs of short films. Each award of funding is accompanied by creative oversight of the short film by a BFI NETWORK Talent Executive. As well as working with filmmakers prior to and during production, they may also be able to advise you on:
- finding screening opportunities regionally and further afield;
- festival strategy for your film;
- other means to gain industry exposure for your work.
Applications for Short Film Funding can be made at any time via the BFI NETWORK website. When first using the online application portal, you will be asked to create an account - you should also create an account for the BFI NETWORK Postroom, an online space for filmmakers to post previous short films or new scripts, where they can be viewed by industry executives.
Register for your Postroom account now.
If you're a filmmaker working in documentary, please contact Doc Society who manage the BFI Doc Society Fund.
