BFI NETWORK
BFI NETWORK exists to support, develop and champion new filmmakers looking to kick-start their career.
Made possible through National Lottery funding, we collaborate with
film organisations and leading cultural venues across the UK to provide
short film and early feature development funding, industry-backed
professional development and networking support to producers, writers
and directors of all ages.
You can sign up to our newsletter to find out first when new BFI NETWORK funding is available.
Funding
The BFI NETWORK has two funds for new and emerging filmmakers:
Short Film Fund
The BFI NETWORK England Short Film Fund supports projects with directors based in England and is run in partnership with the BFI NETWORK Talent Executives who work with filmmakers on the delivery of funded projects.
This fund is for fiction shorts, in both live action and animation. 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.
Early Development Fund
The BFI NETWORK Early Developement Fund supports projects with writers based in England. If you’re a new writer with an exciting, bold idea – particularly if you’ve not yet teamed up with a producer – this is the fund for you.
‘New writers’ are people who have not yet written a feature film script that has been produced and distributed. This fund can support producers working with new writers.
This fund is the first step in the BFI’s development support for live action and animated fiction feature projects from new writers. It supports people at the very beginning of their development process to produce an initial treatment and related materials.
Resources
BFI NETWORK host events throughout the year, including masterclasses and industry talks. Please check our What's On for more information on upcoming events or sign-up to our newsletter to hear about them as soon as they're announced.
Events held by BFI NETWORK include:
BFI NETWORK Shorts School
Shorts School is a week-long online bootcamp designed to immerse anyone interested in applying to the fund in inspiration and information on how to apply well. We call upon our short film alumni, industry experts and established creators to share their experiences on every angle of a short film’s life cycle, from inspiration and process to navigating the industry. Shorts School takes place twice a year, in spring and autumn. You can see our latest recorded sessions here.
Sign up to our newsletter to hear about the next Shorts School first.
Case Studies
Our Case Studies are in-depth interviews with the production teams
behind BFI NETWORK-funded films. These interviews offer insight into the
work that goes into creating short films and how to get them funded by
us. You can read some of our recent case studies at the links below. If
you're looking to break into the industry and want advice on how to get
involved with us at BFI NETWORK, these are for you.
Case Study: Blue Bottle (animation)
BFI NETWORK Films
Many of the short films that have been funded by us are available to
watch in full online. Not only are these fantastic short films, but they
can give you an idea of the kind of films that can be made with
assistance from us. You can watch a few of these films below, with many
more available on our Vimeo page and in our Film Library.
Get involved with BFI NETWORK
Our talent executives are available to offer advice on applying to the funds: Aaliah Simpson here and Jo Cadoret here. (you only need to speak to one of us) You can also email the team with questions here.