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Opportunities, Initiatives and Funding

Apply for  funding and screenings via these initiatives.

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  • Actors' Children’s Trust – ACT funds actors who are parents. ACT pays for children’s activities, support for specialist educational needs and disabilities, kit, IT and lots more – find out more here.

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  • Arvon – offers grants to help writers who are unable to afford full course fees – find out more here.

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  • BlueCat Screenplay Competition – founded in 1998 by award-winning writer Gordy Hoffman, BlueCat has remained committed to discovering the world’s unknown screenwriters, and continues to showcase their work to a global audience year after year – find out more here.

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  • Breaking Through the Lens Grant – this €10,000 Action Grant is open to any feature film director who experiences marginalization due to their gender, including but not limited to cisgender women, transgender women, transgender men, and non-binary people – find out more here.

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  • British Council Film's Short Film Toolkit – a major new free-to-access short film toolkit designed to help navigate your route into the film industry, and your film's journey out into the world – find out more here.

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  • British Council Film's Short Film/VR Festival Travel Grant – offers grants to help short filmmakers and VR makers travel to international festivals where their work is being screened - find out more here.

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  • British Council Film's Lab Travel Grant – in partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI) NETWORK team, they now offer grants to help filmmakers attend international Labs to develop their projects and careers - find out more here.

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  • The British Short Film Awards: Film Fund – open to British filmmakers who are seeking funding for their short films. These short films need to be in preproduction and have a good plan of how the film will be made: thebritishshortfilmawards.co.uk/film-fund​

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  • The Film Fund – provides short film funding in the UK to produce independent short film: thefilmfund.co/uk

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  • Film London – offers opportunities for emerging filmmakers and training, accommodation and travel bursaries: filmlondon.org.uk/funding​

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  • Grey Moth and T A P E collective Non-Narrative/Non-Fiction Film Fund – an initiative that provides £5,000, bespoke production support, £2,500 kit hire credit and festival strategy towards one project challenging the conventional documentary format: https://grey-moth.com/originals/

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  • Inclusive Cinema – a UK-wide project developed by the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) designed to support screen exhibitors, and provides resources such as TLC (aka Tender Loving Care for Trans-Led / Trans-Loved Cinema), a holding space for trans curators, writers and thinkers within cinema exhibition, and Working Class Inclusion: Audiences, Colleagues & Programming: https://inclusivecinema.org/

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  • Iris Prize Documentary Film Finance Fund -  a fund to finance documentary film (Running time: 22/25 Minutes or 40 Minutes) produced by emerging British LGBTQ+ filmmakers. The fund will award up-to £20, 000 towards a production annually for at least three years: https://irisprize.org/documentary-film-financing-fund/

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  • Isle of Man Digital Creation Scheme – supports a range of business support schemes comprising funding, training and advisory services for businesses as they start, grow and invest in their enterprise in the Isle of Man: iomdfenterprise.im/financial-support/

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  • Liverpool City Region Production Fund – supports production of feature films, TV drama, animation and scripted comedy series that are intending to film in the Liverpool region: liverpoolfilmoffice.tv/production-fund

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  • Pictures for the People – working with Jobcentre Plus and The Princes Trust, they provide training and work experience opportunities to unemployed and disadvantaged young people throughout their film productions: https://picturesforthepeople.com/

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  • Pitch Film Fund – offers a £50,000 fund to make two films, plus training and development for entrants and finalists, providing the idea is based on a Bible story, theme or book: https://www.enterthepitch.com/the-fund/

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  • RISE2 - A Channel 4 Production Mentoring Initiative – RISE2 is an opportunity for deaf, disabled, and /or neurodivergent off-screen talent working in TV at a mid-career level or above. This could include people working in production management, editorial, craft and technical roles: https://triplec.org.uk/rise-2/

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  • Screen Industries Growth Network – SIGN is a unique, business-facing initiative supporting the TV, film and games industries in Yorkshire and the Humber: https://screen-network.org.uk/

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  • ScreenCraft Works International Mentoring Scheme –  provides structured career development with an international outlook, to enrich careers in film, TV and online work: https://screencraftworks.org/mentoring/

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  • Screen Scotland – provides a variety of funding for Scottish filmmakers and for filmmakers based outside Scotland who are developing and producing projects with writing and/or directing talent based in Scotland: screen.scot/funding-and-support​

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  • Sheffield DocFest: Amplify: Production Talent – an initiative for entry-level production professionals to elevate their careers. The initiative offers the opportunity to connect with UK production company executives in the factual/documentary TV sector, experience DocFest's marketplace to enhance and widen your network, and learn more about the documentary industry: https://sheffdocfest.com/news/applications-open-amplify-production-talent

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  • Shore Script – their Short Film Fund offers an opportunity for emerging screenwriters and filmmakers to have their short films financed and produced: shorescripts.com/shortfilmfund

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  • Short Circuit – Scotland’s Hub for Filmmaking Talent, supporting the creative and professional development of new and emerging writers, directors and producers: https://shortcircuit.scot/

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  • The Sundance Documentary Film Program – supports nonfiction filmmakers worldwide in the production of cinematic documentaries on contemporary themes: sundance.org/programs/documentary-film

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  • The Uncertain Kingdom – provides funding, supports the development of features and commissions short films: theuncertainkingdom.co.uk/

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  • The Whickers Awards – the Film & TV Funding Award and Radio and Audio Funding Award is awarded annually to an emerging filmmakers from anywhere in the world with the most promising pitch for a director-led documentary: whickerawards.com/apply/

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  • The Yorkshire Content Fund – a public-private investment fund for the TV, film, video games and digital sectors in Yorkshire and Humber, open to producers either based in Yorkshire or wishing to film or establish a base in the region: screenyorkshire.co.uk/content-funding/

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