Bring film to a wider UK audience

We want to help film exhibitors and distributors show bold films to diverse audiences.

NFT3 auditorium during one of the Woman with a Movie Camera events in 2019

Applicants for funding should read the BFI Diversity Standards, which encourage equality of opportunity and address underrepresentation in the screen industries.

Our main areas for providing distribution and exhibition support are:

BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund

The BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund supports ambitious, audience-facing independent UK and international film and broader screen activity of national scale.

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BFI Film Audience Network

The BFI Film Audience Network (BFI FAN) is a collaboration of 8 film hubs, managed by leading film organisations and venues around the UK.

Find out more

BFI National Lottery Open Cinemas

This is a new pilot activity which aims to boost attendance of new audiences at independent cinemas and grow engagement with independent film.

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Closed funds

BFI Audience Fund

The BFI Audience Fund ran from April 2017 until March 2023, welcoming applications for a range of audience-facing film activities of national reach and significant cultural ambition. An evaluation of this fund is available.

Find BFI evaluations

Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas

Part of the UK government’s cultural recovery package which provided support for world-class cultural, arts and heritage institutions.

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If you are looking for production and development support see Production and development funding.

For information and resources on community cinema see Cinema For All’s My Community Cinema.

For details of the funding awards made by the BFI for films, projects and organisations, please see our Funding awards page.

Related resources

Environmental sustainability in the film exhibition sector

Recommendations and resources to help develop greener, climate-friendly work practices in the film exhibition sector.

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Audience data and learnings

Reports and learnings from supported projects and audience data on film releases.

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BFI National Lottery Sustainable Screen

Supporting National Lottery awardees and industry to be more sustainable.

Find out more