Application dates
Applications for International Distribution Festival Launch Support are open. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis.
What you can apply for
With this fund, you can apply for:
- funding relating to the international sale and promotion of a single eligible UK film at an eligible film festival
- up to £15,000 for a single eligible film, in the form of non-recoupable grants
More detail on eligible costs and activities can be found in the guidelines available to read below.
Who can apply
UK companies who have been appointed as the sales agent selling the international rights of a UK film, or who have acted as the lead UK producer of the UK film.
The film must:
- have a production budget of £12,500,000 or less
- be a new feature length (minimum 60 minutes running time) live action or animation, fiction or documentary film
- qualify or be wholly capable of qualifying for certification as a British film
- not be fully financed by a studio or mini major or streaming platform
- be intended for theatrical release
- have been invited to have its world, international, North American or European premiere in an official category or competition at an eligible festival
Please read the guidelines below for a full list of eligibility criteria.
Our funding priorities
This strand aims to grow exports and global demand for UK independent film. It will support the UK film industry to achieve measurable results that would not have been possible without UKGSF support, including increasing:
- the number and value of international sales of UK independent film
- international audiences for UK independent film
- commercial returns for UK screen companies, rights holders and financiers
In addition, in making awards through each of its strands, the UKGSF is seeking to ensure a UK-wide benefit and address geographic imbalance within the industry.
Therefore, as part of our assessment we will consider:
- where the applicant company and UK producer(s) are based
- where projects are shot and made
- how projects reflect the culture and talent of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the English regions outside Greater London
What you need to provide
To complete the application form you will need to supply details of the:
- eligible applicant, eligible film, and eligible festival
- UK producer(s) of the eligible film and collection agent (if applicable)
- proposed marketing and promotion plan for the eligible film at the eligible festival
- value of documented sales of the eligible film to date and the intended priority territories and buyers to be targeted at the eligible festival
- festival launch budget (using the template provided) which clearly shows how the UKGSF grant will be used
The full list of what is required is set out in the funding guidelines available to read below.
Apply for funding
If this is your first application, please create an account.
Read the BFI UK Global Screen Fund – International Distribution Festival Launch Support guidelines before making an application.
We can provide assistance to applicants who have a disability, are D/deaf, have a visual or hearing impairment or are neurodiverse, where this support is needed for someone to make an application. See access support for BFI applicants.
Our resources: application outcomes and feedback
If you have any questions relating to the funding or application, please email ukglobalscreenfund@bfi.org.uk.
The extremely competitive nature of our funding means that we have to make very difficult decisions and often have to turn down projects even when they meet some or all of our stated criteria.
We aim to make the application process as fair and transparent as possible. As a result of the volume of applications we receive, we do not have the resources to provide feedback on projects that have been declined.