Application dates
Applications for International Distribution Film Sales Support are open. Applications will be assessed on a rolling basis.
What you can apply for
- Funding relating to the international sale, marketing and promotion of a single eligible UK film in the form of non-recoupable grants
- Up to £25,000 for a single eligible film
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 international sales agent for a feature-length live action or animation, fiction or documentary film.
The film must:
- Be budgeted at less than £12,500,000
- Be a new feature length (minimum 60 minutes running time) live action, or animation, fiction or documentary film
- Be either complete, in production, or in post-production
- Have been completed within the 12 months prior to the application date, or will be completed within 12 months of the application date
- Qualify or be wholly capable of qualifying for certification as a British film
- Not be fully financed by a studio or mini major
- Not be intended for a TV or SVOD premiere
Applicants must provide written consent from the lead UK producer of the film to make an application.
Please read the guidelines below for a full list of eligibility criteria.
UK films that are represented by non-UK sales agents and that are seeking support for premiere activities at a specific festival should consider the UKGSF International Distribution Festival Launch Support strand.
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
- Increasing international audiences for UK independent film
- Increasing 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:
- Full details of the eligible applicant and eligible film
- Details of the UK producer(s) of the eligible film and collection agent (if applicable)
- A detailed sales and marketing strategy which provides an overview of the activity you are seeking funding for
- Details of festivals and/or market participation for the eligible film over the next six months
- Value of documented and/or forecast sales of the eligible film
- Detailed sales and marketing 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 Film Sales 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.