Overview
The BFI National Lottery UK Focus Fund aims to increase the international visibility of UK screen talent and content, and to connect UK screen professionals with their international counterparts to increase the impact and success of the UK screen sector’s creativity and entrepreneurship.
The fund will support UK-focused activity at established international festivals, markets, co-production forums, or other industry events or platforms, with international reach and dedicated to screen content.
Activity should be designed to increase the awareness and demand for UK content, talent, expertise and co-production opportunities from international partners and buyers, and should stimulate cultural exchange activity, which in turn will result in increased collaboration.
Who can apply
Your organisation must be a legally constituted entity according to the laws of the country in which it is based and registered.
Your international event must be dedicated to screen content within at least one of the following categories:
- feature films – fiction, documentary, animation — for theatrical or online release
- programmes – documentary or animation only — for broadcast television, video-on-demand services or other forms of online release
- narrative-led interactive or immersive media for commercial distribution on digital platforms
How to apply
Applications are accepted all year round and must be submitted at least 12 weeks before the start of the proposed UK Focus activity start date.
You can only apply online after you’ve read the funding guidelines in full. There is an application link in the guidelines.
If you have any questions about this fund or your application, email international@bfi.org.uk
Get help with your application
We are committed to making our funding accessible to all. You can get help if you need support to apply for funding.
About BFI National Lottery funding
Since the very first National Lottery draw in 1994, more than £50 billion for good causes has been raised directly through National Lottery ticket sales, funding more than 700,000 projects. As a recipient of National Lottery funding, it is important to publicly acknowledge the source of this funding ensuring that those engaging with your work recognise the value and benefit of this unique Good Cause funding.
If your application is successful, you will be responsible for prominently crediting BFI National Lottery funding and thanking National Lottery players. To communicate this message, you should ensure that the elements of your project which have the potential to engage a broad public audience are capitalised on. More details will be supplied once an award has been made.