We welcome suggestions and ideas from freelance programmers, organisations and collectives. We encourage anyone with a season idea or project they’re passionate about to get in touch and see if BFI Southbank might be the right home for your project.
Programme proposals can be submitted as an individual or a group via the simple form below. All initial proposals are considered by the BFI Southbank programming team, and we aim to respond within 6 weeks.
We ask all initial submissions to be short and simple, and we’ll only ask you to expand on your proposal after further discussion.
What to consider
Potential audiences
BFI Southbank has a phenomenal existing audience of film lovers, but we are always looking to reach new people, showcase new perspectives and interrogate the established canon. When thinking about your project, consider who it is for. Ideas that will get young audiences (25 and under) excited about film or celebrate underrepresented communities are of particular interest.
Cultural value
Why is this idea important, and why do the films deserve to be seen?
The venue
BFI Southbank has four screens of different sizes, and spaces for contextual discussion or themed events. Think about how your project would utilise the venue, and why it will resonate with our audiences.
Existing commitments
The BFI Southbank programme is planned up to 6 months in advance, and we usually have all seasons scheduled for the following year by summer. Things do change and move, but the earlier you pitch an idea tied to a specific date the better.
Why now – why does your idea speak to contemporary audiences?
Is there a particular hook that might excite media and audiences – an anniversary or wider context to think about? How does it speak to our cultural concerns today?
What to avoid
The subject
- Submissions of seasons that are retrospectives on actors or directors – we have a rolling list of figures of interest, and will generally select a programmer from our own team or of known expertise when we do commit to a season.
- Exceptions are those who may not be on our radar: for example, discovery gems from world cinema.
Balance
- We try to prioritise balance and variety in the programme and would turn down a proposal similar to our existing plans or recent work (regardless of its strengths).
Should your proposal be successful, we will confirm expected dates for your project and assign a BFI lead who will work closely with you to deliver the programme.
Please keep in mind that we often receive repeat submissions or ideas already generated in-house by our programming team. We’re always glad to receive these as they demonstrate an appetite and contemporary relevance, but may opt for an alternative curator if we have multiple proposals on one topic.