New BFI Expanded Screen Fund will support ambitious immersive works of fiction
Up to £150,000 will be available per project from experienced UK producers and creative leads with a track record in immersive or related screen-based practice.
Today we announce a new Expanded Screen Fund, offering up to £150,000 for immersive works of fiction from experienced UK producers and creative leads. As part of the BFI’s commitment to embrace the breadth of screen storytelling, the new fund is a key element of a pathway of BFI National Lottery production funding and support, for immersive creatives. Applications for the BFI Expanded Screen Fund are now open, closing on 3 June.
The new BFI Expanded Screen Fund is for those with a proven track record who want to take the next step in their practice and storytelling. It will support ambitious, screen-based, immersive works of fiction that explore new ways of interactive storytelling, which use technologies such as VR, AR, XR, 360° media, or other extended reality media, to create audience-facing, narrative experiences. Projects must explore imagined worlds, events or characters, and will need to demonstrate a clear creative rationale for their technical approach.
The launch of the new fund coincides with the BFI Doc Society Fund offering an aligned opportunity for factual immersive projects (opening later this month), while early career talent can access funding for immersive work from BFI NETWORK. The BFI Audience Projects Fund, which is open on a rolling basis, welcomes applications for newly commissioned large-scale immersive projects, being created in partnership with UK culturally significant organisations and that are intended for UK-wide exhibition.
“Having listened to the industry and taking learnings from the immersive works we previously funded, we believe we are setting out a framework for filmmakers in this space at different stages of their trajectories,” said Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund. “The Expanded Screen Fund sets out to support creatives to experiment with their screen-based work to push the boundaries of their practice and to encourage experimentation in the form. We are excited to see the work that people apply with and believe this fund can provide an important opportunity for the development of work and progression in careers within the immersive sector.”
The new fund is part of the BFI National Lottery Funding Plan 2026-29, which sees £61 million invested in Filmmaking & Talent Development over three years, representing an increase of over 12% from 23 to 26. This includes £41.5 million for fiction feature films through Discovery, supporting features from debut directors (currently closed for applications, with the next round opening on 1 July) and Impact for projects with experienced directors (or debut directors on projects over £3.5 million) which is open on a rolling basis and accepting applications. Development funding is open for applications year-round (with the exception of 1 April to 30 April when closed for system admin). Between 2026-29, the BFI Filmmaking Fund will also open the BFI Short Form Animation Fund and a high-end shorts fund, as well as the new BFI Expanded Screen Fund.
Doc Society has been awarded £7.2 million to deliver the BFI Doc Society Fund over the three years to be BFI’s UK-wide delegate partner to distribute documentary funding across features, immersive, shorts and support talent development.
In addition, £3 million is allocated for the BFI Creative Challenge Fund, supporting organisations deliver project development programmes across the UK. The aim is to enable a mosaic of interventions across the UK that touch underserved areas in the screen industry to decentralise project development and stimulate a healthier and wider ecosystem. Currently closed for applications but will reopen on Monday 13 July 2026 until Wednesday 9 September.
£9.3 million is allocated to BFI NETWORK to support early career writers, directors and producers to develop their careers. Run through a collaboration with film organisations and leading cultural venues across the UK, BFI NETWORK provides short film and early feature development funding, industry-backed professional development and networking support to producers, writers and directors aged 18 and above.