UK Global Screen Fund announces latest international co-production awards

Financed through the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the latest UK Global Screen Fund awards allocate a further £962,000 to six new feature films through the fund’s International Co-production strand. 

This latest round of awards, which support UK producers to co-produce with international partners and create new global projects, sees the six UK independent companies collectively collaborating with 13 territories, including Thailand for the first time plus Belgium, Canada, Columbia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland and USA. To date, this strand has now awarded over £10.6 million to 68 co-productions, supporting partnerships with 35 territories. 

International co-productions supported by the UK Global Screen Fund have continued to enjoy success on the international film festival circuit, with six titles selected to premiere at Berlinale in February and The End of It (UK/Spain/Norway), written and directed by Maria Martinez Bayona and co-produced by the UK’s Kamilla Hodøl and Emilie Jouffroy from Elation Pictures, receiving its World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival later this month.

“The UK Global Screen Fund is proud to have awarded 68 co-productions to date, supporting partnerships with 35 territories and backing the UK independent screen sector to reach new global audiences,” said Denitsa Yordanova, Director of UK Global Screen Fund and International Funds. “This latest slate of feature films demonstrates the breadth and brilliance of our unique and talented industry, with an incredible calibre of filmmakers exploring exciting collaborations and further realising their international ambitions.“

A minority UK co-production with Ireland, Belgium and Poland. The UK producer is Mike Elliott of EMU Films who will co-produce with Ireland’s Stop Gap Films (Diarmuid Hughes) Poland’s New Europe Productions (Marcin Luczaj and Katarzyna Siniarska) and Belgium’s Wrong Men North (Benoit Roland). Written by Vincent Kearney, the feature debut from Ben Pearce is a darkly comic tale of two ill-fated explorers trapped just a few miles from the North Pole. When disaster threatens their attempt to reach the North Pole, the pair find themselves hungry for more than just glory as their food supply dwindles. 

A minority UK co-production with Italy, Poland and Germany. The UK producers are Christopher Sheppard of Adventure Pictures and Rebecca O’Brien of Sixteen Films. They will co-produce with Italy’s Kino Produzioni (Giovanni Pompili and Lara Costa-Calzado), Poland’s Madants (Klaudia Smieja-Rostworowska and Beata Rzeźniczek) and Germany’s Komplizen Film (Jonas Dornbach and Janine Jackowski). The feature film, written and directed by Sally Potter, is focused on a family which meets to scatter the ashes of their mother, Alma, leading to a violent battle of wits about love, loss and the presence of the dead amongst us. Set to star Pamela Anderson, Richard E Grant, Jemima Kirke, Michelle Fairley, Billy Howle, Arinze Kene, Esther McGregor, Saura Lightfoot Leon and Earl Cave.

A minority UK co-production with Canada. The UK producers are Good Chaos (Mike Goodridge) and The Third Line Pictures (Xuan Liu) collaborating with Canada’s Rhombus Media (Niv Fichman). The psychological thriller, written by acclaimed Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch and directed by Wang Xiaoshuai, follows Marlene and Charlene who become fast friends at summer camp, sharing everything including complicity in something sinister that resonates years later when they reconnect as adults. Starring Sandra Oh.

A minority UK co-production with the USA. The UK producers are Nicholas Crum for Cewri and Lloyd Levin, Beatriz Levin and Belén González Blanco for Shadowplay Features, collaborating with USA producers Amie Coué Arbuckle and Colin Hudock for Alpenglow Films as well as UK Executive Producer Michael Wood and USA Executive Producer Milissa Douponce. The film, based on the bestselling memoir The Girl Who Beat ISIS by Farida Khalaf and Andrea C. Hoffman, will be directed by Scottish-Iranian director Hassan Nazer with a screenplay co-written by USA writers Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin alongside Amie Coué Arbuckle and Colin Hudock. Telling the triumphant true story of a girl ripped from her family and enslaved by ISIS who has the strength to survive, the courage to fight back, and the determination to save not only herself, but five other girls, the film stars Bayan Layla.

A minority UK co-production with Ireland and Switzerland. The UK producers are Lee Magiday of Smoke Puppy, co-producing with Ireland’s Cuala Films (Rory Gilmartin and Alan Maher) and Switzerland’s Rita Productions (Max Karli and Pauline Gygax). The feature film, written and directed by Northern Irish Antonia Campbell-Hughes, is a psychological thriller set against the backdrop of an affluent ex-pat community in Geneva and following young intern, Nollaig, who ignites a darkly visceral shift within the privileged home of her host family when she steals their precious diamonds. Starring Raffey Cassidy, Andrea Riseborough, Alessandro Nivola and Guy Pearce. The screenplay was developed with support from the BFI and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland. 

A minority UK co-production with Colombia, Thailand, Mexico, France and The Netherlands. The UK producers are Andreas Roald for Sovereign Film Production and Simon Field. They will be co-producing with Burning & Kick the Machine, on the lead, alongside Piano Producciones, Baldr Films, Anna Sanders Films, New Story, Louverture Films, Eolo Films, and Bord Cadre. Directed by Thai Palme d’Or winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the feature film follows Jenjira, a Thai widow who travels to Sigiriya on a personal pilgrimage in memory of her husband. Filming is underway in Sri Lanka with a cast including Jenjira Pongpas, Connor Jessup, Sakda Kaewbuadee, and Tilda Swinton.

Following the announcement of the strategic plans for the expanded UK Global Screen Fund, as its budget increased from £7 million to over £18 million per year for 2026 to 2029, further support for UK companies will soon be available through new interventions including: Sales Minimum Guarantee; Video Game Release; Majority Co-production; and Slate Support.

UK Global Screen Fund applications are currently open for:

• International Business Development – closing 11 June 
• International Distribution Prints & Advertising (P&A) – assessed on a rolling basis
• International Distribution Festival Launch – assessed on a rolling basis

Applications for International Co-production funding will re-open in September.