Meet the BFI Filmmaking Fund team

Thanks to good cause National Lottery funding, we not only co-finance and offer development funding but also support filmmaking teams throughout the lifecycle of a project, from development and production to launching their films.

The Filmmaking Fund supports both live-action and animation shorts and features, documentaries – through our partner Doc Society – as well as talent and professional development. Our team have a wealth of experience gained at leading independent screen companies and major film studios.

We’re proud of the diverse range of projects supported through the fund, many of which have won major awards, including Oscars, BAFTAs and leading festival accolades such as the Palme d’Or.

Read about the priorities which guide our funding decisions.

Production and development

Mia Bays – Director of the Filmmaking Fund

The fund and team are led by Director Mia Bays, who has over 32 years of experience across the filmmaking process, from development and production to international sales, distribution and audience development, across live action and animated, fiction and documentary. She has produced an Oscar winner, received two BAFTA nominations and is a recognised champion of under-represented voices and stories. Her tenure of the fund runs from 2021 to 2024.