BFI Diversity Standards for film

Overview

1. What Diversity Standards are
2. Who should use the standards
3. How to meet the standards
4. The standards

1. What Diversity Standards are

These standards are a contractual requirement for all BFI funding for film, including fiction, documentary and immersive films. You’re also required to meet them for BAFTA and BIFA awards.

The standards you need to address, and how you’ll meet them, depends on if you’re making a short or a feature film, and the stage of production your project is at.

The standards are separated into five sections: 

• Standard A: On-screen representation, themes and narratives
• Standard B: Creative leadership and project team
• Standard C: Industry access and opportunities
• Standard D: Audience development
• Standard E: Accessibility

These standards are broken down into specific criteria, some of which are mandatory to address.

If you’re applying for funding from Screen Scotland, you need to use the Screen Scotland diversity standards.

2. Who should use the standards

You need to follow these standards if you’re making a film and you’re applying for: 

• any British categories in the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) or British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) 
• BBC Film funding
• BFI Development Fund
• BFI Discovery Fund
• BFI Impact Fund
• Doc Society funding
• Film4 funding
• Future Takes funding
• NETWORK funding

If you’re not sure whether you need to follow the standards, you can ask diversitystandards@bfi.org.uk or email the team who distribute the funding you’re interested in.

 3. How to meet the standards

While you should try to address as many standards as possible, there are minimum requirements depending on the type of film you’re making and what stage it’s at.

What to include

You should provide as much detail as you can and:

• reference relevant under-represented groups 
• make direct references to characters, narratives, and crew roles
• if relevant, mention specific organisations you’re using to recruit crew or early career opportunities

During our initial assessment, we might contact you and ask you to develop your responses and intentions.

If your project is funded, you’ll have to confirm how you achieved the standards once it’s finished.

If you’re making a short film (apart from Future Takes)

For most short films you’ll only need to write a summary of how you’ll address the standards. 

If you’re applying to Future Takes

For Future Takes projects, you’ll need to meet: 

• Standard C: Industry access and opportunities
• Standard E: Accessibility
• at least one other standard

If your feature film is at development stage

You’ll need to: 

• meet Standard A: On-screen representation, themes and narratives 
• write a summary of how you’ll address the other standards

If your feature film is at pre-production stage or later

You’ll need to meet: 

• Standard C: Industry access and opportunities
• Standard E: Accessibility
• at least one other standard

You’ll need to state in your application how you intend to deliver your intentions. You should clearly demonstrate you have thought through ways to do this, using examples.