BFI Film Fund announces application closure dates

The BFI Film Fund will be closing for applications in stages from November. The fund is part of the BFI’s outgoing National Lottery funding strategy, BFI2022, and therefore all funds delivered through that strategy are winding down as planned.

Our new 10-year National Lottery Funding Strategy, with an initial three year funding plan, published in September, sets out how we will invest National Lottery funding to support the sector from April 2023 to March 2026, with £54 million committed for filmmakers over the three years.

More details of our BFI National Lottery funding for filmmaking will be published in early 2023, with a view to opening funds from February. Funds will include development and production funding for features and XR/VR projects, as well as support for project development.

We welcome applications until the closing dates, but please be aware there is limited scope for new applications to the Production Fund. Therefore, we recommend that any projects which are not time sensitive consider waiting for details of the new production fund/s to be published and opened in 2023. Supplementary funding awards for projects which are currently in development or production with us at the BFI Film Fund, may be considered during the period of closure (30 November 2023 to 13 January 2023).

The following funds will close to all new applications:

• BFI Development Fund
• BFI Completion Fund

The Production Fund will close to new applications for debut features but continue to receive applications for:

• Second features and above
• XR/VR Projects

The Production Fund will close to all applications.