Latest UK Global Screen Fund awards provide further boost for international promotion of UK independent films

The BFI has made 13 new awards through its £7m per year UK Global Screen Fund, supporting international opportunities for the UK’s independent screen sector. Financed through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the awards see a further £743,225 being allocated through the fund’s International Distribution strand. To date, this strand has now made 47 awards totalling over £1.7 million.

Financial support for International Distribution provides sales agents and producers from all over the UK with funding via one of three tracks: 

• Film Sales, supporting UK sales agents to increase their international promotion and sales of UK feature film projects;
• Prints & Advertising (P&A), supporting UK films to reach international audiences; and
• Festival Launch, supporting the festival launch of UK films in order to enhance their promotion, reach and audiences internationally.

The funding, awarded in the form of non-repayable grants, is focused on helping recipients enhance the profile and reach of UK feature films in the global marketplace, and increasing their international sales potential through promotion and new international partnerships. 

Creative Industries Minister John Whittingdale said: “The creativity and talent of the UK’s independent film sector wins fans and plaudits across the world. We’re investing millions to maximise the potential of the creative industries and help more of these innovative filmmakers showcase the best of Britain’s screen sectors on the international stage.”

Denitsa Yordanova, BFI Head of the UK Global Screen Fund, said: “It is vital that we continue to support our independent screen sector in reaching new audiences worldwide. Through this latest round of International Distribution awards we are seeing a fantastic range of UK feature films forge international distribution partnerships, increase their promotion and visibility, and develop key export opportunities with a broad range of territories on their journey to reaching global audiences. The UK Global Screen Fund is proud to support the ambitious distribution strategies of our talented screen sector and I look forward to watching these titles achieve international success.”

Rebecca O’ Brien, producer, Sixteen Films said: “Sixteen Films is delighted to be a recipient of UK Global Screen Fund awards to support the release of our new film, The Old Oak. These awards will make a huge difference to the film’s reach in many overseas territories, specifically targeting our international distribution efforts. The funds will help to boost the marketing ambitions of a number of distributors and will be important in helping the film reach a truly global audience. In this climate, the support is invaluable to an independent production company like Sixteen Films.”

Emily Leo, producer, Wild Swim Films, said: “We were delighted to receive the UK Global Screen Fund award for How to Have Sex. It was a vital component of an unforgettable Cannes experience, the success of which was partly down to the visibility, presence, and promotional value of our incredible ensemble of actors.”

UK Global Screen Fund applications are currently open for:

• International Distribution Festival Launch Support, assessed on a rolling basis
• International Distribution Film Sales Support, assessed on a rolling basis 

UK Global Screen Fund applications coming soon are:

• International Co-production, opening on 3 August
• International Distribution P&A Support, opening at the end of July

Club Zero, directed by Jessica Hausner from a screenplay by Hausner and Géraldine Bavard. The five-party co-production between the UK, France, Austria, Germany and Denmark is set at an international boarding school in the English countryside. The Festival Launch Support grant boosted the profile of its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival to secure sales to remaining targeted territories. The film is produced by Philippe Bober, Mike Goodridge, Johannes Schubert and Bruno Wagner and the award is granted to Good Chaos.

How to Have Sex, written and directed by Molly Manning Walker. This directorial debut, following three teenage girls on a rites-of-passage holiday, premiered in competition at Cannes, winning the Un Certain Regard Prize, 2023. The Festival Launch Support grant contributed towards activities to boost the profile of the film whilst at Cannes. The film is produced by Emily Leo and Ivana Mackinnon and the award was granted to Wild Swim Films.

In Camera, written and directed by Naqqash Khalid. The debut feature provides a satirical look at the film and TV industry. The Festival Launch Support grant contributed towards enhancing the film’s profile at its premiere in the Proxima Competition at Karlovy Vary. The film is produced by Juliette Larthe for the UK arm of UK-US production firm Prettybird and is the first title to be released from Mary Burke’s new production label, Public Dreams. The award is granted to Together Films.

The Old Oak, directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. The film, which premiered in competition at the  Cannes Film Festival, is set in County Durham and centres around the last remaining pub in a once thriving mining community that has now fallen on hard times. The Festival Launch Support grant contributed towards boosting its launch at Cannes.  The film is produced by Rebecca O’ Brien and the award is granted to Sixteen Oak. 

The Settlers, directed by Felipe Gálvez from a screenplay by Gálvez and Antonia Girardi. The eight-party co-production between Chile, Argentina, UK, Taiwan, France, Denmark, Sweden and Germany takes a new look at the indigenous massacres that took place in Chile at the turn of the century, and the effect of settlers on the people and country. The Festival Launch Support grant boosted the profile of its festival launch and world premiere in Un Certain Regard at Cannes Film Festival, to kickstart international sales. One day after the premiere, Mubi picked up the title for North America and multiple international territories, including the UK, Latin America, Turkey, German-speaking Europe, Italy, Benelux and India.

The film is produced by Giancarlo Nasi, Benjamín Domenech, Santiago Gallelli, Matías Roveda, Emily Morgan, Thierry Lenouvel, Stefano Centini and the award is granted to Quiddity Films.

Lollipop, written and directed by Daisy-May Hudson. The film follows Molly (Posy Sterling) who, having just been released from prison, fights to regain custody of her children. The Film Sales Support grant contributed towards the film’s market launch at the European Film Market; footage of the film was presented to international distributors during Cannes. The film is produced by Olivier Kaempfer and Cecilia Frugiuele at Parkville Pictures and the award is granted to  Architect. 

Blue Jean, written and directed by Georgia Oakley. England, 1988 – Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government are about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean, a gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new girl at school catalyses a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core. The P&A grant supports the film’s theatrical release across a range of general, specialist and LGBTQ+ focused distributors in North America, France, Latin America, the Netherlands, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, and Spain. The film is produced by Hélène Sifre and the award is granted to Kleio Films.  

Daliland, directed by Mary Harron and written by John Walsh. The feature, starring Ben Kingsley and Barbara Sukowa, is set in 1973 and follows aging genius Salvador Dali as he prepares for a big show in New York. The P&A grant will support the film’s theatrical release across nine international territories including Australia/New Zealand, the Baltics, Former Yugoslavia, Germany, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey and Latin America, enhancing the film’s path to local audiences through marketing and online, outdoor and social media advertising. The film is represented by Bankside Films.

Emily, written and directed by Frances O’Connor. The Yorkshire-set film stars BAFTA Rising Star winner Emma Mackey as literary icon Emily Brontë, exploring the hidden world of a rebel and misfit, a young woman daring to form herself and to embrace her true nature, whatever the consequences. The P&A grant supports the film’s release across a grouping of five European territories: Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Belgium. The film is represented by Embankment Films. 

Living, directed by Oliver Hermanus with an adapted screenplay from Kazuo Ishiguro. The BAFTA- and Oscar-nominated film, starring Bill Nighy and Aimee Lou Wood, follows an ageing widower facing cancer on his journey of self-discovery. The P&A grant supports the film’s theatrical release across a grouping of international territories including Australia, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Portugal and Turkey. The film is produced by Number 9 Films and is represented by Rocket Science. 

Mafia Mamma, directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Debbie Jhoon and Michael J Feldman. The majority UK co-production stars Toni Collette and Monica Bellucci, alongside emerging UK actor Sophia Nomvete, in an action comedy, targeting primarily female audiences of all age groups by highlighting themes of female empowerment. The P&A grant supports the film’s theatrical release across a varied grouping of international territories: Spain, Mexico, Benelux, plus Central and Eastern Europe. The film is represented by Cornerstone Films.

Scrapper, written and directed by Charlotte Regan. This directorial debut stars Harris Dickinson and follows Georgie, a 12-year-old girl who lives on her own in London, until her estranged father reappears. The P&A grant supports the film’s theatrical release across a grouping of five territories – Scandinavia, Spain, Serbia, Turkey, and Poland – building on local experience to increase visibility and international profile. The film is produced by Theo Barrowclough and the award is granted to DMC Film.

The Old Oak, directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. The film, which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, is set in County Durham and centres around the last remaining pub in a once thriving mining community that has now fallen on hard times. The P&A grant supports its theatrical release by a grouping of experienced distributors across 16 international territories including Australia/New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Benelux and Republic of Korea. The film is produced by Rebecca O’ Brien and the award is granted to Sixteen  Oak.