Written by Kianna Best on Feb 1, 2023. Posted in Awards and Festivals

BFI awards GBP 15.2 milion to 11 UK-wide strategic partners

The BFI announced today the awarding of GBP 15.2 million in National lottery funding to 11 UK based strategic partners, spread over three years. Getting ready to implement the BFI’s 10 year National Lottery Funding Scheme, this investment will aid the growth of cinema audiences, seek to engage more 16-25 year olds in film, and support talent development across the UK.

“Our partners are fundamental to the successful delivery of our ambitious National Lottery Strategy across the UK,” commented Harriet Finney, Deputy CEO of the BFI. “We are very much looking forward to working with the venues and organisations announced today to ensure the BFI Film Audience Network, BFI NETWORK and BFI Film Academy Plus programmes evolve and grow to meet the changing needs of our sector. Driven by our belief everyone should have access to screen culture – from experiencing a diverse range of films in cinemas through to creating original screen works and a chance to forge careers – we are supporting these fantastic partners so they can bring those opportunities to local communities and people of all backgrounds, across the whole of the UK.”

The GBP 15.2 million will seek to empower children and young people in developing their own relationship with screen culture, ensure people across the UK have access to a wider choice of film including those which reflect their own lives, tackle a range of social, economic and geographic barriers for UK audiences, support the development of the exhibition workforce, open up opportunities to upcoming talent, and encourage new stories to be developed and told.

To ensure that the funding is allocated as effectively as possible, the BFI have entrusted a number of organisations to be involved. By using locally based organisations, there is an assurance that there is a local understanding of the landscapes, industry, and the people. The collaborative nature of some of the responsibilities will also see a furthered connectedness between the regions involved.

The organisations involved include Film London who will manage BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) and BFI NETWORK activity, Broadway in Nottingham and Flatback in Birmingham representing the midlands, who will manage BFI FAN, BFI NETWORK activity and BFI Film Academy Plus, and in the North, Showroom in Sheffield and HOME in Manchester who will take on BFI FAN, BFI NETWORK activity and Film Academy Plus.

In Northern Ireland, Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast will oversee BFI FAN and BFI Film Academy Plus, and Northern Ireland Screen will deliver talent development activity as part of BFI NETWORK. Scotland’s Glasgow Film Theatre will manage BFI FAN and BFI Film Academy Plus with Screen Scotland co-funding talent development activity as part of BFI NETWORK as well as support BFI FAN.

The South East will be represented by  the Independent Cinema Office who will manage BFI FAN, BFI NETWORK activity and BFI Film Academy Plus, and the South West will be represented by Watershed Bristol who will manage BFI FAN, BFI NETWORK activity and BFI Film Academy Plus. In Wales, Chapter in Cardiff will manage BFI FAN and BFI Film Academy Plus and Ffilm Cymru Wales will deliver talent development activity as part of BFI NETWORK.

Images courtesy of British Film Institute