Written by Kianna Best on Jun 26, 2025. Posted in General Interest

UK Global Screen Fund Awards GBP1.65 Million to 11 New International Co-Productions

The UK’s screen industries have received a major boost as the British Film Institute (BFI) announces GBP 1.65 million in new funding for 11 international co-productions through its UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF). Backed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), this latest funding round strengthens creative partnerships between UK producers and collaborators in ten global territories, and marks a significant step forward in expanding the international reach of UK screen content.

 

 

For the first time, the UKGSF is supporting a co-production with Brazil, alongside renewed collaborations with Canada, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland. The awards cover a broad range of genres, with support going to seven feature films, two of which are documentaries, and four television projects, including three animations and a documentary. One of the productions has been supported through the Fund’s fast-track pathway, introduced last year to speed up access for projects needing earlier funding decisions.

 

These new awards arrive at a pivotal moment for the sector. As part of the UK Government’s new Creative Industries Sector Vision, a significant uplift in public investment has been pledged to the UKGSF. From 2026 to 2029, the fund will receive GBP 18 million annually through the Screen Growth Package, more than doubling its previous yearly allocation of GBP 7 million. The enhanced funding aims to deepen international relationships, develop global business capabilities, and promote independent UK film, television, documentary, animation and video games content on the world stage.

 

Since its inception, the UKGSF’s International Co-production strand has awarded over GBP 8.9 million to 57 projects across 34 countries. This latest round is emblematic of the UK’s increasingly ambitious approach to global storytelling. The range of new co-productions showcases the diversity of UK creative talent and its ability to engage audiences around the world.

 

Among the newly funded projects is Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth, a vibrant UK-Ireland animated TV series created by Matthew Bradley and developed with BBC Children’s & Education. Set aboard a pirate ship-turned-boarding school, the series is aimed at 7–12-year-olds and co-produced by Northern Ireland’s ALT Animation and Scotland’s Wild Child Animation with Ireland’s Studio Meala.

 

In a landmark first for UK-Brazil collaboration, Luna in Dreamland brings together Northern Irish producer Flickerpix and Brazil’s Copa Studio for a children’s series exploring emotional resilience through dreamscapes. Other highlights include The End of It, a near-future feature starring Rebecca Hall, Gael Garcia Bernal, Noomi Rapace and Beanie Feldstein, in which the protagonist—a former artist approaching her 250th birthday—makes a radical decision to end her life in a world where death has become optional.

 

Historical drama Scotch Verdict revisits a real-life scandal involving two women accused of a romantic relationship in 19th-century Edinburgh, while She Sings of Murder and Love is a compelling documentary about Irish singer-songwriter Keeley Moss and her campaign for justice in a decades-old Northern Irish murder case.

 

Other projects include the nature-focused documentary Survival of the Slowest in partnership with Canada, and the character-led comedy You’ll Never Believe Who’s Dead, co-produced with Ireland. From animation to arthouse drama, these collaborations span themes of identity, legacy, justice and belonging—demonstrating the UK’s agility in co-creating with diverse international partners.

 

Denitsa Yordanova, Head of the UK Global Screen Fund and International Funds at the BFI, highlighted the breadth of creativity supported by the Fund. “This latest round of awards showcases the UK’s truly unique creative talent, with an extraordinary range of projects spanning film and television across documentary, animation and fiction,” she said. “The Government’s enhanced backing of the UK's independent screen sector will allow us to further boost international development, co-production, promotion and distribution opportunities, deepening international relationships and accelerating export growth.”

 

Producers have echoed the Fund’s importance. Tim Bryans, Managing Director of ALT Animation, praised the impact of the award on Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy. “At a time when financing animation is proving incredibly challenging, this funding has been instrumental in helping us and our partners make this series a reality,” he said.

 

Looking ahead, the UKGSF is now accepting applications on a rolling basis for its International Distribution Festival Launch Support and International Distribution Prints & Advertising (P&A) schemes. Applications for International Co-production funding will re-open in late September.

 

Additionally, the UKGSF Co-production Workshop, a two-day programme for UK-based producers interested in international co-production, is set to take place in Belfast on 29 and 30 September. Applications for this workshop are open until 17 July.

 

With sustained investment and a strong pipeline of international partnerships, the UK Global Screen Fund is well-positioned to support a new era of globally resonant British storytelling, one that not only celebrates domestic talent but connects it meaningfully with audiences across the world.