The British Film Institute (BFI) has unveiled its new BFI National Lottery Filmmaking Fund, with £36.6m over three years for fiction feature films.

Money will be available to independent filmmakers through four focused funds: Development; Creative Challenge – funding labs; Discovery – backing debuts; and Impact – for second features and beyond.

4. BFI Unveils £36.6m Filmmaking Fund

The British Film Institute have unveiled its new National Lottery Filmmaking Fund

The National Lottery Filmmaking Fund, first announced late last year as part of the BFI’s 10-year strategic plan, will also grant £17.4m to support documentaries, shorts, talent development, and immersive works.

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In total, the Fund will hand out £54m across three years, a 20% drop caused by a fall in National Lottery money available to the organisation.

Revised fund priorities see an increased focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, the introduction of audience impact and environmental sustainability, alongside talent development and progression, creative risk taking, and UK-wide reach.

There is a shift in focus to back features that develop the reach of UK writers and/or directors and have significant UK cultural and audience impact.

Mia Bays, director of the BFI National Lottery Filmmaking Fund, said: “The UK has world-class indie filmmakers and the Filmmaking Fund launched today firmly seeks to support them and nurture those who will be part of shaping its future. In response to evidence, listening to the industry, and building on past achievements, we are setting out a strategy that is re-focused and clear about our ambition to support projects to have the greatest possible impact with audiences and on the careers of filmmakers, which speak to communities underrepresented in UK film previously.”

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