BFI unveils film academy hubs to train 16- to 25-year-olds

The BFI Film Academy Hubs have increased funding from the UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), ongoing BFI National Lottery Good Cause funding, and support in the Nations from Northern Ireland Screen, Screen Scotland, and the Welsh Government via Creative Wales. 

Free to access, the BFI Film Academy was first launched in 2012. The 12 BFI Film Academy Hubs for its 2026-29 programme will be led by the following organisations: BFI Film Academy East of England, delivered by 104 Projects CIC; BFI Film Academy East Midlands, delivered by Broadway Nottingham; BFI Film Academy London, delivered by CTVC; BFI Film Academy North East, delivered by Tyneside Cinema; BFI Film Academy North West, delivered by HOME Manchester; BFI Film Academy South East, delivered by Screen South; BFI Film Academy South West, delivered by Watershed Bristol; BFI Film Academy West Midlands, delivered by Rural Media Charity; BFI Film Academy Yorkshire and The Humber, delivered by Showroom Cinema (Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre); BFI Film Academy Northern Ireland, delivered by Nerve Centre; BFI Film Academy Scotland, delivered by Screen Education Edinburgh; and BFI Film Academy Wales, delivered by Screen Alliance Wales.  

Each BFI Film Academy Hub will engage with schools, youth clubs, colleges, and community groups to help local young people aged 16-25 gain technical and transferable skills, access careers advice and networking opportunities to pursue a career in the screen and wider creative industries.  

Each Hub will curate and deliver introductory courses for 16-19-year-olds, designed to provide an overview of the film industry, with a focus on below-the-line production roles, screen heritage, exhibition, and distribution.  

There will also be year-round networking events and masterclasses, and a dedicated Alumni Manager within each hub to create strong local peer-to-peer networks and coordinate activities including shadowing schemes, CV workshops, and financial best practice guidance to support new industry entrants and encourage retention. 

Ian Murray, Minister of State for DCMS, said: “British film is at its best when it tells relatable stories about real lives, and that means the people making those stories need to reflect the country we live in. These nation-spanning BFI Film Academy Hubs will give underrepresented young people the training and connections they need to build a career in film – wherever they live, whatever their background.” 

Zakiya Bale, Head of BFI Film Academy Programmes, added: “BFI Film Academy Hubs will enable young people from across the UK to explore career pathways and develop the skills most in demand across the sector, whatever their background and wherever they’re from.” 

The British Film Institute (BFI) recently named Isabel Davis as Director of its BFI National Lottery Filmmaking Funds. Discover more here.