Are you keen to hone your skills in directing actors? BFI NETWORK South West, in partnership with Bournemouth Film School (BFS), is pleased to announce that the Director Lab is back for it’s third iteration, taking place over a whole weekend on Fri 19 and Sat 20 June! The Lab will provide two in-person days of tutor-led masterclasses, workshopping with professional actors and the opportunity to put your learnings into practice shooting a pre-written scene on a studio set with the support of a BFS crew. We will cover one overnight stay in Bournemouth and any reasonable travel costs, and lunch will be provided. 

Who is the Lab for? 

Please note that this is not an entry-level workshop. This Lab is aimed at directors or writer-directors who have previous experience in directing live-action fiction, scripted commercials/promos or those with drama-doc experience and the ambition to develop their scripted showreel. It’s designed to give you advanced skills in directing actors, a heightened appreciation of character-focused storytelling, and a creative challenge under tight parameters.   

You must be based in the south west of England (see region map on our FAQs page), aged over 18 and not in full-time education. Those who have taken part in a previous Director Lab are not eligible to re-apply. If you have a live Short Film Fund project with BFI NETWORK you are also not eligible to apply for the lab at this time. 

We will be looking to select up to six directors. 

To apply, please fill in our application form (linked below) when applications open and supply an example of your previous work. We strongly encourage those from marginalised backgrounds to apply. If you require assistance with your application, or have any questions please email: bfinetwork@watershed.co.uk  

Don’t forget to check out our guide Top seven tips for applying to BFI NETWORK South West Labs & Programmes before applying.

Participants will benefit from:

• Small group size with focused learning and peer support 

• Tips and techniques to advance your skills in working with actors 

• Plenty of rehearsal time and workshopping to explore your craft and voice 

• Access to a bespoke film set, designed to offer flexibility on approaches to performance 

• Review session to provide constructive feedback 

• New connections and new confidence in your abilities as a director

Timeline:

Applications open: Fri 1 May 10:00.

Applications close: Fri 22 May 17:00.

Applicants notified: Tue 9 June. Please note that correspondence for this may come via Bournemouth Film School, AUB. 

Meet-and-greet session (30min online with Lab tutor and BFS): date tbc 

Lab: Fri 19 and Sat 20 June, Bournemouth.