Apply to the Film Exhibition Fund (FEF) for awards of up to £10,000 per year.
The BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) reaches out across the UK to ensure people have opportunities to watch and enjoy a diverse range of films and moving image, regardless of geography or circumstance.
As part of FAN, Watershed, the Film Hub Lead Organisation for the South West has been awarded funding from the BFI National Lottery to support member organisations from across the region to deliver activity to realise this ambition against the priorities set out in the BFI’s Screen Culture 2033 strategy.
The Film Exhibition Fund supports the independent film exhibition sector to put on screenings and develop audience development activity that meets the objectives of the BFI’s Screen Culture 2033 strategy.
The focus of the Film Exhibition Fund is to support in-person events that bring audiences together for a communal viewing experience, in particular screenings of UK independent and international films.
Projects which support audiences to experience moving image such as television, digital media and broader screen activity such as XR, VR, and AR will be considered where this represents a valuable opportunity for audience development, in line with our priorities. Online activities are not a priority but will be considered where they add value and create meaningful engagement (for example, by removing barriers and improving access for disabled audiences).
The activity proposed will need to target specific audience groups and show how the funding is necessary to reach those identified audiences.
The fund is open to South West based exhibitors that are Film Audience Network member organisations including cinemas, mixed arts centres, community cinemas, film societies, film festivals, touring operators and other film exhibition organisations.
We particularly welcome and encourage proposals from organisations who are currently underrepresented in the exhibition sector. These include organisations led by Black and global majority people, those that identify as d/Deaf and disabled people and those that are working class and/or are experiencing economic hardship.
FAN Membership is free. To become a member of Film Hub South West, take a moment to fill in our application.
Apply for support of £2,000 up to £9,000, covering costs such as programming, marketing, access costs and wraparound events.
For project funding of below £2000, please see Rolling Audience Pitch Pot
The fund will support activity taking place from July 2025 – Mid-March 2026.
If your plans include single project activity during April – June 2025, please get in touch with the team before applying. filmhub@watershed.co.uk
This fund is likely to be oversubscribed over its two calls. Last year the fund was oversubscribed by 157%. Proposals which meet the fund’s criteria as fully as possible will be prioritised and we may not be able to fund your activity even if it meets the criteria. The larger the amount you are seeking, the higher we would expect your project to score in assessment.
* Not a member? Find out more and join here.
FAN Film Exhibition Fund 2025-26 at a glance
Total amount available in the South West: circa £86,000 (2025-26)
Funding range: £2,001 to £9,000
Call opens: Wed 2 April 2025
Activity window: July 2025 – 31st March 2026
First round Deadline: 5pm Wed 14 May 2025
Second round Deadline: Wed 3 Sept 2025
Please note that as it is the final year of the 23-26 funding cycle:
All activities need to have been completed and reported on by mid March 2026
Please ensure that you read our 2025-26 guidelines in full before submitting your proposal. If you still have questions, first check out our FAQ on the FAN Film Exhibition Fund here.
Feel free to get in touch with the team to discuss your proposal ahead of applying for any guidance or assistance: filmhub@watershed.co.uk.
Start by reading the full guidelines to ensure your activity fits the eligibility criteria and investment priorities outlined.
For those who want to see the form offline first for reference only, a Word version can be found here.
You can get help if you need support to apply for funding through the BFI Access Support scheme. You might need support because you are disabled, neurodivergent or another reason.
If you would like to submit your proposal in another way, get in touch with our Community Manager Neil Ramjee who will be happy to discuss options: filmhub@watershed.co.uk
To apply, you will need to include the following additional documents: