What is the Film Exhibition Fund? 

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 October–  15th 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.  

Guidelines for Applications   

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.