A new round of the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund is upon us! That’s why we’ve created this handy blog post as a quick ref to help you with your application. Remember, if you have any questions about the application form itself, or need support with your application, please email the BFI directly: bfinetworkfunding@bfi.org.uk or visit this page to find out about the access support available to you. 

DO:

• Read the guidelines in full as this will answer many of your questions and give you a better picture of who can apply, how to apply and what happens next. 

• Read the notes page on the budget template supplied for tips, guidance and things to consider.  

• Shout about your achievements in the ‘CV’ sections (but keep it concise); mention film/media-related awards, any significant festival successes for your work, any relevant training… Basically, what do you want us to know about you to convince us you’ll make the most excellent film? 

• Nail the ‘description of your project idea’ as this will really help the external readers and our Talent Execs figure out what your film is about, who it might appeal to and whether it’s an original and exciting prospect. DO tell us the ending, don’t be vague. You only have 400-500 words so we’re not expecting a full character breakdown, just make it clear whose story this is, and what you’re putting them through! TIP: edit and re-draft this as it’ll really help you distil your idea and get straight to the heart of your story. 

• Let your director feed into the application too! We want to hear about their ‘creative vision’ and see if they’ve really thought about how they’ll shoot this, what their influences are and why they were attracted to this project. TIP: you can add supporting materials – even a one-page ‘mood board’ could really help us visualise your creative intentions. You can use free software such as Canva or Pinterest, and as this doc isn’t for public use don’t worry too much about copyright-free images. Save your visuals as a PDF to preserve the layout. 

• Show us something new about the region, or about an aspect of UK life, be adventurous and take some risks in your idea, turn tropes on their head and have some fun! 

DON’T:

• Select too many genres from the options available as this indicates that your idea might lack focus. 

• Take a punt and ask for more than you need. And don’t be surprised if we ask you to make adjustments to the budget should we shortlist your project. 

• Base your budget on vague estimations; do your research and get a few quotes. Rates and fees change every year, don’t rely on old intel. TIP: watch the 45-min session we ran on short film budgets with producer Anna Duff.   

• Be over-ambitious and submit a script of more than 16 pages (a page = roughly 1 minute of screen time and we only support films of 15mins max). If you’re a newer filmmaker we strongly urge you to submit a shorter script of up to 10 pages as this means it’s more achievable on a smaller budget. For animation projects, be realistic about the number of scenes, environments and characters you’ve included.  

• Be vague in your answers; we need to sense integrity behind what you’re telling us about sustainability, how you’ll reach specific audiences, how you’ll create a diverse and inclusive set… Don’t treat this as a tick-box exercise. 

• Be afraid to use comp (comparison) titles when describing things as this is a shorthand for tone, style and genre that can be really impactful (eg ‘it has the biting satire of Succession but with a Lynchian gloss’).