BFI NETWORK South West have teamed up again with Bristol Screen Producers for our Creative Producers Lab, a three month-long remotely taught training scheme for new and aspiring film producers. 

Running through from September to November this series of online workshops, talks and 1:1 meetings with tutors will cover all stages of development, production, post-production, marketing and distribution/exhibition, including festival strategy. The aim is to provide you with a detailed understanding of what the role of a film producer involves and give them the confidence to seek film production funding.

Alongside the training provided, you will be supported to develop a pitch deck for a short narrative film project idea (animation or live action) that could potentially be used in an application for the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund (read the guidelines here) in collaboration with a writer and/or director. Ideally you would apply to this scheme with a short film project you are looking to develop, but this is not essential. There will be opportunities as part of the scheme to connect with writers and/or directors and hopefully find a relevant project. 

The lab will be led by Kate Cook, Alison Sterling and Mike Riley; South West based producers who have years of experience in the field and have worked with critically acclaimed filmmakers. 

As a Producer, you’re often jack of all trades and are the one who will see your films through from the early concept stage to screen and beyond.

The Creative Producers Lab aims to give you an oversight on how that journey might look, with some key tools, resources and contacts to support you in the early stages of your career.

Kate Cook, Bristol Screen Producers, course tutor

Who can apply?

We welcome all applicants that fit the criteria below, including those with little or no experience, but are ambitious about producing for screen.

We strongly encourage applications from those who are producers in other creative disciplines such as theatre, television, gaming, or radio that are looking to make the move to on screen work. 

Applications are open to aspiring or new producers who are:

• Permanently based in one of these South West counties: Bath & NE Somerset, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Wight, North Somerset, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Southampton, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Torbay or Wiltshire (see BFI Regional Map).
•  Aged 18 or over.
• Not in full-time education.
• We welcome applications from individuals as well as co-producing teams.
• You do not need to be working with a writer and/or director in order to apply, although it is welcomed. 
• Must be available for the majority of the key dates provided.

Due to the ongoing pandemic this lab is being hosted entirely online via Zoom. The sessions will happen online, so to take part you only need a reliable internet connection and access to a device that supports video conferencing.

BFI NETWORK South West are more than happy to provide additional access support to participants wishing to attend our Creative Producers Lab. If you have any specific needs, for example, if you require a BSL interpreter, please notify us in the relevant part of the application form and we will arrange this for you.

How to apply

Applications are open now until Friday 30 July (11.59pm)

To apply please complete the dedicated google form below.

Selected applications will be notified on or by Tuesday 10 August. Due to the expected number of applications, we unfortunately won’t have the capacity to offer feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Please find a text-only document version of the call out and the application form at the bottom of this page. If you would like the application form in any other format, then please contact us via email on bfinetwork@watershed.co.uk.

Dates for the diary

Text only versions