National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Programme Fund (United Kingdom)

Activities supported by the fund should increase the reach, impact and diversity of film screenings and events for communities throughout Scotland and meet Screen Scotland’s Audience Development priorities.
Activities should also increase engagement within audience groups that are currently underrepresented in cinema audiences.

Although this fund is primarily for in-person events, we recognise that some activity may also take place on digital platforms when this is the best way to reach specific audiences that are a priority for the fund.

Focus Areas

• Within Scotland there are significant groups of people who share a protected characteristic and who are underrepresented in the film industry, as workers and as audiences – through these focus areas they hope to address some of these issues. They will accept applications that meet the fund criteria in other ways, but that do not address the 2024/2025 focus areas. However, they will prioritise projects that help to address these gaps in talent and/or audiences either as the full purpose, or as part of their activity. They do not expect any application to address all the focus areas and acknowledge that addressing one of the areas well may be more valuable than addressing several.

Screen Scotland’s Audience Development Priorities

• Scotland has a diverse screen culture, showcasing the best contemporary and heritage films from Scotland and around the world, raising up new or unheard voices.
• Communities across Scotland have access to shared spaces with meaningful, relevant, and enjoyable opportunities to engage in screen culture.
• Scotland’s venues, festivals and platforms are sustainable – financially and environmentally – and are positive places to visit and to work within.

Funding Information

• The fund will support activity up to 31 August 2025.
• Awards will be between £10,000 – £40,000.
• They are continuing to pilot the BFI Diversity Standards – Screen Scotland and all applicants to this fund need to evidence they have made an application to this prior to applying to them.
• There is no longer a 2-year funding option as there was in 2023/2024.
• They have new talent and audience focus areas that they will prioritise when making funding decisions.

Who can apply? 

• This fund is open to new and existing organisations based in Scotland and producing film festivals and/or curated screening programmes for audiences in Scotland which meet the aims and criteria of this fund.
• All physical, in-person screenings and activity supported directly by this fund must be presented to audiences in Scotland. This restriction does not apply if digital activity features as part of your plans, however Scottish audiences should be the primary focus.
• New festivals or exhibitors, and organisation who aren’t currently film exhibition organisations but are considering the delivery of a film festival or screening programme, are encouraged to contact them to discuss your project before applying so that they can help with the process.
• They expect to make individual awards in the region of £10,000 to £40,000 per year. If your project budget is likely to be significantly outside this range, please contact the Enquiries Service to discuss your application.
• If you are looking for less than £10,000, please consider applying to Film Hub Scotland’s Film Exhibition Fund or one of their other funding opportunities.

Who cannot apply? 

• Individuals
• Venues
• Non-constituted groups and individuals
• Film clubs applying for their regular programme
• Organisations in receipt of Creative Scotland Regular Funding (RFOs) are not eligible to apply as a lead applicant but can be included as partners in other projects. RFOs should not be the main beneficiary of the funding or take the lead role. If you are an RFO with a project aligned with the aims of this fund that you would like to discuss.
• Organisations not based in Scotland. If you are based outside of Scotland and wish to do activity in Scotland than they require you to be working with a partner based in Scotland and for them to lead on the application.
• Activity that is primarily:
  • filmmaking or where filmmakers are the primary audience
  • film industry talent development
  • Education focused and/or taking place as part of a school programme.

For more information, visit Screen Scotland.