The Uncertain Kingdom’s Short Film Production Fund (UK

The Uncertain Kingdom funds the development of features and commissions short films.

What kind of films are they looking for?

• They’re looking for filmmakers that respond to the brief in unexpected ways, revealing their unique perspective. They are looking for stories, not issues.
• They are open to any genre, form or style. Fiction, documentary, dance, artist moving image, animation, hybrids are all welcome – or something else, so long as it is filmed.

Funding Information

• They will award you up to £20,000; you may raise a further £20,000 to the budget cap of £40,000).

Who can apply?

• The Uncertain Kingdom is for experienced storytelling teams with confidently executed, accomplished work under their belts.
• If you are a director and haven’t previously made a film but have equivalent experience in theatre or another mode of storytelling, they welcome your application.
• They take a hands-off approach and will have minimal creative involvement. Filmmakers have final cut.
• Projects must come to us fully developed. There’s no training element to the project, so they need to be confident you can deliver.
• The Uncertain Kingdom is an inclusive project and they actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and from all regions of the UK.
• Your team
• Applications should be made in teams consisting of:
  • producer(s), director(s) and writer(s)
  • producer(s) and writer/director(s);
  • producer/writer(s) and director(s);
  • or, where a writer is not required: producer(s) and director(s)
  • They would prefer producer and director to be separate people. Sometimes (particularly in documentary) that isn’t appropriate, so they can make exceptions. However, if you are both a producer and director, please consider attaching another producer.
  • Team members may be of any nationality but must all live in the UK and have the right to work in the UK.
  • The producer, writer and director (as applicable) must be eighteen or over.
• Your experience
  • Producers must have made at least one short film that has been screened at a BAFTA or Oscar qualifying film festival or had an equivalent success, such as a TV broadcast.
  • Directors must have made at least one short film that has been screened at a BAFTA or Oscar qualifying film festival or had an equivalent success, such as a TV broadcast. Or, if the director is coming from another storytelling background, you must be able to demonstrate that they have had a similar level of experience and success.
• Your film
  • Your film must respond to the theme of ‘belief’.
    • Your film can be any form, genre or style.
    • If your film is fictional, it must be original (there must not be any underlying rights).
    • Your film must have a maximum running time of 15 minutes, including all credits.
    • Your film must be capable of achieving a maximum 18 BBFC certificate.

For more information, visit The Uncertain Kingdom.