Animate Projects have been championing experimental animation for years, producing bold and innovative work that sits at the intersection of art, film and animation. They’ve collaborated with an impressive range of artists and institutions and have supported New Shoots: Filmmakers through mentorship. Led by Abigail Addison and Gary Thomas, they continue to support inventive voices and push the form in exciting directions.

Set up under a railway arch in Loughborough Junction, Atlas Cinema is an experimental, volunteer-run cinema space and sister project to Brixton Community Cinema. It offers affordable screenings (max £5), built from the ground up—literally—with salvaged materials and community graft. It’s a space for emerging curators to programme boldly and collectively, far from the gatekeeping of traditional venues.

Bertha DocHouse is the UK’s only cinema screen dedicated entirely to documentaries, and it’s been championing the form for over 20 years. Tucked inside the Curzon Bloomsbury, it’s where you’ll find bold, international docs every day of the week—plus Q&As, retrospectives and proper deep dives into the craft.

BFI NETWORK offer one of the broadest ranges of support for emerging filmmakers in the UK. They fund shorts and early development for features, with specific regional teams who also run events, workshops and mentoring schemes. They’ve also contributed to New Shoots: Filmmakers, and continue to be a crucial launchpad for new talent.

Bolton International Film Festival is a respected shorts-focused festival with serious reach—BAFTA, BIFA and Grierson qualifying, FilmFreeway top-rated, and a champion of diverse storytelling. Founded as a local arts project, it’s grown into a major platform for new talent while staying true to its roots—supporting filmmakers in and beyond the North West with workshops, mentoring and year-round guidance.

From surprise preview screenings of upcoming blockbusters to curated short film screenings, Bounce Cinema is a platform for filmmakers often left out of the conversation. Founded by artist and filmmaker Mathieu Ajan, they’ve built a space where film feels exciting, inclusive, and rooted in real community.

The British Council film travel grants have helped thousands of filmmakers over the years, representing your work abroad, and supporting you to develop new contacts and networks and reach new audiences. Created to increase the exposure of new and emerging UK films, XR projects and talent on an international stage, their new-look Travel Grant Fund now offers grants to filmmakers and XR creatives. It's a rolling fund and there are grants available for: Short Film Festivals, Feature Film Festivals, Interactive/immersive, Labs and Co-production forums. A must to check out.

Apply Here

BUFF is the longest standing black-owned film festival in the UK that was founded in 2005. It's a fantastic festival, that's super well organised and has brilliant programming. Founded by Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe it's not just a qualifying festival - accredited by BAFTA, BIFA, Iris Prize and others (shorts and animation) - but also hosts annual film and script awards.

The UK’s only film club dedicated to 16mm projection, Ciné-Real has been quietly selling out screenings for over a decade. What started with a broken Super 8 projector pulled from a Hackney bin is now a much-loved fixture at The Castle Cinema. Co-run by filmmaker Liam Saint-Pierre and projectionist Ümit Mesut, it’s a proper analogue affair: visible projectors, occasional on-the-spot repairs, and a loyal crowd that comes for the atmosphere as much as the film.

Cinema For All is the national organisation for the support and development of community film exhibition in the UK. Whether you’ve been running local screenings for years or are just starting out, they offer expert advice, practical support, and a range of services, including grants to help get things rolling.

Cinesisters is a UK-based collective for female-identifying directors across film, TV and commercials. It’s a peer-led network that creates real-world support: masterclasses, writing groups, screenings and strategy. Membership is open to directors with a proven track record, and the group’s focus is on connection, craft and shaking up the industry — together.

Curated by filmmaker Tomisin Adepeju, DAILIES creates space for connection, conversation and discovery through bold, theme-driven film screenings and development programmes. Starting out on warehouse sofas in 2018, they now run sold-out events at venues like Rio Cinema, Rich Mix and BFI, always spotlighting work you won’t find at your local multiplex.

Directors Notes is one of the best places online for thoughtful, in-depth coverage of independent film. They champion shorts, features and everything in between, with filmmaker interviews and behind-the-scenes insights that feel genuinely useful. Their taste is eclectic, their tone is honest, and their support can really help a short get seen.

Submit your film

Doc Society is the inspiring, major force behind independent documentary. If you're making docs - they should be your first port of call. As a global organisation, they offer a whole suite of funds (including the BFI Doc Society Fund and the Climate Story Fund), and back non-fiction film and immersive work that’s director-led, bold, and refuses to pander to market logic or algorithms. If you’re working in innovative, cinematic non-fiction, and have a transformative story to tell, this is one of the most important places to go. Their parties are also legendary.

Get the Doc Soc Newsletter

Encounters has been flying the flag for short film since 1995, hosting boundary-pushing work and helping new filmmakers get seen. Based in Bristol, it’s refreshingly informal but well respected across the industry. They also run Depict!, a fun and free challenge to make a 90-second film, with cash prizes and exposure on offer.