With its roots in anthropology and its heart in the cinema, Open City Documentary Festival is one of the UK’s most curious and careful spaces for nonfiction film. Alongside a festival that treats short films, retrospectives and experimental work with equal care, they run training programmes, publish a journal, and host genuinely inclusive events that pull communities together in smart, generous ways.

A project by filmmakers Turab Shah and Arwa Aburawa, Other Cinemas works at the intersection of film exhibition, education and production, spotlighting Black and non-white filmmakers and stories. Based in Brent, they run a free film school, screen work in welcoming community settings, and create films that engage with local and global issues - all as part of a long-term push for a fairer film culture.

What started as a simple forum thread on Shooting People is now a thriving organisation. The Queer Filmmakers Network connects LGBTQIA+ filmmakers across the UK through regular meet-ups, screenings and events—creating space for queer stories on both sides of the lens. They’ve grown from “anyone up for a drink?” to a CIC with a mailing list, a website, and a packed events calendar.

A five-week film programme based in London, Radical Film School supports early-career directors creating politically and formally radical work. With sessions led by experienced filmmakers and a focus on collective practice, it’s open to those from underrepresented backgrounds in UK film and entirely free to attend. The course runs annually in November/December, with applications opening in September.

From its start in a 90-seater cinema, Reel Brum has grown into a buzzing Midlands film hub - complete with screenings, a regular pitch night, its own strand at Flatpack Festival, and not one but seven film funds. If you're a filmmaker in Birmingham, this is where it’s at.

Shiny are doing the work when it comes to connecting new and underrepresented directors with the commercial industry. Through their awards, showcases and talks, they’re demystifying the ad world and creating real access for directors looking to get into branded content.

Sine Screen is an emerging film collective championing independent cinema from East and Southeast Asia. Based in London and run by a team of filmmakers, curators, and creatives, they programme events across the UK that explore memory, migration, and identity, making room for the kinds of films and conversations often missing from the mainstream.

The straight 8 challenge is as analogue as it gets: one roll of Super 8, no editing or post, and your first time seeing the finished film is with a packed audience at BFI Imax or Cannes. It’s raw, rough around the edges, and ridiculously fun. A perfect playground for filmmakers who like to jump in headfirst. With regular filmy social events in London, it’s a community as much as a competition.

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TAPE Collective have been creating space for underrepresented films and filmmakers since 2015. From community screenings to panel events, distribution and their own streaming platform, they work across the film ecosystem to amplify stories that don’t often get heard - especially those by women of colour.

The British Blacklist is a long-standing platform championing Black creatives in the UK and the wider diaspora. Alongside sharp editorial coverage, it hosts the black | listed database - a growing hub of Black talent working across the creative industries.

TNBFC is a hub for Black-led filmmaking in the UK - supporting creatives through events, screenings, skills development, PR, and more. They’re behind everything from distributing films like Dear White People to helping early-career programmers get their start. Their annual TNB XPO brings hundreds of Black creatives together under one roof - and they offer free membership for individuals in the industry.

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Trans+ On Screen is a directory platform supporting trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming professionals across film and TV. Set up to challenge traditional hiring models, they focus on care over clout, offering an empowering alternative to agency fees and tokenism. The platform connects industry opportunities with talent across all areas of the production pipeline.

Friendly, free and focused on building real connections, Tweetups offers monthly networking events for actors and filmmakers, plus regular Q&As with casting directors and industry guests. Each year they also run TweetFest, a BIFA-qualifying short film festival packed with exciting new work.

Set up to make the arts more accessible, Underscore Studios runs low-cost, skills-based film workshops aimed at helping working-class creatives build careers. From script feedback to practical sessions on directing and producing, everything they do is designed to be useful, flexible and rooted in real-world experience.