Applications are now closed. Check back next year for the 2019 round.
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Selected filmmakers will receive:
- A minimum of four one-to-one meetings with your mentor, a senior figure in the UK film industry.
- Roundtable with senior industry figures exploring the current global market environment for relevant films.
- Access to a bespoke programme of industry talks and events during BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival (21 March-1 April 2018).
- Delegate pass and access to the viewing library for BFI Flare and BFI London Film Festival, and ticket to BFI Flare Opening Night film and party on Wednesday 21 March 2018.
- Access to monthly BFI Flare-branded screenings at BFI Southbank.
The Festival will also promote your work by publishing a news story with filmmaker profiles for the BFI Flare website and social networks and offering you the option to have your short film available on the password-protected BFI Flare industry viewing portal.
Eligibility criteria
- You will have written, produced or directed a short film which has screened in the official selection or been selected for one of BAFTA’s qualifying film festivals, including BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival
- You will be developing a feature film project
- You will be a UK resident.
Location
Although the mentorship will be based in London, this is a UK-wide programme. There is some bursary support available to offset travel costs for participants living outside of Greater London.
Programme details
You will be assigned a mentor who is a senior figure in the film industry working in production, or sales and distribution. You will have at least four formal meetings with your mentor, and will be given support on how to get the most out of the experience. Rather than being a project development scheme, the programme strengthens professional networks and offers a space for discussion and better understanding of opportunities and challenges for LGBTQ+ filmmakers in the UK and in the global marketplace.
To start the mentorship off at the festival, there will be a collective gathering at a roundtable session at BFI Flare 2018 with senior figures in the film industry. This will be a Q&A exploring industry facts about LGBTQ+ content in UK film and in the global marketplace, and a discussion of the participants’ projects.
Selected filmmakers will be then paired with a mentor and meetings will be facilitated throughout 2018. Further meetings may also occur at the discretion of mentor/mentee. At the end of 2018 all mentees and mentors will have an exit interview, which will inform an article on the current global landscape for LGBTQ+ filmmaking. The article will be published on the BFI website.
Key dates
19 February 18 |
Application deadline |
26-28 February 18 |
Interviews (date TBC) |
2 March 18 |
Notification of success |
21 March-1 April 18* |
BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival |
23 March 18 |
BFI Flare roundtable (date TBC) |
April-November 18 |
Mentor meetings |
October 18 |
BFI London Film Festival |
December 18 |
Exit interviews |
How to apply
Please fill out our online application form. You will need to register an account. Once you are signed in please select the ‘BAFTA Mentoring — BFI NETWORK @ Flare’ application form. In the form you will be asked to:
- Upload an online link to your qualifying short film (see above criteria).
- Discuss what you see as the three major challenges for LGBTQ+ films and filmmakers (you may deliver this as written text or a to-camera address).
- Tell us which filmmaker you admire and why (you may deliver this as written text or a to-camera address).
This programme is designed to help develop LGBTQ+-identified filmmakers who may or may not be working on projects with LGBTQ+ content. If you have any questions about the mentorship programme, please send an email to our team at apply@bafta.org.