Made of Truth: BFI Doc Society Short Film Fund 2024

The Made of Truth: BFI Doc Society Short Film Fund invites emerging storytellers from across all parts of the UK to share original and adventurous non-fiction stories that respond to the changing world around us.

Since 2018, the Made of Truth: BFI Doc Society Short Film Fund (“Made of Truth”) has proudly supported 61 original, short documentaries. They’re delighted to open for a new round of funding and to discover new voices from across the UK over the next 3 years.

What the fund can support

Made of Truth is part of BFI NETWORK and uses National Lottery funds to support all forms of short form non-fiction, including personal stories, hybrid work, artist films, essays, observational and social issue projects. The fund also considers VR and immersive projects whichare firmly rooted in non-fiction.

The fund can support up to 15 individual short documentaries each year with a maximum of £25,000 of grant funding. Films can be between 5-40 minutes in length.

They’re interested in new, cinematic and boundary-pushing ideas and encourage applications for projects that take creative leaps and filmmaking that takes risks on talent, form and content. The fund recognises the quality of difference in perspective, the importance of who is telling the story and strong collaborations.

Who can apply?

They’re looking for emerging creatives who are yet to make a non-fiction feature film (that has had professional distribution.) You may have a track record in another form or genre and are keen to make a short that helps develop your talent on the path to long-form documentary feature filmmaking, or you may have made a doc short or two already.

Made of Truth supports projects with directors based in the UK. This nation-wide programme endeavours to help more voices in more places contribute to distinctive, original storytelling. They can only fund applicants who are over the age of 18, and who are not in full-time education.

Made of Truth: BFI Doc Society Fund is committed to supporting a diverse community of filmmakers and working with creatives from underserved backgrounds including Ethnically diverse, Disabled, LGBTQIA+, Working class and non-filmmaking talent. They would like to hear from new storytellers from around the country and all communities and are especially keen to increase the number of projects originating outside London and from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

They strongly encourage Filmmakers to team up with a producer before applying, however you do not need a producer to apply as they can facilitate partnerships with producers for successful applicants.

Successful projects will receive creative and mentorship support from the BFI Doc Society team, and relevant industry partners.