BIFA Springboard: producers

BIFA Springboard is an annual programme to support UK based filmmakers who are currently working on their second feature film. The programme offers training, mentoring and networking while building a cohort of filmmakers at a similar career level.

Running annually since 2020, this iteration is specifically for fiction producers. BIFA Springboard: producers will offer a mixture of technical and professional training, mentoring, networking and access to resources, so that the participants will be better equipped to deal with the huge variety of challenges they face on a daily basis.

The programme will run from May 2024 until January 2025 and will include a mixture of training sessions, panels, networking and one to one mentoring. The programme will be a mixture of online and in person delivery.

The programme is supported by the ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund with contributions from UK film productions, with additional support from The Wiggin Charitable Foundation via the Miles Ketley Award.

Who it's for

We will be focusing on fiction producers who have made and released a successful debut feature (festival and/or awards recognition, and/or formal distribution of some sort), and who are actively working on their second feature, e.g. those in the early to experienced phase of their career. This is a particularly pivotal moment in a filmmaker's career when they are often expected to work with bigger budgets, bigger crew, higher profile creatives and HODs. They are often dealing with public funders for the first time or financiers who are looking for more creative control. All of this can be incredibly daunting, especially when a producer may have made their first feature without any formal support or training and so may have gaps in their skills, knowledge or resources.

BIFA believe that diversity in the film industry is paramount to its future success. Through our programmes we want to be supporting and developing talent who reflect the full diversity of the UK today. While this programme is open to all producers who meet the criteria, we are especially keen to receive applications from producers that are from groups currently under-represented within the film industry, including people from under-represented minority ethnic backgrounds, D/deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent people, women, non-binary people, LGBTQ+ people and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, plus those based outside London.

What it covers

The programme will offer mentoring over a nine month period with a mentor specifically matched to your needs.

There will also be networking sessions with your fellow cohort, financiers and funders, HODs and programme speakers and partners.

Sessions will be a mixture of facilitated workshops, training and panels and will include the following topics:

• Financing, budgeting and scheduling
• Healthy and sustainable productions
• Funding - traditional, non-traditional, co-production and international financing
• Sales, distribution and marketing
• Dignity at work, recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce
• Building a slate, sustaining a career and leveraging your debut
• Legal: managing contracts, employees and freelancers
• Bullying intervention and prevention
• Building confidence and honing your creative voice, including through pitch practice

The first welcome session will take place in May along with the first of the one-to-one mentoring sessions. Panels, training sessions and mentoring will continue monthly until January 2025.

How to apply

Please click 'apply now' to submit your application' You will need to be logged into your ScreenSkills account in order to complete an application.

If you have any questions or access requirements in order to fill out this form, would like the application form in another format, or would like to submit a video application rather than written, please contact hello@bifa.film

Please complete this form to submit your application. The deadline for applications is 09:00 on 28 March and we'll be in touch about the outcome of your application by 12 April.

ScreenSkills is also supporting Doc Society's 'Producing truth: for UK documentary feature producers'. The programme is for documentary producers that have completed a minimum of one feature length film as the lead Producer, if you are interested in applying, you can find the course page here.

Contact information

Email: hello@bifa.film