If you’re a writer, producer or director looking for some funding for your short film – good luck. A couple of years ago, I got a team together, with a director and two actors, in order to produce and make my award winning short film ‘Face to Face.’

The BFI film fund had opened up and we were looking for a small amount of funding to make the dream happen. The grants they award for short films are from £5,000 – £25,000 and our application was around £10,000.

I thought it would be easy. Two actors. One room. 15mins. It’s an easy pitch and and it’ll be easy peasy for us to get the grant right?

WRONG.

Applying for this was one of the hardest and emotionally wrenching things I’ve ever applied for. By the end of the application I was half expecting them to ask us for a DNA sample and blood type.

Read The Rules

First, you must read the pack from their website and make sure you’re eligible, according to their rules. We have a writer and director attached, but no producer. Yet, the application has to be submitted by a producer. Also, the producer cannot also be the writer or director. This makes NO sense. If you’re planning to self-produce, write and direct your own work then you’re flipped. We nominated one of the actors to literally act as producer and we funnelled our application through her, but using my email. Seeing as her nickname and stage name is Cece and mine is Christina, we kind of fudged our way through that.

Create A Budget Plan

Then, you must prepare a budget plan using their own spreadsheet. They have sample budgets online, but creating your own is a head trip. You also have to make sure your budgets align exactly with the amount of money you’re asking for, right down to the penny. I know this seems obvious to the finance bros, but we’re creatives here and for the majority of us, an excel spreadsheet sends us into meltdown.

Your Film Script Is Now A Product

When that’s done, each person has to submit their vision. Writer, director and producer has to separately write an essay about the film, their goals, so festivals, etc – and then make sure it aligns to the kind of stories that BFI also wants to support.

It’s not good enough to just say ‘I believe in this script, give us the money please.’ Trust me, we were tempted many times. You have to sell it like a product, as if you’re approaching Dragons Den and asking them to give you the cash to invest in your business. This was when it became real for me. My creative baby was now a product that I needed to sell to investors.

The Script

This is THE one. If you can’t sell the script, hope and pray that it sells itself. When you submit the script, make sure it’s 19 pages exactly for a 20min short film. I had to crop out a load of dialogue and tighten everything up before submission.

In addition, they recommend ‘any other materials you wish.’ The ‘you wish’ is a trick. This isn’t a shooting star, it’s a test to see how much preparation you have done. We completed a full pitch deck with production information, pictures, awards, information on the team, anything that can sell us to the people reviewing our applications.

Things Get Personal

Finally, you have to complete very personal questionnaires about household income, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion and submit documents of proof of address. I know the statement of addresses is a standard way of showing proof, but seeing as so many statements are paperless these days, it’s just another headache. It’s also the only time, I actively go searching for my bills and feel happy when I find one!

I should also point out that I was also doing this, while elbow deep in rehearsals for PlayFight at The Pleasance, while I was still rewriting drafts. I’d work on the BFI application in the morning, in a cafe before rehearsals and in the theatre, during lunch break. As those drafts had to be delivered the very next day, I only got in two bites of pasta for dinner, before working on those. Then right before bed, I’d work on the application again.

Let’s just say… it was very full on.

Even though we didn’t get the funding, this has been a steep learning curve that I’m sure will carry us into the next stage. I’m not saying don’t give it a shot – go for it! But be prepared for investing in a lot of hard work and time, with very little reaping. Still, it’s a great way to get some experience in this industry where every filmmaker is splashing around, trying to get noticed.

Want to give it a go? Find out more here: BFI Short Film Fund.