BFI increases its support of UK documentary filmmaking, investing £7.2m of National Lottery funding over three years.
BFI announces it will continue to prioritise dedicated support of the UK documentary filmmaking sector, thanks to National Lottery funding. As part of the BFI National Lottery Funding plan 2026-29, Doc Society will receive £7.2m over three years as BFI’s UK-wide delegate partner to distribute documentary funding across features, immersive, shorts and support talent development – an uplift of 20% from the previous three-year period.
The increased investment allows for an expansion of feature production and development finance, enabling Doc Society to increase the spectrum of support available for documentary filmmakers. In addition to a new immersive fund, a dedicated development fund for feature length documentaries will be introduced. An expansion of production support via two dedicated funding strands – one for emerging directors and one for mid-career to established filmmakers – will also address the issue of talent progression and career sustainability in the documentary sector. The Made of Truth: BFI Doc Society Short Film Fund will also continue in partnership with BFI NETWORK, to support emerging storytellers from across the UK…