Northern Ireland

Northern
Ireland Screen

Northern Ireland Screen is the government-backed agency for the film, television and digital content industry in Northern Ireland.

The agency offers production funding towards the production of feature films, television drama, animation, factual and entertainment television, and interactive content.

It offers development funding for scripted and non-scripted projects, development slates and interactive content. There are also additional funding pots available.

Northern Ireland Screen is funded by Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) and the Department for Communities. It is also delegated by the Arts Council of NI (ACNI) to administer National Lottery funding for film in Northern Ireland.

Screen
Ireland

Screen Ireland provides development, production and distribution funding for writers, directors and production companies across the film, television and animation sectors.

Film
Hub NI

Film Hub NI provides a range of services, including investment schemes and bursaries, training and networking opportunities, information, support and advice.

Film Hub NI is part of a UK wide network of eight film hubs, managed by the British Film Institute (BFI), which form the Film Audience Network (FAN).

Irish Language
Broadcast Fund

Awarded by Northern Ireland Screen, the Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF) aims to promote the production and broadcast of quality Irish language content for an audience in Northern Ireland and beyond, and to help grow the Irish language production sector in Northern Ireland.

Development and production funding is available, as is funding for a range of training initiatives.

Arts Council of
Northern Ireland

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland, providing practical support, advice and finance to artists and arts organisations.

It is responsible for the distribution of Exchequer and National Lottery funding for the arts in Northern Ireland.

Ulster-Scots
Broadcast Fund

Awarded by Northern Ireland Screen, the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund (USBF) provides finance for the production of film, television or other moving image projects relating to the Ulster-Scots heritage, culture and language in Northern Ireland.

BBC

Find the BBC's network of genre-specific commissioners on the BBC Commissioning page.

BBC Northern Ireland Commissioning Team

Drama: Nick Lambon, Commissioning Executive, UK and Northern Ireland

Children's: Guy Phenix, Commissioning Executive, 0-6, Animation and Northern Ireland indies
Contact: [email protected]

Grace Loughrey, Commissioning Assistant, 0-6, Animation and Northern Ireland indies
Contact: [email protected]

Channel 4

Find Channel 4's network of genre-specific commissioners on the Channel 4 Commissioning page.

Director of Commissioning, Nations & Regions: Jo Street
Contact: [email protected]
Assistant: John Cannon [email protected]

Lifestyle: Deborah Dunnett, Commissioning Editor, Scotland and Northern Ireland Lead
Contact: [email protected]

Drama: Rebecca Holdsworth, Commissioning Editor and Northern Ireland Lead
Contact: [email protected]
Assistant: Jordan Neill [email protected]

Reality & Entertainment: Cimrah Shah, Commissioning Editor and Northern Ireland Lead
Contact: [email protected]
Assistant: Louisa Kelly [email protected]

Specialist Factual: Shaminder Nahal, Head of Specialist Factual and Northern Ireland Lead
Contact: [email protected]
Assistant: Ashanti Barrett [email protected]

Comedy: Andy Brereton, Senior Commissioning Editor and Northern Ireland Lead
Contact: [email protected]
Assistant: Chloe Pearson [email protected]

Documentaries & Factual Entertainment: Tim Hancock, Commissioning Editor and Northern Ireland Lead
Contact: [email protected]

ITV

Find ITV's network of genre-specific commissioners on the ITV Commissioning page.

Paramount/5

Find Paramount's network of commissioners on the Paramount Commissioning page.

Sky

Find Sky's genre-specific submission portals on the Sky Commissioning page.

RTE

Find RTE's network of genre-specific commissioners on the RTE Commissiong page.

Northern
Ireland Screen

Northern Ireland Screen is the government-backed agency for the film, television and digital content industry in Northern Ireland.

The agency hosts a Screen Industry Database, an online directory for crew, production companies, and facilities and services. Registration is free.

There is also a locations guide, as well as information on film and television studios.

Film HubNI

Film Hub NI provides a range of services, including investment schemes and bursaries, training and networking opportunities, information, support and advice.

Film Hub NI is part of a UK wide network of eight film hubs, managed by the British Film Institute (BFI), which form the Film Audience Network (FAN).

Irish Film &
Television Network

The Irish Film & Television Network (IFTN) website features Ireland-based industry related information across a number of categories. It also features a locations library.

Arts
Council England

Arts Council England is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). It champions, develops and invests in activities across the arts, museums and libraries.

NB: Not including nations.

British
Council Film

British Council Film supports the UK film industry. It offers international opportunities and resources to UK film professionals as well as various funding opportunities throughout the year.

NB: Not including Northern Ireland.

British
Film Institute

The BFI supports and promotes film and television, and is sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). The BFI Film Fund annually invests National Lottery and Government funds to support skills and business development, as well as other funding opportunities, across the UK.

Creative UK

Creative UK is a non-profit organisation that works in partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI) to support the independent creative industries, including through direct investment, loans and business mentoring.

Doc Society

Doc Society is a non-profit organisation supporting companies working within documentary. It offers various funding schemes for both short and long-form documentary films.

Make a
Move

ScreenSkills' Make a Move initiative encourages on-the-job training for crew members identified, by industry colleagues, as ready to move up to a more senior role.

Productions contributing to the Film Skills Fund are eligible for funding and can access up to £15,000 for an individual receiving training, if stepping up to a head of department role. For all other step-up roles, productions can access up to £10,000 per individual.

UK Global
Screen Fund

The UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF) is a fund designed to boost international development and distribution opportunities for the UK’s independent screen sector.

Financed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and administered by the British Film Institute (BFI), the fund focuses on accelerating export growth, boosting revenues to independent UK screen companies and deepening international relationships.

British
Council Film

British Council Film supports the UK film industry. It offers international opportunities and resources to UK film professionals.

British Film
Commission

The British Film Commission (BFC) is the UK national agency, with a remit to maximise and support the production of international feature film and television in the UK. The BFC provides bespoke production support and assistance with sourcing facilities, locations, studios, and key crew and talent for major film productions. It also offers comprehensive guidance on the UK’s film and television tax reliefs and production funding opportunities, as well as advice on production related regulations. The BFC works in partnership with key film industry bodies and is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), through the British Film Institute (BFI) and the Department for Business & Trade.

Film & TV
Charity

The Film & TV Charity provides advice, support and financial assistance to people who work (or have worked) in the film and television industry in the UK, especially during times of need.

The charity supports those working in film, television and cinema who experience difficulties due to poor health, career and financial issues, as well as other unavoidable circumstances. It offers awards and scholarships for emerging talent, as well as online financial management tools.

ScreenSkills

ScreenSkills is the industry-led skills charity for the screen industries. It works across the UK to ensure that industries for film, television, VFX, animation and games have the skills and talent they need.

The charity provides insight, training and other opportunities to help with career development. Support is provided for childcare, accommodation and travel, in a move to open up opportunities to people returning after a parenting break, and for those who need initial help in taking up opportunities to advance their career. Its work is supported by National Lottery funds and industry contributions.

Help to
Grow

Help to Grow brings together all the support on offer to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from the UK Government into one place, making it quicker and more convenient for business leaders to find resources, including information on what funding they can access.

As well as providing business news, the website offers:

• Help to start-up
• Help to scale and grow
• Help with finance and funding
• Help to sell internationally

Filming in
England

Managed by Creative UK, Filming in England offers free comprehensive production support to film and high-end television productions. Alongside its film office partners, and regional and national networks, it is on hand to help at every stage of production, including early feasibility, filming permissions and post-production.

It has directories for filming locations, crew, suppliers, and studios and build spaces across England (excluding nations).