Now in our fifth year, Made of Truth invites passionate filmmakers to take on the challenge of documenting our tumultuous times on film.
We believe that short documentaries play a unique role in pushing forward the form that we know and love. We encourage creative risk-taking in form and content. For some of you and your communities, we understand that current conditions may create boundaries for how you make your films so, as with all filmmakers, we encourage you to think expansively about the film you want to make. Perhaps your film is to be made locally or collaboratively? As ever we remain deeply committed to films that shed new light on the climate crisis and those that respond to the changing world around us.
Made of Truth is part of BFI NETWORK and the Fund uses National Lottery money to support all forms of non-fiction: personal stories, hybrid fiction/non-fiction, artist films, essays, observational and social issue projects. We’re also open to looking at VR and immersive projects, which are firmly rooted in the documentary genre.
We’re looking for emerging creatives who are yet to make a non-fiction feature film. You may have a track record in another form or genre and are keen to make a short, which 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: BFI Doc Society Fund is committed to supporting a diverse community of filmmakers and working with creatives from underserved backgrounds including Ethnically diverse, Disabled, LGBTQ+, Working class and non-filmmaking talent. We 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.
We accept ideas from short and sweet 5 minute wonders to multi-layered 40 minute pieces, encouraging applicants to consider their audience and the appropriate length for their film and the opportunities that may come with keeping it under twenty minutes.
Take a look at some of our recent shorts here and watch these in full online: The Black Cop, The Elvermen, Weathering, Eve, Somalinimo, No Ball Games, The Nightcrawlers, The Masses and The Circle.
Whatever you’re considering, please do check out the Corona risk assessment protocols, which will guide you through the process of deciding how and where to film.
We’ve got the cold hard cash and can fund ten short films with budget contributions of up to £15,000 and are happy to look at ideas of any length up to 40 minutes. Applications will open 10am (BST) on Tuesday 10th May and will be accepted until 12 noon (BST) on Tuesday 7th June 2022 and once selected, films will need to be delivered by the end of Feb 2023. Documentary filmmakers and those with equivalent experience over the age of 18 are welcome to apply.
Projects will receive creative and mentorship support from the BFI Doc Society team, and relevant industry partners.
We encourage Filmmakers to team up with a producer before applying, however you do not need a producer to apply as we can facilitate partnerships with producers for successful applicants.
The only way we can assess projects and offer advice is for applicants to submit their proposal and materials via our online application system.
The Fund opened 10am (BST) 10th May and submissions closed at 12 noon (BST) on Tuesday 7th June 2022.
We be in touch with all applicants within 9 weeks of the fund closing with the decision to progress or decline your application.
Please check out our comprehensive guidelines which should help with any burning questions. If you can’t find what you need, please contact our BFI Doc Society Production Coordinator Avesta Kadir at hello@docsociety.org
The BFI Doc Society are committed to making its funding accessible to all. TAPE Community Film and Music will be providing our access support for applicants. Find all the details on what support you can receive and how to get the help required to make an application in this PDF document.
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Doc Society has been asked for greater transparency on the BFI Doc Society Fund and on reflection, our public information about our work was not as transparent as we had assumed, and so, we are grateful for the feedback and happy to offer information HERE on the BAME and black projects and talent funded, on the protagonists of the stories told. Black, Asian and other minority ethnic filmmakers should have the information they need to hold the structures of cultural decision making accountable.
We will continue to share information across ALL grantees in the future. All filmmakers who apply - including those with disabilities, from LGBTQI+ and underserved communities will benefit from the effort to share further information.
If you would like to find out which documentary projects are recipients of awards through the BFI Doc Society Fund, please find our directory here.