BFI invests £1.1m in short animation projects

The BFI Short Form Animation Fund is investing £1.1 million in 15 new “bold and ambitious” animation projects in its second round of funding.

Ten of the selected projects received up to £120,000 in funding for production and five others were awarded up to £10,000 to support development. 

The charity partnered with StoryFutures Academy, the UK’s National Centre for Immersive Storytelling, to support two immersive virtual or augmented reality projects, using funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

“StoryFutures Academy are thrilled to be working with the BFI to support these two fantastic immersive projects,” said Becky Gregory-Clarke, Head of Immersive at StoryFutures Academy.

“Both pieces will use real-time animation techniques, which is an incredibly important growth area, requiring content-making skills that are highly in demand. We know they both have big ambitions and great teams behind them, so we’re really excited to support and follow them on their journey.”

The BFI uses National Lottery funding to back narrative short form films of up to 15 minutes each. The Short Form Animation Fund, launched in 2019, “was designed to enable our talented UK animators to develop their practice, so it is exciting we are starting to see those films showcased and celebrated at international festivals,” said Natascha Wharton, Head of Editorial at BFI Film Fund.

“With round two, we saw a real breadth of styles and ideas come through in the applications, and we’re delighted to be unveiling such a diverse slate of projects today.”

Each of the ten selected projects, intended for the cinema, digital platforms and VR, will be overseen by a BFI Film Fund executive and supported by an animation consultant.