BFI LAUNCHES NEW EXPANDED SCREEN FUND SUPPORTING AMBITIOUS IMMERSIVE WORKS OF FICTION
Part of the rollout of the £150 million BFI National Lottery Funding Plan … British Film Institute (BFI) has unveiled a major new funding initiative aimed at pushing the boundaries of storytelling, with the launch of its Expanded Screen Fund supporting ambitious immersive fiction projects. Announced on Wednesday 1st April 2026, the fund will offer […]
Black News 
Part of the rollout of the £150 million BFI National Lottery Funding Plan …
British Film Institute (BFI) has unveiled a major new funding initiative aimed at pushing the boundaries of storytelling, with the launch of its Expanded Screen Fund supporting ambitious immersive fiction projects.
Announced on Wednesday 1st April 2026, the fund will offer up to £150,000 per project to experienced UK producers and creative teams working in immersive and screen-based storytelling. Designed to champion innovation, the initiative will back projects that explore interactive narratives through technologies such as VR, AR, XR and 360° media, encouraging creatives to experiment with form and audience experience.
The Expanded Screen Fund sits within a broader ecosystem of support for immersive work. It complements the upcoming immersive strand of the BFI Doc Society Fund for non-fiction projects, while large-scale productions intended for nationwide exhibition can seek backing through the BFI Audience Projects Fund. Emerging talent will also continue to be supported through BFI NETWORK.
Applications for the fund are now open and will close on 3 June 2026, targeting creatives with a proven track record who are ready to take the next step in their practice. Projects must present fictional narratives, whether imagined worlds, characters or events, and demonstrate a clear creative vision behind their use of immersive technologies.
The launch forms part of the BFI’s wider National Lottery Funding Plan for 2026–2029, a £150 million strategy that includes £61 million dedicated to filmmaking and talent development, marking a significant increase on the previous funding cycle. Within this, £41.5 million has been earmarked for fiction features through established funds supporting both debut and experienced filmmakers.
Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, said: “Having listened to the industry and taking learnings from the immersive works we previously funded, we believe we are setting out a framework for filmmakers in this space at different stages of their trajectories. The Expanded Screen Fund sets out to support creatives to experiment with their screen-based work to push the boundaries of their practice and to encourage experimentation in the form. We are excited to see the work that people apply with and believe this Fund can provide an important opportunity for the development of work and progression in careers within the immersive sector.”
Alongside this, Doc Society has been awarded £7.2 million to continue delivering UK-wide documentary funding, while additional investment includes £3 million for the Creative Challenge Fund, supporting regional development programmes and £9.3 million for BFI NETWORK to nurture early-career creatives across the UK.
With immersive storytelling continuing to gain momentum, the Expanded Screen Fund signals a clear commitment from the BFI to support bold, innovative work that redefines how audiences engage with stories.
