Funding
What funding is available through First Light Movies?
First Light Movies fund groups of young people aged between five and 19 through three funding schemes.
There are two main production funding strands available, the Pilot and Studio Awards, and we also offer support with generating those first film ideas through the What’s the Big Idea? Award.
First Light Movies funds filmmaking projects throughout the UK. You can see films from your area or find out about the people we work with near you on our map.
N.B. We don’t fund individuals so if you are a young person who wants to make a film with us you need to encourage your teacher or a leader of an after school club to apply to us. Click here for more information.
Making an Application
All applications to First Light Movies are made online. The information below will help you select the best pathway for your First Light Movies grant application.
What's the Big Idea? Award
- Funding for script development projects that team young people with script professionals
- Maximum grant - £3,000
- 10% match funding requirement
Click here if you're working exclusively with young people aged under 12 years
Click here if you're working with groups of young people aged 12 and over or a mixed age group between five and 19 years
Pilot Award
- Funding for one short film of up to five minutes in duration
- Maximum grant - £5,000
- 20% in-kind match funding requirement
Click here if you're working exclusively with young people aged under 12 years
Click here if you're working with groups of young people aged 12 and over or a mixed age group between five and 19 years
Studio Award
- Funding for between two and four films of up to 10 minutes in duration
- Maximum grant - £30,000
- Match funding of 40% required
- Track record of filmmaking with young people necessary
Click here if you're working exclusively with young people aged under 12 years
Click here if you're working with groups of young people aged 12 and over or a mixed age group between five and 19 years
Amount of funding available
First Light Movies allocates £700,000 of National Lottery funding per year to its funding schemes.
For the April 2008 Studio Award deadline, First Light Movies is able to spend approximately £236,000.
For the June 2008 Pilot and What's the Big Idea? Award deadline, First Light Movies is able to spend approximately £56,000.
To date we have received 1290 applications, of which 438 (34%) have been funded.
Download Applications
What's the Big Idea Awards guidelines (Microsoft Word Document file 321K)
Studio Award guidelines (Microsoft Word Document file 336K)
Pilot Award guidelines (Microsoft Word Document file 337K)
Download:
First Light Movies rights (Microsoft Word Document file 112K)
Conditions of Funding (Microsoft Word Document file 156K)
First Light Movies Case Study (Microsoft Word Document file 34K)
What First Light Movies will and won't fund (Microsoft Word Document file 144K)
First Light Movies crediting (Microsoft Word Document file 421K)
Child Protection Policy (Microsoft Word Document file 168K)
National Lottery Customer Charter (PDF Document file 59K)
National Lottery Customer Charter - Large Print (PDF Document file 58K)
Mediabox Evaluation Toolkit (PDF Document file 617K)
Example of a film budget (Misc. File file 20K)
"In August I worked as a sound assistant on 'This Life + 10', which was shown on BBC 2 the other night, followed by a drama about Saddam Hussein, also as a sound assistant." Dionne South: Ex First Light Movies young filmmaker
