UK Establishes £500K Fund To Help Film Sales Companies During Pandemic

Tom Grater
·2 min read

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The British Film Institute has put in place a $620,000 (£500,000) fund to help the country’s film sales companies cover costs arising from the pandemic.

With film distribution upended, and major markets disrupted and cancelled, this has been a challenging time for the entire industry ecosystem. Business has ticked over for sales outfits, including at the virtual edition of the Cannes market last month, and while deals have continued to flow, there’s no doubt that the entire value chain is feeling the pinch.

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Grants of up to £25,000 will be available per company, meaning 20 companies can be supported in total. The money is to cover costs that cannot be covered by funds available from the UK Government or other sources.

Applications open today (July 6) and will run for a period of four weeks.

Earlier today, the UK government unveiled an $2BN rescue package for the country’s arts and culture venues, including independent cinemas and theaters.

“We are committed to supporting the government’s ambitious export targets and ensuring a globally competitive UK film market. As a vital part of the value chain, sales companies connect a film with a global audience, and deliver back to the rights holders the resulting international revenues,” said BFI CEO Ben Roberts. “Enabling them to evolve their business model in this period of rapid change for the industry, so they can more effectively and efficiently marketing UK films in the competitive international marketplace, is paramount to their trading and our overall film landscape.”

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