Funding Your Short Film

With over 20 new British short films showing at the Regis London Film Festival, FilmFour.com explains where to get the cash to make them.

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First Timers

Doing It Yourself

Many film-makers will tell you that the first shorts they ever made were at home. Spielberg filmed his train set crashing on Super 8, today you can practise on your home video. You can also buy basic editing programmes like Final Cut Pro for your computer, provided its got the memory. Start this way if you can. You can get a book from the library on basic film making techniques and work at your own speed.

Private Finance

Given the weight of applications for limited funding opportunities, combined with the Catch-22 of having to have something to show in order to qualify for said funds, many film-makers turn to their nearest and dearest, friendly patrons or business sponsors for help. This is absolutely understandable but film-makers must be realistic with themselves (and their backers) about the chances of getting the money back. Short films rarely, if ever, get even a small proportion of their budget money back because shorts are expensive to produce and the outlets where they can be sold are limited.

Potential Sources Of Funding

First Light
www.firstlightmovies.com
A new scheme at The Film Council reaching out to 'a new generation of film-makers' aimed specifically at school children of all ages and backgrounds. Teaching children about film, helping them link up with film organisations in their area, and getting their work seen.

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Comments

Hi, This would be really useful if it weren't for the fact that all your links are out of date. A lot of the companies you suggest for funding here have either ceased to exists or aren't running those schemes anymore. Do you think you could update it at all? It would help all us frustrated fundraisers... Thanks

Posted by pissingkittens on 20/11/2009 10:32:19

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I have written a 40 minute short. Should i send it out to production companies to get made or should i find a way to fund such an expensive long short.

Posted by Skyers on 20/10/2009 12:57:09

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Sir, My films is about a student whose dreams crash with his parents dream.

Posted by Williamson on 21/08/2009 10:52:52

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My short fim is about the middle East.

Posted by mark allibon on 11/06/2009 13:19:25

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