The Girls In Film’s Guide to Applying to Film Funds
Guide: Girls In Film | Photos: Nora Nord | Poster Design: Steph Dutton
Girls in Film is a global organisation that champions and connects the new generation of women, non-binary and trans+ creatives in the film industry. We believe that changing the gender bias in the film industry starts with bringing these groups to the forefront. We have a strong online presence via our streaming platform and Instagram, and IRL branches in London, New York City, Prague, Johannesburg, Dublin, Aotearoa and Athens.
This year, we at the OG London branch of Girls In Film, are celebrating our 10th birthday! Founded by Nikola Vasakova in 2016 in urgent response to the release of Drake’s Hotline Bling - ahem - the need for greater community and connection within the film industry, Girls In Film has spent the past decade supporting and championing women, non-binary and trans+ talent across film and the creative industries.
As part of our birthday celebrations, we've set up a 25k production fund + in-kind support, with the help of our wonderful sponsors, who we are so very thankful for: Feeld, Prettybird, Bridget Productions, Farago Projects, MOX, and Uncommon. With in-kind contributions from AVENUES Studio, 750mph, FOMO Rentals, Emmyland, and MCX Hire. Runner up projects will also be offered mentoring to help progress their projects further.
With less than 1 week to go until the submission deadline, here are our tips for a smooth submission process that can be applied to our fund as well as any future fund applications you may be seeking out.
The application is your opportunity to tell funders what you want to make, why you want to make it, and how you'll get it over the finish line with their support! Make sure you read eligibility criterias and that you are the kind of person the fund is looking for, for example some funding is there to support otherwise marginalized groups of people, so ask yourself if that applies to you.
For example, our fund is open to women, non-binary and trans+ teams based in the UK and we’re looking for narrative-based (docufiction welcome, but no music videos please!) production-ready projects of any genre that are able to deliver by the end of 2026. Remember to check the full eligibility requirements before submitting, and if you’re unsure, you can always reach out to the fund coordinators for help.
What is Your Idea? What is Your Story?
First things first… what story do you want to tell? A good short film starts with a great idea, brought to life through a strong script and creative vision. We're looking for narrative short film scripts of 20 pages or less because we want to ensure that the scope of the film is doable for the money we are putting into it.
It is also often important to link the story to the writer - why is this story important to you? Why do you want to tell it and why are YOU the person that should tell it? Personal stories can be very powerful but they don’t have to always reflect the exact reality that you are living, however, some kind of connection makes your proposal that much stronger.
We’re open to stories in any fiction genre - whether your idea is dramatic, funny, strange, scary, moving, or anything else outside of the usual human range of emotions, we would love to hear it! The brief is intentionally broad because we're interested in discovering all different kinds of stories from our community.
What we do want to know is what makes your project distinctive? Why does it matter to you? Why would an audience want to see it?
The Team That Makes it Happen
Putting a strong team together is essential. It could be people you have worked with before or someone new you just met but their collective strengths and experiences will make or break the final project, so choose carefully. These will be people that will go on (sometimes rather arduous) journey of making a low budget film with you and make your vision come to life, so make sure you have some good eggs in your team that are as good at what they do as they are great people to have around.
As a writer or director, you do not need to have made a film before to apply, but we do really want to get a sense of a creative track record in a related field, a clear artistic voice, and that the team you’ve assembled has a shared vision for the project.
You need a Producer attached to the project to submit - this goes for all majority of funds out there - and for producers, we do recommend having previous production experience under your belt! What matters to us most is that your team can demonstrate the vision, skills, experience and ambition collectively to bring the film to life.
We ask for biographies and examples of previous work from the writer, director, and producer, and any information for the Heads of Department if they are already attached (this is encouraged!). If you're still building your team, that's totally fine, just let us know who you're hoping to bring on board, and how you plan to complete your team.
What is Your Creative Vision?
For many funds, ours included, you are asked for a visual treatment / pitch deck / moodboard - whatever you'd like to call it. This is your opportunity to give us a sense of the film's tone, atmosphere, style, themes, and influences, and to communicate your creative vision for the project.
Imagine that you’re introducing someone to the film before they've seen a single frame of it. What would you want them to understand? What would you want them to see, hear, and feel? While we want your materials to engage our senses, please note that scratch-and-sniffs are not accepted (dad joke).
Basically, we don’t need to see that you've figured out every detail, but we do need to understand that you have strong creative instincts and a compelling vision for the world you're creating and the world you want to immerse the audience in.
The Numbers…
Budgets are your backbone. It’s where you prove you can actually do what you said you can do - with the money people give you. And yes, people reviewing your application are producers, so we know if something is doable or you’re winging it :) so as much information as you can put in (including where you can secure in-kind support) is valuable.
We ask to see a full budget outlining what it would take to complete your film, along with an overview of your schedule from pre production to delivery - remember, we are looking for projects with the ability to deliver by the end of this year!
Having this info helps us understand how you’ve approached the practical realities of the project in relation to what we’re looking for. When reviewing submissions we will be asking can the film be made within the timeframe? Does the budget support the creative ambition? Are the resources you're requesting aligned with this vision?
There is also in-kind support to help with equipment and service costs!
For GiF 10th Birthday Fund - Apply on FilmFreeway
Once you've pulled everything together, it's time to submit. Materials-wise we need your script, treatment, budget and then will ask for the overview of the schedule, as well as biographies and links to previous work from your team.
Head over to FilmFreeway - make an account if you don’t have one - and create a project.
Once you’ve filled out all the information and attached your materials as PDFs (script, budget, treatment) head to the Girls In Film 10th Birthday Fund page on the site (filmfreeway.com/GirlsInFilm10thBirthdayFund) and click Submit Now.
Submissions are FREE, and you’ll be asked to fill out additional questions at this stage here. And finally submit!
Post-Submission For Girls in Film
After you submit, our team will be shortlisting projects to present to a panel of EPs (sponsors of the fund). Shortlisted applicants will be invited to pitch w/c 27th July.
We aren’t able to give feedback to all submitted projects, only those shortlisted. Select runner up projects will be offered further mentoring support. We are so excited to read through all your amazing ideas.
Full submission requirements at girlsinfilm.net/10thbirthdayfund
