National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Programme Fund
Screen Scotland
Award
£15k – £45k
Deadline
Rolling — apply any time
Where
Scotland
Summary
Funding to support organisations who are looking to produce film festivals and screening programmes in Scotland for a public audience.
Who can apply
•
Full details
National Lottery Film Festival and Screening Programme Fund Funding to support organisations who are looking to produce film festivals and screening programmes in Scotland for a public audience. Contents • About the Fund • Information Session • Guidance and Downloads • Monitoring and Reporting • Get in touch About the Fund This fund supports organisations based in Scotland who produce and deliver film festivals and public screening programmes. It prioritises activity that addresses underserved and underrepresented audiences, and projects that align with our Focus Areas. Key details about this fund • Events must take place between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2027 (and between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2028 for applicants for Development Funding). • Awards will be between £15,000 and £45,000 (per year for Development Funding). • There are two deadlines for this fund (please see the ‘When Can I Apply?’ section for more details): • Thursday 30 April 2026 • Thursday 12 November 2026 • Funded projects should: • Expand the reach, impact and diversity of screen culture for Scottish audiences • Engage underrepresented audience groups • Align with Screen Scotland’s Audience Development Goals and Focus Areas in 2026/2027 What’s new for 2026/2027? • Due to demand on the fund, we are running two deadlines in 2026/27. • We are offering two-years of Development Funding in 2026/7 for organisations to deliver two editions of their festival. Information Session In this presentation, Sambrooke Scott, Head of Audience Development, provides an overview of the fund. We're running an online information session on Thursday 9 April from 3pm - 4pm - if you'd like to hear more, and have the opportunity to ask the team questions about the fund, sign up to reserve your place. Guidance and Downloads Full details can be found in our guidance below - view it in-page, or download it to work offline. • Access and Support • What is the National Lottery Film Festival & Screening Programme Fund? • Screen Scotland’s Audience Development Goals • Who can apply? • Who cannot apply? • When can I apply? • How much can I apply for? • What activity and costs can the fund support? • Development Funding – two-year funding support • How to apply • What criteria will we use to assess your application? • Budget • BFI Diversity Standards • Who are Underrepresented Groups? • Focus Areas in 2026/2027 • Decision Making Process • Appendix 1: Safeguarding • Appendix 2: References • Appendix 3: Legal and Compliance Requirements Access and Support Screen Scotland is committed to offering clear and accessible application processes that are open to everyone. We have several ways of supporting you in making an application. Alternative Formats and Languages Our published materials, including funding guidance and application forms, can be made available in other formats as required. We can accept applications and supporting materials which are written in English, Gaelic or Scots. Access Support Access support contributes to costs for services to help applicants overcome barriers to applying for our funds. We offer access support to individuals or the lead applicant of a group who self-identify as d/Deaf, hard of hearing, disabled or living with chronic illness, mental illness or neurodivergence, such as dyslexia, autism or ADHD. For information on the types of support available, how to request assistance and how to include access costs in your funding application please visit our website. If you are a d/Deaf BSL user, you can access our services with the Contact Scotland-BSL programme. Visit www.contactscotland-bsl.org for more information. Contacting our Enquiries Service If you require technical support, further information or have any other queries, contact our Enquiries Service by emailing: [email protected] What is the National Lottery Film Festival & Screening Programme Fund? This fund supports organisations based in Scotland who produce and deliver film festivals and public screening programmes. It prioritises activity that addresses underserved and underrepresented audiences, and projects that align with our Focus Areas. Key details about this fund • Events must take place between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2027 (and between 1 September 2026 and 31 August 2028 for applicants for Development Funding). • Awards will be between £15,000 and £45,000 (per year for Development Funding). • There are two deadlines for this fund (please see the ‘When Can I Apply?’ section for more details): • Thursday 30 April 2026 • Thursday 12 November 2026 • Funded projects should: • Expand the reach, impact and diversity of screen culture for Scottish audiences • Engage underrepresented audience groups • Align with Screen Scotland’s Audience Development Goals and Focus Areas in 2026/2027 What’s new for 2026/2027? • Due to demand on the fund, we are running two deadlines in 2026/27. • We are offering two-years of Development Funding in 2026/7 for organisations to deliver two editions of their festival. Screen Scotland’s Audience Development Goals We support film festivals and screening programmes that: • Celebrate diverse screen culture in inclusive spaces • Reach underrepresented and underserved audiences • Help the film exhibition sector move towards net zero • Offer talent development opportunities to strengthen the film exhibition sector’s future. Learn more about the Screen Scotland strategy on the Screen Scotland website. Our work aligns with Creative Scotland’s Funding Criteria, including Quality and Ambition, Engagement, Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Environmental Sustainability, Fair Work and International. Learn more about the Funding Criteria on the Funding Criteria page of Creative Scotland's website. Who can apply? This fund is open to organisations based in Scotland that will produce film festivals and/or curated screening programmes for public audiences in Scotland and meet the fund’s aims and eligibility criteria. Key eligibility requirements: • Events must take place before 31 August 2027 (unless applying for Development Funding, in which case activity must take place before 31 August 2028). • Audiences in Scotland are the primary focus of your funding activity • All in-person events must take place in Scotland • Digital events can be included when they support engagement for priority audiences who couldn’t otherwise attend in person but audiences in Scotland should remain the primary focus of your festival or screening programme. • Applicants must demonstrate experience in producing events and film screenings. If you have questions regarding eligibility, please contact [email protected]. If you’re applying for the first time, we highly recommend meeting with the Audience Development Team to discuss your project before beginning your application. This is not part of the assessment but offers a chance to ask questions, get advice, and clarify the application process. To arrange a meeting, email [email protected], and include a brief description of your project in the email. Who cannot apply? • Organisations based outside Scotland (unless they are working with a Scottish partner who is leading on the application) • Individuals • Venues • Unincorporated Associations or Organisations: We cannot accept applications from, or enter into agreements with, organisations or associations that are “unincorporated”. Those applying to this fund require to be incorporated (i.e. Company Limited by Guarantee, Community Interest Company, Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Limited Liability Partnership, Partnership or Trust). • Film clubs applying for core programmes • Cinemas and venues as lead applicant, but they can be a partner in applications • Organisations without a UK based bank account • Organisations/businesses in administration, bankruptcy, or insolvency • Organisations receiving Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding (MYF) as a lead applicant, but they can be a partner in applications • Applicants whose proposal is primarily focussed on: • filmmaking or where filmmakers are the main audience • film industry talent development • education or school programmes. If any of the above is the primary focus of your activity, please contact the Enquiries Service who will advise further or connect you with the relevant Screen Scotland department (e.g. Screen Education or Screen Skills) by emailing [email protected] Important Note for New Festivals and Screening Programmes If you are a new festival or screening programme without a track record, or if your team lacks festival management experience, you are encouraged to explore other funding options to build experience before turning to this fund. Support offered through Film Hub Scotland, including their Film Exhibition Fund, Cinema for All and The National Lottery Awards for All Fund are available. For more inform