Short films may not make much direct impact on the public but they can be crucially important in launching new careers. The BFI and British Council acknowledged this today when they teamed up to launch a new support scheme and travel grants for qualifying filmmakers.
On the day that seven year old Scottish schoolgirl Katherine Abuaglain won Best Actress in the short film category at Cannes, the BFI have pledged not only to help filmmakers produce shorts, but to help promote them on the international stage. With the British Council's help they will work to get British shorts included in film festivals around the world, and will fund their creators to go there and present them. This personal contact is vital as it will give the filmmakers the opportunity to network and make the most out of positive responses to their films.
In addition to this, filmmakers will be invited to attend regular networking events for the British film industry, and their films will be included in the BFI's catalogue. Full details of the scheme are expected to be released next week.
