The BFI has made a further 25 awards through its UK Global Screen Fund, supporting UK screen content businesses across film, TV, animation and interactive narrative video games to enhance their international activities. Financed through the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the awards see a further £2,105,600 being allocated through the £7m fund’s International Business Development strand.
This financial support will provide companies from all over the UK with funding for business strategies to create, acquire and/or exploit Intellectual Property (IP) for increased international revenue, activities and profile. It is focused on helping companies achieve new international business partnerships, enhance their profile and reach in the international marketplace, and create and develop quality UK projects reaching audiences globally. The awards come in the form of non-repayable grants and range between £50,000 and £117,600 in total over a three year period.
Minister for the Creative Industries, Julia Lopez, said: "It is great that many of our innovative screen companies will turn their ambitious international growth strategies into reality, thanks to the UK Global Screen Fund. This funding will build on the success of our world-renowned screen industries by helping firms strike new global partnerships, reach wider international audiences and expand into new markets around the world."
Alan Clements, Managing Director, Two Rivers Media said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this award which gives us the opportunity to build on our growing reputation in high-end documentaries and drama. Equally important, it is really heartening to see the UK government and the BFI backing our ambition to build an independent company of scale in Scotland serving the UK and international markets.”
These awards follow the announcement last week of a further nine co-productions receiving a total of £1.32m from the UK Global Screen Fund’s International Co-production strand to support UK producers to become partners in international feature films, animations and documentaries and increase their ability to reach international audiences. In its pilot year, the UK Global Screen Fund has so far made 54 awards totalling over £4.4m across its three funding strands, with further International Distribution awards to follow.
The UK Global Screen Fund is also driving a new international promotional campaign for UK screen content. Launched last week, the new ScreenUK consumer brand showcases and celebrates UK screen talent and is being rolled out internationally through a digital campaign to distinguish and promote UK content to global audiences.
In November it was confirmed that the Government will commit £42 million to support the UK’s world-leading creative industries over the next three years, including a multiyear settlement for the UK Global Screen Fund.
The full list of companies to receive UK Global Screen Fund International Business Development awards can be found on the BFI website.
Scotland-based companies to receive UK Global Screen Fund International Business Development awards are:
The Black Camel Picture Company
Support to expand the Scottish company’s development capabilities by hiring a new full time staff position charged with sourcing, acquiring and developing IP and projects that are returnable and commercial, with a focus on original and diverse stories that resonate internationally. Recent credits include Annika, The Brilliant World of Tom Gates, Falling for Figaro and Float.
Blazing Griffin
Support towards the hire of key resources to develop internal capabilities for user acquisition, analytics and retention, enabling the company to retain more IP, target new international markets and sell directly to consumers internationally. Blazing Griffin Games specialises in premium interactive narrative games such as the BAFTA-award winning Distant Star: Revenant Fleet, the detective game Murder Mystery Machine developed for Apple Arcade, and Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot: The First Cases for PC and Consoles.
Synchronicity Films
Support to expand international development and co-production capabilities, to enable the company to produce more international hits, often with a Scottish flavour, such as the BAFTA and RTS award-winning The Cry (a BBC/ ABC, British/Australian production). Headquartered in Glasgow, Synchronicity’s current development slate includes notable best-selling IP including The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Mayflies and His Bloody Project and co-pros such as Song of The Sun God with Australian partner Dragnet, and One Word Kill - a co-pro with Erik Bamack’s US based Wild Sheep. Production credits include The Cry, Only You, The Party’s Just Beginning, Weekend and Not Another Happy Ending.
Two Rivers Media
Support to expand the company’s factual capabilities and help it generate new IP with international appeal, following the successful release of Killing Escobar. The Scottish production company, which has delivered the documentary series Frankie Boyle's Tour of Scotland and The Trial of Alex Salmond to BBC2, will attend both factual and drama markets to raise its profile in the international arena. It co-produced its first drama, Susan Hill’s Ghost Story - The Small Hand, for Channel 5 and produced a number of series for the new BBC Scotland channel, including the four-part series The Years that Changed Modern Scotland.
Media contacts
Anna Highet, Communications Consultant, UK Global Screen Fund 07970 543867 / [email protected]
Judy Wells, Director of Press and PR, BFI 07984 180 501 / [email protected]
Header image: Still from Annika from UK Global Screen Fund awardee Black Camel Pictures
More information
About the BFI
The BFI is a cultural charity, and the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving
image. Our mission is to:
- Support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers
- Grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive
- Offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals - delivered online and in venue
- Use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding
- Work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries
- Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.
The BFI is the distributor of National Lottery funds for film.
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Tim Richards.