Made of Truth is part of BFI NETWORK and uses National Lottery funds to support non-fiction live action or animation short films.
Opens at 1pm on May 18th 2026
Closes at 1pm on July 1st 2026
What We Support
The Made of Truth: BFI Doc Society Short Film Fund invites emerging storytellers from across all parts of the UK to share original and bold non-fiction stories that respond to the changing world around us. The Made of Truth fund can support up to 13 individual short documentaries between 5 - 40 minutes in length each year with grants of up to £25,000 per project.
Fund aims and priorities
All projects funded through the BFI Doc Society Made of Truth Fund must meet at least three of the following aims, which are also detailed in the stated principles and outcomes of the BFI National Lottery strategy:
- Equity, diversity and inclusion — people from under-represented groups across the UK access the support they need to develop their careers and skills
- Impact and audience — people across the UK access a wider choice of film and the moving image, including stories that reflect their lives
- Talent development and progression — creative talent is supported and nurtured, as they emerge and throughout their careers and more people understand how to express their creativity through stories on screen
- Creative Risk — people are better enabled to innovate and experiment creatively; a wider range of stories on screen are told that otherwise would not be
- UK-wide — everyone across the UK should be able to experience and create the widest range of screen culture. They should feel the benefits from the screen sector in terms of jobs and growth too.
- Environmental sustainability — screen organisations significantly reduce their carbon footprint
Who can apply
- This Fund is for early career filmmakers (producers, directors) and projects with a reasonable proportion of early career crew.
- Directors cannot have received a commercial distribution deal in the last five years for a non-fiction feature film
- Teams must be made up of at least two people across the roles of producer and director
- If your project has a Producer attached, they must submit the application.
- If your project does not yet have a Producer attached, the Director must submit the application.
- Both the Director and Producer must be UK residents.
We strongly encourage directors to team up with a producer before applying, however we understand this isn’t always possible. We therefore accept applications from directors without a producer attached and, if successful, we can support your search for a producer for up to two months after making an offer of funding. Full eligibility criteria are contained within the funding guidelines.
When you can apply
Opens: 1pm on May 18th, 2026
Closes: 1pm on July 1st, 2026
How to apply
You can apply online once you’ve read the funding guidelines in full.
There is an application link in the guidelines.
Get help with your application
We are committed to making our funding accessible to all. If you have access requirements and need some support applying for funding, see Access support for BFI Doc Society applicants.
We recommend getting in touch with our access support provider, TAPE, at least 3 weeks in advance of a fund closing date.
If you have any questions relating to this funding or your application you can email hellobfi@docsociety.org, or join a bi-weekly Morning Brew with the fund team.
Opens: 1pm on May 18th, 2026
Closes: 1pm on July 1st, 2026
Coming soon
British Sign Language and audio
Introduction to the BFI Doc Society Fund for feature films in British Sign Language and audio.
About BFI National Lottery funding
Since the very first National Lottery draw in 1994, more than £50 billion for good causes has been raised directly through National Lottery ticket sales, funding more than 700,000 projects. As a recipient of National Lottery funding, it is important to publicly acknowledge the source of this funding ensuring that those engaging with your work recognise the value and benefit of this unique Good Cause funding.
If your application is successful, you will be responsible for prominently crediting BFI National Lottery funding and thanking National Lottery players. To communicate this message, you should ensure that the elements of your project which have the potential to engage a broad public audience are capitalised on. More details will be supplied once an award has been made.
Creative Non-Fiction Playlist
Interested in short creative non-fiction work? Looking for inspiration or insight into the wider short film landscape? Maybe you've applied to our Made of Truth Fund or are intending to do so in the future?
We've put together a selection of freely available, great short films that have been successful at international festivals, across forms and approaches. Worth a watch, and there are a few Made of Truth funded titles in there too!
Contact hellobfi@docsociety.org Contact hellobfi@docsociety.org Contact hellobfi@docsociety.org Contact hellobfi@docsociety.org Contact hellobfi@docsociety.org Contact hellobfi@docsociety.org
