Join the BFI Doc Society Fund team and friends from across the documentary industry for free open-access roundtables during the BFI London Film Festival.
Whether you're developing a new documentary project, planning the distribution of a finished film, or looking to take the next step in your filmmaking journey, this is an opportunity to learn more about support available to filmmakers in the UK, and to discover pathways that could help bring your projects to life.
Bring any questions or doubts you have, hear from our teams, and meet fellow working-class filmmakers and potential collaborators.
Date
Tuesday 13th October 2026, 11.30am - 1.30pm
Venue
Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
How to get to Somerset House
The roundtables will take place at Somerset House. You will be sent more information about the location after you have registered for a slot.
Roundtables will be hosted by:
BFI Doc Society - The BFI Doc Society Fund supports and nurtures independent non-fiction film and immersive projects by UK filmmakers, prioritising expansive, director-led storytelling. BFI Doc Society’s Talent Development Programme delivers year-round development and outreach activities for independent documentary filmmakers with a primary focus on emerging talent.
British Council - The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. Talk to the team about their UK Films database, Festival Selector Screenings and their BFI partnered Travel Grants Fund which supports participation in festivals, labs and co-production forums internationally.
Documentary Film Council - The DFC is the UK’s first national membership organisation for documentary film. Independent, democratic and member-owned, the DFC exists to represent the nonfiction sector to industry and government and to build the documentary community across the UK.
Tull Stories - an independent film distribution and cinema support agency whose specialisms span film distribution, audience development, industry research, fundraising and programming.
Sheffield DocFest - the UK's leading documentary festival and among the world's most influential markets for documentary projects. Sheffield DocFest run a number of talent development programmes that support emerging filmmakers, artists, critics and producers.
We would encourage you to read about the organisations in advance and bring any questions you have to make the most of these roundtables.
The roundtable format will be a joint table with 10 other filmmakers and at least one representative from one of the organisations above. Each roundtable session will last around 25 mins, and there will be four sessions in total. This will usually start with an introduction from the organisation or individual hosting the table, followed by an open space for questions and discussion.
You can sign up for just one, or for multiple slots with different organisations over the two hours. The spaces will be assigned on a first come first served basis. Please only book if you are sure that you are able to attend.
Registration
This event is open to all, but we especially encourage working-class filmmakers and filmmakers from backgrounds underrepresented in the UK film industry to come along.
Free tea and coffee will be available.
For accessibility information for Somerset House please see here. If you have any access requirements, please get in touch with us on hellobfi@docsociety.org
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