The British Council Film and Sub-Saharan Africa Arts teams In partnership with RAS, are opening a travel grant scheme to enable filmmakers from Africa (the whole of) to attend screenings of films included at Belfast Film Festival.

Please submit your film through this platform in order for your film to be considered for inclusion in next years 20th Belfast Film Festival.

The Belfast Film Festival began in 1995 as part of Féile An Phobail and has developed hand in hand with the evolving culture of film patronage and filmmaking in the city.

We believe that film should be an experience, and so, as well as presenting the best in new, short and classic cinema in our spring and summer festivals, we’ve set ourselves apart by having site-specific screenings.

For us, site-specific cinema means hosting the classics of the silver screen in surroundings that enhance and intensify your experience of our films. To prove we’re serious, we’ve screened Evil Dead in the Ormeau Park, Cool Hand Luke in the Crumlin Road Gaol, The Breakfast Club in Christchurch Library, Odd Man Out at The Albert Clock, 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Titanic Dry Dock and Jaws in the Bangor Aurora swimming pool.

What’s more, we pride ourselves on experimenting with media in all its forms, that’s why we’ve presented cinematic collaborations, like our showing of La Traviata in the beautiful St Anne’s Cathedral, with an accompaniment by NI Opera’s Young Artists’ programme, or the horror masterpiece Suspiria at the Waterfront with live soundtrack by Italian rock band Goblin, to name but a few.

Then there’s our short film programme, this provides a platform for fledgling filmmakers from across the island of Ireland to showcase their work and for the winner, to be shown the prize money.

Rules & Terms

1. Are you between 18-35 years of age? (Please note filmmakers older than 35 years of age will also be considered. However, in line with the British Council’s Arts Strategy in Africa, priority will be given to filmmakers aged 18-35)
2. At the time of application, are you a citizen of an African country (applicable to the 54 countries in the continent) and have you been resident and working on the continent for a minimum of two consecutive years? (Please note applicants can be living and working in a different African country to the one they are a citizen of)
3 Are you submitting a short VR film or a first/second feature? (virtual reality, immersive storytelling experiences and installations will also be considered for either category, unfortunately at this time we cannot accept short films)