Apply for a Short or Feature Film Festival / XR Showcase Travel Grant

We offer travel grants to help shorts and feature filmmakers, and XR creatives, travel to international events where their work is being presented.

  • Short Film Grants – attendance at an eligible festival to support a short film screening, for new/emerging writers or directors (those who have yet to have a feature film produced and distributed in the UK), and for producers of any experience level.
  • Feature Film Grants – attendance at an eligible festival to support a feature film, for lead producers.
  • XR Grants – attendance at an eligible festival/showcase event with an interactive/immersive/XR project, for XR creatives.

Read the full Travel Grant Fund Guidelines before you apply

What can I apply for?

You can use a Travel Grant as a contribution towards attending a festival or showcase at which your work is screening, provided the event is not already fully funding your visit.

Grants can be used for:

  • return economy international travel from within the UK
  • accommodation (typically up to two nights for festivals)
  • disability access support

For XR projects, Large XR grants can also contribute towards:

  • round-trip freight costs to transport equipment to and from the UK
  • travel and accommodation for up to three essential staff (e.g. director, producer, technician)

The following costs are not eligible: costs already covered by the event, travel insurance, food and drink, marketing costs, staff fees such as technician or docent costs for XR showcasing.

A sepia picture showing the silhouette of a woman's head seemingly emerging from deep water.
CopyrightSinger Studios

Image: The Pirate Queen: No Safe Waters by Eloise Singer, selected for Cannes Immersive Competition 2026

Where can I travel to?

You can travel to eligible events that are included on our Key Lists for Festivals and Showcases:

Key List for Festivals and Showcases: Short Films

Key List for Festivals and Showcases: Feature Films

Key List for Festivals and Showcases: XR Projects

You can also download the Key Lists for Festivals and Showcases:

The Key Lists are reviewed periodically and are subject to change. In exceptional circumstances, a limited amount of funding is available for travel to events not currently on our Key List. Please contact us on films@britishcouncil.org to discuss a discretionary grant request.

How much can I apply for?

Grants are a contribution towards travel and accommodation costs, and for additional travel and transport costs related to showcasing XR works, and are subject to available funds.

  • Awards for Short and Feature Film Festival Grants range from £150- £1,500* but will not normally exceed £750.
  • Awards for XR projects are divided into two tiers: Travel only (£150 – £1,500), and Large XR grants (£1,500 up to £5,000) for A category showcases only, as per the Key List.
  • Each short film can receive a maximum of two grants
  • Each feature film can receive a maximum of two grants (or one if you have been a recipient of the UK Global Screen Fund Festival Launch Support for the same project)
  • Each XR project can receive a maximum of two grants (only one Large XR grant)
  • Each film or project can receive a maximum of one grant per event
  • Grants are designed as a contribution towards one person's travel, with the UK as the starting destination

Please note that Grants will rarely cover the full cost of your trip and amount we can offer each year is dependent on the number of UK projects selected and available funds.

Read the full Travel Grant Fund Guidelines before you apply

Am I eligible?

  • Applications can be made by a project's director, producer or writer, who must be aged 18 or above and a UK resident or citizen.
  • All applicants must have had their short/feature/XR project selected by one of the festivals or showcases on our Key List, and must provide evidence of selection in an official festival programme (not side-bar or guest programme).
  • All applicants must have submitted details of their film or project on our UK Project Database and be able to demonstrate that the film/project is an official UK production or UK co-production.
  • You must apply at least two weeks before the event starts.
If your feature film has been selected for its World, International, North American or European premiere in an official category/competition at a major A-list festival (such as Cannes, Venice, Toronto, SXSW, Berlin) you will need to apply for funding through the BFI's UK Global Screen Fund Festival Launch Support (GSF) rather than the Travel Grant Fund. Please see the UK Global Screen Fund Guidelines for a list of eligible festivals.

Access and support

We're committed to making our funding accessible to all. You can get help if you need support to make an application and if you have specific access needs for your festival visit.

If you prefer to listen to an audio recording of our Guidelines and Terms and Conditions please click below:

You can ask for:

  • our funding guidelines in other formats, like large print
  • support to understand these guidelines
  • support to complete an application form
  • funds to facilitate travel with a BSL interpreter or access worker.
  • a bursary contribution if caring responsibilities would prevent you from attending without additional support (assessed on a case-by-case basis for sole carers)

Please talk to us about what additional help may be available by emailing Films@britishcouncil.org

Sustainability

As a Travel Grantee you will need to plan your visit travel with the environment and the climate crisis in mind. We can offer additional Green Travel Bursaries to filmmakers who travel to European festivals and events overland.

We have worked with Julie’s Bicycle to produce this Greener Travel Grants Guide to help filmmakers plan for the impact of their travel to festivals, labs and co-production forums.

A woman in a sepia photo gazes out of the window of a train. She has a mobile phone in her hand and a laptop on the table in front of her
CopyrightEd Sayers

Super Nature producer Rebecca Wolff on the train to Gothenburg Film Festival 2026

How to apply

Before you begin, download and read the Travel Grant Fund guidelines.

If you're eligible, the application should take no longer than 30 minutes. You will need:

  • written evidence of your event acceptance (invitation letter or email)
  • a CV or filmography for all individuals benefitting from the grant a breakdown of your costs of attendance
  • a brief explanation of why you want to attend and why you need public funding to do so

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