Premiere Fund
The Premiere Fund aims to invest in talented filmmakers and in commercial films with wide audience appeal in the UK and worldwide.
Important notice: The UK Film Council's film development and production funds are now in their final weeks of operation. Applications received after 26 February will not be accepted, click here for further details.
A key objective of the Premiere Fund is to facilitate, through specific film investments, a greater breadth of experience and expertise across the UK film industry, and in that way to play a role in assisting the development of UK film businesses capable of long-term growth. The Premiere Fund is also able to offer funding for audience testing and enhancement awards.
The Premiere Fund is looking for projects across the full range of budgets and genres. As the more mainstream production fund, the Premiere Fund tends to invest in bigger-budget projects and films from established filmmakers. However, the Premiere Fund has backed several first-time filmmakers and films with budgets under £1.5 million. In the digital age, the Premiere Fund is exploring new methods of distribution and new exhibition platforms. At the same time, the Premiere Fund is keen to help promote and preserve the cinema-going experience.
Recent investments include:
- Made in Dagenham (directed by Nigel Cole; written by Billy Ivory)
- The King's Speech (directed by Tom Hooper; written by David Seidler)
- Untitled '09 (written and directed by Mike Leigh)
- Centurion (written and directed by Neil Marshall)
- La Mula (The Mule) (directed by Michael Radford; written by Juan Eslava Galán)
- Harry Brown (directed by Daniel Barber; written by Gary Young)
- Glorious 39 (written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff)
- Brighton Rock (written and directed by Rowan Joffe)
- Dorian Gray (directed by Oliver Parker; written by Toby Finlay).
The annual budget of the Premiere Fund is £8 million a year and on average the Premiere Fund invests in 8-9 films per annum.
