One of the most exciting prospects of this two-year course has been the chance to work on my very own independent short films! But with my graduate project just around the corner, it feels like my window of opportunity is a bit… fleeting.
I have so many ideas I want to regurgitate into the world. So is aiming for a career in independent filmmaking a reasonable goal? Even if it’s not, it seems wise to see what I’m up against.
First, the immediate pros and cons of this strategy. In terms of pros, independent animation certainly excites me more than anything in the industry right now. As TV animation takes a sharp nosedive into a metaphorical tar pit, most studios are relying on advertising or preschool-age cartoons to survive. Not only would I find those options a bit creatively stifling, but I don’t think the world of motion graphics and puppet-rigging would match my interests or skillset.
Film festivals, however, represent everything that makes animation exciting to me. They would give me the chance to express myself, take risks, and make films about mature and culturally impactful topics. They could also flesh out my portfolio before I find my footing in the industry.
In terms of cons… it’s money. I won’t be making money, but if I could get a film grant, I could justify this to my family as an investment into my future, while I try to make ends meet.
This is the BFI National Lottery Short Form Animation fund. Since 2019, it’s provided support for UK-based animation teams, working on higher-budget animated shorts films. While applications are currently closed, based on its past success and the National Lottery’s reported plan for 2026-2029, it’s likely that this will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
The challenge with this grant is that the requirements are extensive, taking into account geographic spread, economic background, and any representation related to disability, gender, race, etc. As a disabled person from the Global South, I would certainly want to tackle these themes in my writing. But with only five projects supported each round, I would need to assemble a pretty diverse team to be able to compete.
The other major roadblock is this requirement, of the director having been screened at a major film festival. This only includes the main programme, which is to say, the LIAF trailer that I’ve done wouldn’t apply. This solely depends on the outcome of my graduate film, so I can’t say for sure if I even have a chance.
Given the long list of demands, how competitive I’d expect this grant to be, and how unstable my career seems at the moment, I wouldn’t exactly bet on being given this grant straight out of university.
But I am a notorious pessimist, and given the need to form a team, I could at least suggest this to my classmates following graduation. I’d settle for less than a directorial role!