BFI FILM academy short course SCARBOROUGH 

Are you aged 16-19? Love film and moving images? Interested in a career in the film industry? If so, please join us on the very first BFI Film Academy Short Course Scarborough.

BFI Film Academy offers opportunities for ambitious 16-25 year olds, anywhere in the UK, to get to know more about film and how to make a career in the screen industries. Delivered at over 50 locations across the UK and supported by the Department for Education, National Lottery, Screen Scotland and Northern Ireland Screen, the introductory hands-on filmmaking course in Scarborough for young people aged 16-19 will help you build knowledge and skills and show you the different pathways into the industry whether you want to test the water or improve your existing skills. 

Building on the BFI Film Clubs we have delivered in Scarborough since 2020, which offered fun filmmaking opportunities to young people aged 12 -15 years keen to find out more about film, develop skills or try filmmaking for the first time, Reel Solutions are really pleased to be launching the first BFI Film Academy Short Course in Scarborough this October 2024. We have many ties with the town - our Project Leader grew up in Scarborough and is passionate about bringing the same opportunities to young people in the town that have been been available for many years to city communities. Reel Solutions are working in partnership with the Showroom, Sheffield and Leeds Young Film to deliver BFI Film Academy Short Courses across Yorkshire and the Humber in 2024/25 including Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds - all courses will be supported by Film Hub North who work with exhibitors, filmmakers and young people across the Region. 

Reel Solutions are very proud of our excellent track record of inspiring the next generation of filmmakers and crew - we believe in the next generation of filmmakers' enthusiasm, talent and ambitions and feel hugely privileged to be able to help support and play a role in enabling dreams and expanding horizons and experience. Many of our former participants are now working in a range of roles in film, TV and XR. Reel Solutions have been delivering film schools to young people in partnership with the BFI since the start of the BFI Film Academy scheme in 2011.

BFI Film Academy Short Course Scarborough provides the very highest quality film skills training to talented young people. You'll have fun with filmmaking processes, gain confidence, new skills and learn more about careers in the thriving new part of the industry.  

Once you have completed the Short Course, you will become part of the growing BFI Film Academy alumni network with access to events such as career and skills talks and further opportunities to attend courses to advance your learning and film experience both with the BFI and other screen and creative organisations. We also have links with key industry production companies and work with them to provide entry level career opportunities for BFI Film Academy graduates. 

• Be involved in making a short film, either individually or as part of a team

• Be guided through the filmmaking process from start to finish

• Be supported to turn your own ideas and stories into a film

• Learn from industry professionals

• Begin to make great new contacts

• Review short films

• Learn about new emerging technologies in film production

• Work towards achieving a NCFE Level 2 award in Preparing to Work in the Film Industry

• Be required to plan your work, create and maintain your own online portfolio

• Attend course sessions both face to face and online

The BFI Film Academy Short Course Scarborough will run during the October half term holiday 2024 with a few additional Saturday and week day evening sessions before and after the the holiday week. In order to complete your NCFE in Preparing to Work in the Film Industry, we will also be running some Tuesday evening sessions after production week. Applications are now open. Our Academy in Scarborough is a short, intensive course in various central locations in Scarborough, nearly all within walking distance of the train station. We give participants access to industry standard equipment and facilities. Elements of the course will be delivered online but the majority of the course will be face to face. 

The course will run on the following dates:

Friday evening 25 October, all day Saturday 26 October, all day Monday 28-31 October and Friday and Saturday 1 and 2 November and Tuesday evenings 12, 19 and 26 November. There will also be a Celebration Screening of your films in December and an alumni day in early 2025.

We are looking for 20 young people aged 16-19 who want to find out more about film and think they might like to try for the first time, or further develop, their filmmaking skills. Previous filmmaking experience isn’t necessary. We welcome applications from all young people including neurodivergent people, disabled people and people with non-visible disabilities, people with mental health conditions and people who may experience racism. 

BFI Film Academy Scarborough is free to attend. If you think you might need assistance covering other associated course costs such as travel and childcare, please still apply – there is a bursary fund to cover these costs where eligible. More information about who can, and how to apply for bursaries, can be found here.

Please complete the online application form (below) to apply for the BFI Film Academy Short Course Scarborough. We strongly advise you to copy and save your answers for reference. 

Please get in touch if you need support with your application or have any questions about the process - we will try our best to help and remove any barriers to you applying. Paper copies of the application form are available if needed.