Reel Solutions are proud to have delivered film schools in partnership with the BFI  since the start of the scheme BFI Film Academy programme in 2011 inspiring the next generation of filmmakers and crew over so many years to build careers in a range of roles in film, TV and XR.  

The BFI Film Academy programme provides amazing opportunities for ambitious 16-25 year olds, delivered at over 50 locations across the UK and supported by the Department for Education and the National Lottery, to get to know more about film and how to make a career in the screen industries through Short Course Academies, Specialist Courses, Future Skills Traineeships and Labs and Scene. 

We believe in our young future filmmakers' enthusiasm, their talent and their ambitions and feel hugely privileged to have been able to help support and play a role in enabling so many young people's dreams over more than 10 years, expanding horizons and experience and have helped start successful careers in the UK screnn industries. Our introductory hands-on filmmaking short courses in Bradford and Chester for talented and committed young people aged 16-19 ran for many years and helped build knowledge and skills and show the different pathways into the industry for hundreds of young people in the Bradford and Chester areas. Whether that was testing the water or improving existing skills. BFI Film Academy Short Courses Bradford and Chester provided the very highest quality film skills training and supported every participant to have fun with filmmaking processes, gain confidence, new skills and learn more about careers and make connections in our thriving Yorkshire and Cheshire film networks. BFI Film Academy Short Course Chester focused specifically on Virtual Production (VP), Virtual Reality (VR) and immersive filmmaking, and was the first in the UK to do so giving talented young people the opportunity to skill up in this new emerging field of filmmaking which continues to experience growth and exciting new opportunities. 

Many of our Bradford and Chester alumni have worked in a range of different careers in film and television and further learning opportunities such as the BFI Film Academy’s intensive specialist courses or internships. Many of our alumni have continued to make their own films and pursue a range of different screen job roles and many now work in different areas of the industry - VFX, video production, camera, or have started their own production companies, written films, are working in film education, and taken up positions with key employers such as the BFI. Some have benefited from being successful in being accepted onto BFI schemes such as BAFTA mentoring and internships with Warner Bros. We like to think that because all of our courses always included leading industry professionals, many based locally, who gave our participants a unique insight into the filmmaking business and connected participants with local film organisations or departments, that everyone who attended one of courses was inspired to achieve their dreams and made to feel that success was always that little bit closer and within reach.

Many thanks to all our brilliant partners and supporters over the years who helped make the BFI Film Academy Short Courses Bradford and Chester a success each year - University of Bradford, Light Cinema Bradford, Nicci Topping Casting, Interspace Media, Bradford College, Turnstone Media, Storyhouse, Cheshire College South and West and University of Chester. Thanks also to the many schools, colleges, local organisations and individuals who supported us in helping spread the word to as many young people as possible in these areas year after year.

BFI Film Clubs was a three year pilot scheme delivering filmmaking courses from the British Film Institute (BFI) in limited towns and cities throughout England in locations identified as 'Opportunity Areas' by the Department for Education (DfE) owing to social and economic challenges. See here for more information. Building on the success of the BFI Film Academy for 16-19 year olds, these courses were made possible by funding from BFI, National Lottery and the DCMS Youth Accelerator Fund. 

Reel Solutions delivered BFI Film Clubs in Scarborough and Bradford from 2020 - 2023. Young people in both locations often experience a greater levels of socio-economic growth and increased issues of social mobility. The courses we delivered in Scarborough and Bradford were an opportunity to extend filmmaking opportunities and training similar to our BFI Film Academy short courses to a younger age group. They provided opportunities to have fun with filmmaking processes, gain confidence, new skills and learn more about careers in our thriving Yorkshire film network, which we are very proud to be a part of.

Focusing on animation, the 7 day online BFI Film Club Bradford delivered in partnership with Reel Solutions and Screen Argyll, encouraged young people to get creative and gave them skills and the confidence to start making their own animated films. They learnt about model making, how to make a FlipAClip and lots of other filming techniques to create a series of short animated films of your own guided by friendly film professionals who work for companies such as the world famous, four times Academy Award winning Aardman, creators of Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run. The BFI Film Club built on the success of Bradford’s BFI Film Academy which had been delivered annually in the town by Reel Solutions from 2015-23 for 16-19 year olds. 

Our BFI Film Club in Scarborough encouraged young people to have a go at a range of different filmmaking skills supported by our experienced education team and industry professionals who helped them learn more about how films are made through viewing and talking about film together and covered all the key production stages from development to post-production including camerawork, sound and editing. Participants completed fun daily tasks and filmmaking challenges including creating a mini documentary film in a day as part of a film crew in Dalby Forest; creating animated avatars or mini monsters using claymation and learning to use Stop Motion Studio software with professional animators at Aardman and Screen Argyll; creating a moodboard; watching and discussing films in a range of different cinemas and local pop ups; working with sound to make a unique soundtrack; learning about camera movements and angles, shot types and editing through creating a spooky film in a day; working as a team to build a walk-in camera obscura and learning how images are made as well as meeting lots of professional filmmakers from different areas in the industry to be inspired to pursue careers and additional learning opportunities in the screen industries. 

‘One of the most brilliant things I have done… it’s set me on the path for university’ 

‘…a very valuable, interesting and exciting experience that provided me with more knowledge about the practical side of filmmaking but also about the wider creative sector.’

‘BFI Film Academy just let me as a young British Muslim woman come and take part and welcomed me.’

‘The best experience for a young person who wants to lead diversity changes in the film industry. The BFI has given us the opportunity to show that people of colour can make a difference.’