Short Film Commission 2026 Submission Deadline
Schedule
Fri Jun 12 2026 at 11:55 pm to 11:59 pm
UTC+01:00Location
The Engine Room 50-52 High Street, Bridgwater | Bridgwater, EN
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Free to submit your ideas and you can submit more than one. For ages under 25, who are living in Somerset. Exciting Film Commission Opportunity for a Young Filmmaker in Somerset
Somerset Film, supported by BFI Film Academy Network South West, is delighted to be able to offer a filmmaking commission for a young person living in Somerset.
If you are aged under 25 then you are invited to pitch your idea to be made into a short film. This must be a short narrative fiction piece i.e. comedy or drama story (not documentary - we aim to offer this later in the year). By ‘short’ we mean maximum five minutes*. It is free to submit your ideas and you can submit more than one.
The deadline to apply is midnight on Friday 12th June 2026.
Who can apply:
You must live in the county of Somerset and be aged under 25 years by the entry deadline date. You don’t need to have any previous experience in filmmaking or scriptwriting to apply but you must be committed to seeing your idea through to completion.
What Ideas are we looking for:
We are looking for ideas that are achievable on the budget and timescale available. We are particularly interested in ideas that explore the current climate crisis or that reflect life in Somerset in some way. These can be serious, comedic, absurd, challenging or provocative but they must be your original idea. Unfortunately we are unable to feedback on work that is not selected.
The Commission:
If your idea is successful, you will be provided with a producer mentor, access to Somerset Film equipment and a cash budget of £400. The budget can be used for costs relating to the production of the film e.g. travel, crew, actor or location fees, costume hire, music etc
The film must be completed by September 30th 2026. The film will be showcased at a Somerset Film short film night. The film will be required to credit both Somerset Film and the BFI Film Academy South West Network including Watershed, Bristol. Other conditions such as the use of copyright-free music or licensed music only will apply. Full guidelines will be given to the successful filmmaker.
How to Apply
Complete an online application form and attach either a script or an outline of your idea (sometimes called a treatment**) by midnight on June 12th 2026.
* If the script idea is properly formatted, then one page of scripted dialogue is typically one minute of screen time.
** this should include a summary of the story and key characters. It should be no longer than two pages.
Please label your file with the script title and nothing else. Don’t include your name on the script as these will be sent to the judges for them to read and they will not be told who has written it. Only the idea is judged and on the following criteria.
- The originality of the idea.
- The strength of the idea.
- How achievable is it, based on the timeframe and budget available.
- Does it meet one of our preferred themes: Life in Somerset / Climate crisis.
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Where is it happening?
The Engine Room 50-52 High Street, Bridgwater, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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