BFI Launches Expanded Screen Fund for Immersive Fiction Projects in UK

Immersive FilmmakingFilm Funding

by Nino LeitnerApril 13^th, 2026

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The British Film Institute is now accepting applications for a new production fund dedicated to immersive fiction, offering up to £150,000 per project to experienced UK-based creators working across VR, AR, XR, and 360-degree media.

The new Expanded Screen Fund targets screen-based immersive works of fiction that explore interactive storytelling through extended reality technologies. Eligible projects must come from producers and creative leads with a proven track record in immersive or related screen-based practice, and they must explore imagined worlds, events, or characters with a clear creative rationale for their chosen technical approach. Applications close on 3 June.

A broader push into immersive storytelling

The fund sits within the BFI’s National Lottery Funding Plan for 2026 to 2029, a £150 million strategy that commits £61 million to filmmaking and talent development over three years, representing a 12% increase over the previous funding cycle. Within that figure, £41.5 million is earmarked for fiction feature films through the BFI’s existing Discovery and Impact strands.

The fiction-focused Expanded Screen Fund complements a parallel non-fiction immersive fund administered through the BFI Doc Society, which is set to open later this month. Larger-scale immersive productions intended for nationwide exhibition can also seek backing through the separate BFI Audience Projects Fund.

Encouraging experimentation at every career stage

Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, said the initiative reflects lessons learned from previously funded immersive work and aims to support filmmakers at different points in their careers. The fund is explicitly designed to encourage creative risk-taking and experimentation with form, rather than backing only proven commercial models.

For filmmakers and cinematographers already working in or exploring immersive formats, the Expanded Screen Fund represents one of the more substantial public funding commitments available in the UK specifically for narrative-driven extended reality projects.

Full details and application guidelines are available on the BFI’s website. Are you working on an immersive fiction project, and does this kind of funding change the equation for you? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!