The BFI Film Academy, Britain's screen training scheme for 16 to 25 year olds, gets £12.3 million (~$16.5 million) for 2026 to 2029 from BFI National Lottery money and increased funding from DCMS, the UK government's culture department, and from 2027 runs 60 fully paid six-month professional development programmes a year for 18 to 25 year olds, ending in six-week placements with Amazon MGM Studios, Lucasfilm, Framestore and the BFI Filmmaking Fund. Its 12 free training courses, from animation and costume to VFX and new technologies, grow to 295 places a year, up 70%, and open for applications from November 2026 to June 2027. The Academy counts more than 11,000 alumni since 2012, with earlier trainees on "Andor", "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" and "No Time to Die".
BFI Film Academy Gets $16.5 Million, With Paid Placements at Lucasfilm and Amazon MGM
