Film Hub Midlands

What Film Hub Midlands does

Film Hub Midlands is a non-profit film funding intermediary operating as a regional hub within the British Film Institute's Film Audience Network (FAN). It serves independent film exhibitors and audiences across 12 counties in the English Midlands, functioning as the appointed conduit for BFI National Lottery funding and strategic support for cinema exhibition and film culture in the region. The hub is led by Broadway Nottingham with Flatpack Projects acting as strategic partner, and operates with a small core team of 8-10 staff.

Core offerings comprise four grant and development programmes: the Film Exhibition Fund (awards between £2,001 and £10,000 per application, with up to £30,000 available per funding round), Pitch Pots (rolling-deadline micro-grants of up to £2,000), Bursaries of up to £500, and BFI NETWORK talent-development programming for emerging filmmakers. The hub also convenes training events and supports a free membership of 200+ organisations spanning independent cinemas, film festivals, community film clubs, and venue operators.

The business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: Film Hub Midlands charges no membership fees, takes no revenue share, and earns no licence income, instead distributing public funds and aggregating sector intelligence on behalf of BFI FAN. Its competitive position is therefore regulatory-distribution in nature — defined by its appointed status as the Midlands hub of the BFI Film Audience Network — and its principal forward initiative is the planned 2026 launch of Rip It Up, a youth-focused film culture programme extending the remit beyond traditional exhibitor support.

Name

Film Hub Midlands

Legal name

Film Hub Midlands

Website

https://filmhubmidlands.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Film Hub Midlands is a non-profit intermediary that distributes BFI National Lottery grants to independent film exhibitors across 12 Midlands counties, serving 200+ member cinemas, festivals and community venues under BFI Film Audience Network appointment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Exhibition Funding

NAICS

Motion Picture Theaters (except Drive-Ins) (512131), Other Financial Vehicles (52599)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Grant Funding & Public/Nonprofit Financing (MPADAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF)

Keywords

• Film exhibition funding
• Independent cinema support
• Talent development
• Film grants
• Audience development

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. BFI National Lottery Funding: Film Hub Midlands receives grant funding from the BFI National Lottery as part of the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN). This funding is distributed to members through Film Exhibition Fund, Pitch Pots, and bursary schemes. The organisation acts as a regional distribution mechanism for film exhibition and talent development funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Film Hub Midlands is a regional non-profit that distributes BFI National Lottery funding to independent film exhibitors and emerging filmmakers across the English Midlands. It provides grant programmes (Film Exhibition Fund, Pitch Pots, Bursaries), a free membership programme for qualifying organisations, BFI NETWORK talent development support, professional development events such as Film Camp, and coordination of national BFI seasons. The organisation acts as the regional funding and support hub for the Midlands within the BFI Film Audience Network.

Product overview

Film Hub Midlands is a film funding and support organisation operating as part of the BFI Film Audience Network. The organisation offers a portfolio of interconnected products: Film Exhibition Fund (grants of £2,001-£10,000) and Pitch Pots (up to £2,000) for film exhibition projects; Bursaries (up to £500) and Film Camp training for professional development; and BFI NETWORK talent development programmes for emerging filmmakers. Membership is free and provides access to funding opportunities, networking, and industry support. The organisation also coordinates major BFI seasons such as Rip It Up and manages FilmWire newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Exhibition Fund Grant programme supporting independent film exhibitors to reach diverse audiences with cultural film. Members can apply for £2,001 to £10,000 per proposal to deliver audience development projects aligned with the BFI Screen Culture 2033 strategy. Up to £30,000 is available per funding round.
• Pitch Pots
• Bursaries
• Film Hub Midlands Membership
• BFI NETWORK Talent Development
• Film Camp
• Rip It Up Major UK-wide BFI FAN season celebrating 75 years of youth culture in the UK, running May–October 2026, with funding up to £500 per project for programme enhancement and wraparound activity.
• Major Programmes (Film Feels, Blockbuster and others)
• FilmWire Newsletter

Quantifiable outcome

• Total fund up to £30,000 per round for Film Exhibition Fund
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Broadway NottinghamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Broadway Nottingham is the lead organisation and accountable body for Film Hub Midlands. The Chief Executive and Board of Trustees hold final oversight over the Film Hub Midlands project. Broadway is a cinema and arts centre in Nottingham.
• Flatpack ProjectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Flatpack Projects is the strategic partner for Film Hub Midlands, based in Birmingham. They contribute expertise in practical support and programming knowledge to the Film Hub Midlands team. Amy Smart serves as Strategic Partnerships lead from their offices.
• BFI Film Audience Network (FAN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012The BFI Film Audience Network was set up in 2012 using funds from the National Lottery to support a stronger and more connected approach to growing audiences for British and international film. Film Hub Midlands is one of several hubs within this UK-wide network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Broadway Nottingham: Lead accountable body for Film Hub Midlands and a comparable independent cinema/arts centre in Nottingham; operates its own cinema, programming, and training while housing Film Hub Midlands as a project.
• BFI NETWORK: Parent programme organisation (the British Film Institute's talent development arm) that administers central talent development funding and sets the strategic framework within which Film Hub Midlands operates the regional talent executive function.
• BFI Film Audience Network: The overarching UK-wide network of regional film hubs (including Film Hub Midlands) that Film Hub Midlands belongs to. Sets strategy, allocates National Lottery funding, and coordinates the regional hubs.

Direct peers

• Film Hub North: Direct peer as a BFI FAN hub covering northern England with identical funding mechanisms (Film Exhibition Fund, Pitch Pots, bursaries) and member network model. Operates the same BFI-aligned strategy and grant programmes.
• Independent Cinema Office: UK-wide organisation supporting independent film exhibition with programming advice, training, and audience development — directly comparable mission to Film Hub Midlands but operating nationally rather than regionally.
• Film Hub South West: Direct peer as a sister BFI FAN hub covering the South West region with the same funding structures, member-based model, and BFI Screen Culture 2033 alignment as Film Hub Midlands.
• Film Hub Wales: Direct peer as another regional Film Audience Network hub in Wales operating under the same BFI FAN umbrella with similar mandate of distributing grants and supporting independent film exhibition. Natasha Wilson on Film Hub Midlands' team previously worked at Film Hub Wales.
• Ffilm Cymru Wales: Welsh film funding body providing grants and support for film exhibition and production in Wales — closely comparable mission and structure to Film Hub Midlands, also previously employing Film Hub Midlands' current talent executive.

Emerging players

• Flatpack Projects: Strategic partner that hosts Film Hub Midlands' Birmingham operations and runs Flatpack Festival; while the Flatpack itself is a festival rather than a hub, the close operational integration makes it a meaningful peer in film exhibition support.
• Watershed Media Centre: Bristol-based independent cinema and cultural centre with comparable programmes in audience development, accessible screenings, and cultural film curation — operates similar member/audience engagement functions but as a venue rather than a regional hub.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/filmhubmidlands
• Instagraminstagram.com/filmhubmidlands
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/film-hub-midlands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Film Hub Midlands