Our fund awards more than £90,000 to Northern film exhibitors
Published:
01 Dec 2025
Film Hub North has closed its Film Exhibition Fund for the 2025/2026 financial year, channelling more than £90,000 of National Lottery support into local film organisations.
17 film exhibitors received support to grow audiences for cultural film across the North of England, including the inaugural Penistone Film Festival, a two-day celebration of silent cinema, and Imagine Futures in Prescot who deliver regular screenings and a family film club at Shakespeare North Playhouse.
We also awarded funding to two organisations that joined our membership this year: the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, a major international art institution developing a permanent film programme, and Market Pavilion in Blyth, to support the new venue’s cinema screenings and creative programme for artists.
Hosting a premiere with a director in person was a huge success for us in our second year... We were delighted to once again break our audience targets and believe this was the result of a well curated and surprising programme combined with direct community-embedded marketing. - Bradford Queer Film Festival
Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply. The fund was very competitive: £90,000 was available across our three rounds of FEF, and we received 41 applications.
Initially, we were unsure how this new version of the festival would resonate with our local audiences. However, the impressive attendance numbers, combined with the enthusiastic participation in our Q&A sessions and the valuable face-to-face feedback we received, demonstrated the deep engagement of our community. - Hebden Bridge Film Festival
The Film Exhibition Fund supports the independent film exhibition sector in the North, with funding of up to £10,000 per project, per year available for screening activity. The primary focus of the Fund is in-person events that bring audiences together for a communal viewing experience.
Pitch Pot
Our Pitch Pot fund provides organisations with quick-fire micro-grants for one-off events and short screening programmes. This financial year we supported 12 organisations including new initiatives at Leeds Palestinian Film Festival – a film day school and collaboration with Gaza International Women’s Cinema Festival – and Bradford International Film Festival, which took over the UK's City of Culture with a focus on Global filmmakers.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply. The fund was once again oversubscribed: we had £21,000 available and received 22 applications.
Our own team developed new expertise in licensing international titles, managing partnerships, and delivering family-focused cultural cinema under tight timelines. These skills will strengthen our ability to deliver future programmes and contribute to the resilience of the independent exhibition sector in Greater Manchester. - Friends of Stretford Public Hall
Main image: Penistone Film Festival (c) Gary Sidebotham Other image credits: Hebden Bridge Film Festival (c) Adam Bowler; Imagine Futures Cinema; Market Pavilion; Women X (c) Rianne Pictures
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