Film London Labs: The Production Finance Sessions 2026
The Production Finance Sessions is back for 2026!
If you're working on or towards financing a first or second feature, this Lab is for you. This lab will be focusing on the financing and business of independent film, geared towards producers, and also writers and directors who want to learn more - all are very welcome!
This intensive, week-long online lab aims to arm you with incredibly valuable knowledge you need to know about pitching a finance-ready project, enabling you to make and defend smart, creative choices and ground your plans in reality.
This Lab is inspired by our years of experience preparing producers for the Production Finance Market’s New Talent Strand. But you don’t have to be coming to market to benefit from the training. The sessions will be just as useful for those who intend to seek finance through other means, who intend to apply to the market next year, or who’d just like to deepen their understanding of film finance.
Our past speakers have featured some of the industry's leading voices and execs, including Rachel Dargavel (My Father's Shadow), Trevor Birney (Kneecap), Becca Wolff (Grand Theft Hamlet, PFM NTS alumni 2024), Ameenah Ayub Allen (Rocks, Ali & Ava), Bennett McGhee (Mogul Mowgli, Ish) and Nana Mensah (Queen of Glory). Plus Anna Godas (Dogwoof), Kristin Irving (BBC Film), Loran Dunn (Senior Lecturer & Producer, Hoard), Nathan Adabadze (Media Finance Capital), Isla MacGillivray (Saffery), Gabrielle Stewart (Hanway Films), and Antony Swiatek (Lee & Thompson) who have also shared their expertise. We've explored topics including the current state of the independent film market, producing a debut feature, the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC), how to pitch your project and documentary financing.
We'll be announcing our guest speakers in the coming weeks so stay tuned!
FORMAT
Monday 21 September - Friday 25 September.
The week will comprise of approx. 1-2 hours of talks and other sessions each day. Session times will vary to accommodate our guest speakers but are likely to be in the early afternoon. We aim to publish the full timetable at least a week before the event starts.
Accessibility requirements - all Zoom sessions and recordings will have closed captions enabled. If there are any requirements you would like to discuss, please get in touch to see how best we can assist you. Please note that certain provisions or requests, such as British Sign Language interpretation, will need to be arranged in advance.
HOW TO TAKE PART
Please note that no scripts or project proposals are to be submitted.
We will record each session and make the videos available to attendees for six months after the end of the Lab so all can catch up on any missed sessions, or re-watch.
Fee: £70 +VAT
NOTE: We recognise that this is a challenging time for many in our industry, and we have ventured to keep costs as low as possible.
We’re keen to make this series accessible so if the cost is a barrier for you, do get in touch at production@filmlondon.org.uk
Refund policy: Refunds can only be issued BEFORE the lab starts, any additional booking fees are non-refundable.