The Award gives a fully-funded place worth £23,000 on the LFA’s 12-month practical Filmmaking Diploma. The scholarship is to help a promising filmmaker who might otherwise, due to financial constraints, not be able to access training.
“To lead a creative life you need fierce determination, some talent and a few lucky breaks. It is my hope that this LFA Pioneers Award will be a lucky break for a determined woman of talent. Filmmaking is a wonderful profession and a wonderful craft and I hope that the recipient is just the first of an army of Pioneers who are gifted the skills and the opportunity to tell us their stories.”
Baroness Kidron (Director, Writer & Producer ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’) the founding patron of the LFA Pioneer Award
Since the London Film Academy’s inception in 2001, founders & principals, Anna MacDonald and Daisy Gili, have awarded hundreds of partial and full scholarship places at their school of between £2,000 and £23,000 to support those who can't afford the training. Our inaugural scholarship was awarded to Jumaan Short, who started in May 2018: “Attending the LFA has been an incredible experience, because for the first time, I’ve been given access to learning the many aspects of film, from skilled professionals that I would otherwise not have had the chance to have. People always say that this business is about who you know, luck and hard work, but not everyone, even when they’re talented, passionate and hard-working has that ‘luck’ or knows those people. Scholarships such as the Pioneer’s Award give a chance to people who haven’t had anybody say ‘yes’ before, and who don’t have the funds or the means. It enables people who have a variety of stories from different backgrounds to tell those stories. It helps make the film world more inclusive, interesting and diverse. It nurtures talent and encourages people to contribute to society instead of disappearing into the shadows to its and their detriment. We’re only a few months in and yet I’ve already been pushed and challenged and I’m gaining more and more confidence in my abilities. The quality of teaching is superb and I feel there is a lot of support and encouragement not only from the tutors but all the staff. I do feel very fortunate to be a part of this school and to receive the help and mentoring that I’ve so longed for. I would like to go on to direct and write screenplays and open doors for others too, just as this scholarship has for me.”
Gillian Humphreys OBE, Founder of Concordia Foundation & Peter J. David, Co-Sponsors of this year's LFA Pioneer Award: “It gives us great pleasure that after a wonderful association between the Concordia Foundation and London Film Academy we are able to pledge support for the LFA Pioneers Award for a promising female filmmaker. This year was exceptional as we had the opportunity to work closely with LFA students to create a documentary in support of our Vintage Costume Fundraising project. We are hugely excited about supporting this important initiative by LFA and look forward to the development of this joint vision.”
“We are committed to creating opportunities for talented women who have the commitment to pursue a career in filmmaking. We urge talented women of any age to enter for this ‘one of a kind’ opportunity. Since the London Film Academy’s inception we have nurtured and produced hundreds of world-class filmmakers who have gone on to make their own independent productions and work on big features and drama, including: 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi', 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', 'The Martian', 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', 'Hunger Games: Catching Fire', 'The Bible', 'Call the Midwife', 'Downton Abbey' and 'Black Mirror', or make narrative shorts for brands or charities.”
Anna MacDonald, LFA co-founder & joint principal
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In the Press:
- SCREEN DAILY: "London Film Academy announces £23,000 bursary for emerging female filmmaker"
- DIRECTOR'S NOTES: Co-founder & Joint Principal, Anna MacDonald about the launch of the Award
- BBC RADIO LONDON: Co-founder & Joint Principal, Daisy Gili about the launch of the Award
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Applications are now CLOSED for the May 2019 Filmmaking Diploma intake.