Screen Alliance Wales is delighted to announce that it has been selected to deliver BFI Film Academy Wales, the Welsh Hub of the BFI’s flagship skills programme for young people aged 16-25, beginning an exciting new chapter for the programme and for young people looking to develop careers in the screen industries across Wales.
Aimed at young people aged 16–25, over the next three years 12 new UK-wide BFI Film Academy Hubs will offer a wide-ranging programme of introductory courses, workshops and industry masterclasses, alongside mentoring and work-shadowing opportunities. BFI Film Academy Wales participants will also benefit from access to Screen Alliance Wales online industry skills and training portal.
With courses, events and networking sessions taking place in North, South and West Wales, BFI Film Academy Wales will encourage, support and develop emerging talent from across the nation, helping young people to gain the skills, knowledge, experience and industry connections they’ll need to take their first steps towards a career in film and the wider screen sector.
BFI Film Academy Wales participants and alumni will also connect with the wider BFI Film Academy community UK-wide and have access to a range of opportunities and resources, including high-profile industry talks and masterclasses.
Working with a range of industry and education partners, including Creative Wales and the University of South Wales, Screen Alliance Wales will draw on its extensive industry network, training expertise and experience to support young people across Wales in developing their filmmaking talent and building sustainable careers in the screen sector.
BFI Film Academy Wales is delivered by Screen Alliance Wales supported by the UK Government and National Lottery funding, and the Welsh Government via Creative Wales.
Allison Dowzell, OBE, Managing Director of Screen Alliance Wales, comments:
“We’re absolutely delighted to have been given the opportunity to deliver BFI Film Academy Wales. The Academy has an important history of supporting emerging talent, and we’re incredibly excited to build on that foundation and bring Screen Alliance Wales industry relationships, training expertise and Wales-wide network to the programme.
“For us, this is about making sure young people across Wales can see a route into the screen industry, wherever they live and whatever their starting point. Talent is everywhere, and opportunity should be too. Over the next three years, we want to give young people the skills, confidence, connections and real industry insight that can help turn their ambition into a career.”
Zakiya Bale, Head of BFI Film Academy Programmes, comments: “BFI Film Academy is excited to work with thousands more talented young people across the UK and build meaningful collaborations with industry leaders over the next three years, helping to shape the future of the UK’s screen sector. This new iteration of the BFI’s flagship programme has been developed to reflect the needs of an ever-changing and fast-paced screen industry. BFI Film Academy Hubs will enable young people from across the UK to explore career pathways and develop the skills most in demand across the sector, whatever their background and wherever they’re from.”
ABOUT BFI FILM ACADEMY
BFI Film Academy is the BFI’s flagship training programme for young people aged 16-25 looking to get started in the film, TV and wider screen industries, offering free UK-wide hands-on, collaborative training and career development, with a strong focus on developing technical and transferable skills.
Building on the success of the past 13 years since its launch in 2012, with an alumni network of over 11,000 people, and benefiting from extensive consultation with industry and young people, the new BFI Film Academy offer focuses on engaging those who are currently underrepresented in the screen industries.
From 2026, 12 BFI Film Academy Hubs – covering every nation and region across the UK – will support underrepresented young people to access free local training and year-round dedicated support, creating pathways into available careers across the screen industries.
ABOUT THE BFI
The BFI is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image.
Our mission is:
* To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers
* To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive
* To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals – delivered online and in venue
* To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding
* To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries
Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter.
The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt OBE.
