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Welcome to 'LITE' the newly developed course from the British Film Institute (B.F.I)

After 3 years of successfully delivering BFI Film Academy Short Course,
City Eye are excited to bring you this new iteration focused on ...

​Are you an aspiring filmmaker aged 16-19?
Are you NOT going to university?
Are you passionate about film?

Would you like to develop your skills and gain invaluable insights to work in the film industry? 
This could be your chance to explore opportunities and kickstart your career!
What's new for 2026?
This year's 'LITE' course is taking a different approach...
All courses are totally FREE to attend and travel bursaries are available on request.
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We welcome and encourage applications from people; with disabilities, who are LGBTQIA+, from lower socio-economic backgrounds, from ethnically diverse communities, and from other disadvantaged groups. We want to prioritise people under-represented in our workforce and in the industry.​
Based at City Eye in Southampton but serving the wider Solent and South-Central region, our recent BFI Academy Short Courses have recruited talented young filmmakers from Guildford to the New Forest and along the South Coast from Chichester to Southampton.  City Eye is working closely with partners across the region to ensure that this year's activity  is accessible to all young people.

In order to apply you must:
  • be aged 16 to 19-years-old on the first day of the course (applicants who are in receipt of an EHC plan (an education, health and care plan) may be recruited up to 25 years old)
  • be a UK resident
  • have a passion or talent for filmmaking and an ambition to work in the screen industries
  • be able to commit to the duration of the course
  • not currently be at university or enrolled at university when the course starts
  • not have previously enrolled on a BFI Film Academy course
Course Dates
This year, we will be running two courses. You will be asked to specify which course you would like to attend on application. 
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Portsmouth - Mid August 
Southampton - October Half Term

​Course Highlights
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• Masterclasses from industry experts
• Virtual Production Studio visit
​• Pre-Production planning & previsualisation
• Scriptwriting
• Camera training (cine & DSLR)
• On-set etiquette, language and hierarchy
• Short film production from inception to exhibition
• Production and post-production audio skills
• Intro to editing with Adobe Premiere Pro
​• Film study and review
​​• Festival & Film Exhibition ​​
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Screen Skills Training Passport

​You will also work towards achieving the Screen Skills Training Passport which includes:
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  • Tackling harassment and bullying at work - based on the principles of zero tolerance guidelines developed with organisations across the film, television and games industries by BFI and BAFTA, the module is designed to help recognise and address harassment and bullying behaviours in the workplace. 
  • Safeguarding for all - an introduction to safeguarding for all people working in the screen industries including keeping people safe on productions and the workplace, identifying signs of harm or abuse and how to report it. 
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Film Premiere
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At the end of the course your short film will be screened at a red-carpet premiere for friends and family.
Thank you for your interest in the
BFI Film Academy Short Course 2026.
Funded by the UK government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and National Lottery.  
This programme is part of the BFI Film Academy Short Course, South West Consortium.
​A BFI funded programme led delivered by Watershed in partnership with Somerset Film, City Eye and Screen Cornwall.
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