ENTRY to the 2025 British Independent film awards WILL OPEN ON 17TH JUNE
Here are the key 2025 changes and updates to our rules and eligibility criteria that entrants should know about. Please see the full 2025 Rules & Eligibility Guidelines here for full details on these changes.
ENTRY FEES AND KEY DATES
There will be no uplift to BIFA entry fees this year.
Entries for short films with remain free until Friday 1 August. Thereafter, each entry will incur an entry fee of £50*
SHORTS |
Dates |
Entry fee |
| Early deadline | Friday 1 August | Free |
| Final deadline | Friday 22 August | £50 |
Entries for feature films with production budgets of under £1,000,000 will remain free until Friday 1 August. Thereafter, each film entry will incur an entry fee at the following rates*:
FEATURES |
Dates |
Entry fee – features with production budget < £1m |
Entry fee – features with production budget >£1m |
| Early deadline | Friday 1 August | Free | £200 |
| Late Deadline | Friday 22 August | £175 | £400 |
| Final Entry deadline | Wednesday 3 September | £350 | £800 |
*These prices exclude VAT
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FREE ENTRY DEADLINE
In the event that an entry cannot be completed before the entry fees are applicable (e.g. if confirmation of a qualifying festival screening will come after 1 August, entrants may submit an entry with the qualifying festival / release field left blank to avoid the entry fees as long as all other required information is provided. An update on any qualifying screenings can then be sent to BIFA to confirm the film’s eligibility. This must be received by the final entry deadline.
If an entrant cannot afford the entry fee, they are encouraged to contact BIFA on entry@bifa.film to discuss the possibility of a fee reduction or waiver.
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Film eligibility requirements
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UK BFI DIVERSITY STANDARDS
After a period of transition to the updated Diversity Standards implemented by the BFI in April 2023, British features and feature documentaries must now aim to meet the new BFI Diversity Standards to be eligible for BIFA.
Meeting the Standards requires passing three of five Standards (A, B, C, D, E). Standards C and E are mandatory for all. Concessions may be made for smaller projects, and the nature of the project or its production will be taken into consideration during assessment.
You can find out more about the BFI Diversity Standards here
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ED&I, SAFEGUARDING AND SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK
In addition to the BFI Diversity Standards, BIFA asks entrants to tell us what Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Safeguarding and Sustainability training and processes have been offered and employed during the film’s production. This year, this information will be available for voters to see alongside the film’s Diversity Standards Assessment status.
CO-DIRECTORS IN DEBUT DIRECTOR CATEGORIES
Debut directors co-directing with non-debut directors will no longer be eligible to enter the debut director categories. This applies to The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director) and Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary categories.
THE RAINDANCE MAVERICK AWARD
The budget cap for documentary features entering this category has been reduced from £1m to £500k to better reflect low budgets in documentary filmmaking.
BEST MUSIC SUPERVISION
We have clarified our rules around the eligibility of supervisors whose entered film is a music biopic or features musicians performing as themselves. Music biopics or films that feature musicians performing as themselves are usually eligible, but the Nomination Committee may require more information from category entrants regarding the level of work involved in sourcing and creating or recreating the subject’s music and performances.
CATEGORY RULES & REQUIREMENTS: SUPPORTING MATERIALS
This year, BIFA will be compiling statements for all entries nominated in the craft categories and sharing those directly with all those voting for winners in these categories (many additional voters join the process at this point). All statements received at that point will be included, there will be no further mailings of information to voters. BIFA will remind all entrants with films longlisted in these categories of this mailing.
You can see how we use all materials submitted to BIFA here. Please email entry@bifa.film with any queries.
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mandatory sound statements
Submission of a statement for Best Sound is now mandatory. Whilst many statements remain optional, we strongly recommend they are submitted for craft categories, particularly where the work involved is not immediately obvious to voters.
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BIFA 2025 QUALIFYING FESTIVALS LIST FOR FEATURES AND SHORTS
Please click here for this year’s qualifying list.
REFUNDS
BIFA does not issue refunds for entries submitted and then withdrawn by the entrant. Please ensure that your film will be available to BIFA voters for the full voting period before submitting your entry.
If an entered film is deemed ineligible by BIFA, entrants may request a 50% refund of the entry fee paid. Please read the full BIFA rules and eligibility criteria carefully before submitting your film.
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please get in touch
We believe that the above changes improve how we celebrate the people and films of our industry, making BIFA a fairer ceremony for all. However, we also believe that our ethos should be about feedback and flexibility. If you have objections or think that you or your work would be disadvantaged due to the changes we’re making, please do get in touch with us on hello@bifa.film
