Summary
Manchester Animation Festival has opened Animation Featured, a development accelerator designed to help independent filmmakers and studios bring animated features to market. Supported by the BFI National Lottery Creative Challenge Fund, the programme runs from September 2026 to March 2027 and offers 115 hours of mentoring, workshops, and one-to-one sessions with industry professionals including producers from Lupus Films and acclaimed animation credits.
Six projects across the UK will be selected to participate. The fully-funded programme covers script refinement, pitching skills, co-production models, financing, budgeting, legal frameworks, and marketing strategy. Participants will also undertake two industry trips and gain access to a network of peers, experts, and decision-makers to secure future collaborators and production partners.
Expressions of interest open 27 July and close 16 August. Dr Steve Henderson, MAF festival director, said the accelerator plugs a gap to get UK animated features ready for investment and international markets. The programme reflects Manchester's position as a centre for animation talent and supports the UK sector's global competitiveness.
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Common questions
- What is this article about?
- Manchester Animation Festival has launched Animation Featured, a seven-month development accelerator for animated feature films backed by BFI National Lottery funding. Six UK projects will be selected to receive mentoring, workshops, and industry training to prepare them for international financing and production.
- When was this published?
- This article was published on 28 July 2026.
- Who published this article?
- This article was published by Prolific North.