‘I Swear’, ‘I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning’ among latest UK Global Screen Fund recipients

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I Swear, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning

Source: Graeme Hunter/Charades

‘I Swear’, ‘I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning’

Kirk Jones’ Bafta-winning I Swear and Clio Barnard’s Cannes Directors’ Fortnight drama I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning are among the latest round of UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF) distribution award recipients.

A total of 25 companies received support via the Prints and Advertising and Festival Launch tracks in this round, totalling £703,956 of grants.

Tourette’s biopic I Swear received the biggest Prints and Advertising grant, with £100,000. This strand aims to help with the release of UK films across four international territories. Further recipients were Pillion, Wasteman, Broken English and Palestine 36.

Festival Launch grants supported premieres at major international festivals. I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning received the highest grant amount available in this round of £15,000, and went on to win the Directors’ Fortnight audience award at Cannes. The Incomer also received £15,000 and secured international distribution with Focus Features/Universal after world premiering at Sundance.

Further recipients in this category include Sundance premieres The Last First: Winter K2, which has been acquired for global rights by Apple Original Films, and Everybody To Kenmure Street, which was picked up by Icarus Films for North American distribution after its Sundance premiere.

UKGSF is financed from the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and administered by the BFI, with a budget of £18m per year. UKGSF fund applications are currently open for: International Distribution Prints & Advertising (rolling basis); International Distribution Festival Launch (rolling basis); and the new International Distribution Video Games Release (closing August 14).

Applications for International Co-production funding will re-open in September, with International Business Development re-opening next year, having recently closed. As part of UKGSF’s strategic plan for 2026-29, new initiatives will be launched throughout the year.