LFA Pioneer's Award

As a women-led film school, founded by passionate and forward-thinking principals Anna MacDonald and Daisy Gili, we at LFA are dedicated to bridging the gender gap and highlighting and engaging with meaningful conversations about gender representation and equality within the competitive, ever evolving filmmaking community.

Core to our fundamental values — Pioneering, Collaborative, Sustainable, Impactful — we strive to remain inclusive, diverse and supportive of individuals from all walks of life. We’ve continued to make it part of our mission to take proactive steps towards dynamic participation and facilitating access for under-represented filmmakers.

In 2019, our LFA founders launched the LFA Pioneer’s Award, a dedicated scholarship which offers funding for a talented female studying on one of our postgraduate or undergraduate courses each year, to further develop our commitment to championing female filmmakers.

The scholarship is designed to support a promising filmmaker who might otherwise, due to financial constraints, not be able to access training.

As the only female-founded film school in the UK, we are devoted to creating an environment where women’s filmmaking dreams and ambitions are nurtured, and this notable opportunity has been created for women to forge their own paths within the filmmaking industry. We welcome applications from women of all ages for this unique scholarship.

Daisy Gili, LFA co-founder & joint principal

We believe that our vision is our superpower, we’ve created a culture with strong values, underpinned by our commitment to changing the world in a positive direction. Creating opportunities for talented female filmmakers, to further inclusivity and gender equality, is something very close to my heart. We aim to continue to positively impact the industry, and beyond, collaborating with fellow like-minded organisations looking to make change; if that’s you, we’d be delighted to explore how our combined efforts can contribute to realising a female filmmakers’ dreams, so please get in touch

Anna MacDonald, LFA co-founder & joint principal

Recipients of the LFA Pioneer’s Award have expressed the significance of the scholarship on their lives as well as the impact it has on the industry, noting the importance of female role models within the industry, something we at LFA aim to encourage by opening further opportunities for women filmmakers.

As someone that obviously wants to represent the female gaze, it can be tricky because we don’t have a huge amount of role models out there. You know, once I’ve constructed that female gaze and what that feels like to me, it’s having the deliberation and the trust in myself to push that creative vision through.

Beatrix, Pioneer’s Award recipient 2019-2020

The founding patron of the LFA Pioneer’s Award, Baroness Kidron (Director, Writer & Producer ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’) said:

To lead a creative life you need fierce determination, some talent and a few lucky breaks. It is my hope that this LFA Pioneers Award will be a lucky break for a determined woman of talent. Filmmaking is a wonderful profession and a wonderful craft, and I hope that the recipient is just the first of an army of Pioneers who are gifted the skills and the opportunity to tell us their stories.

Baroness Kidron - The founding patron of the LFA Pioneer’s Award

Application cycles remain open throughout the whole year, with one recipient being awarded each year around the start of each cohort commencing in the Autumn (usually September). The recipient will receive a half-funded place, funded by LFA directly, with the possibility of receiving a fully funded place dependant on LFA securing an external sponsor to fund the other half of the course fees.

To apply please fill in the application form HERE and email the LFA Admissions team with your application materials and the subject title 'LFA PIONEER’S AWARD'.

Our Admissions team will be happy to answer any questions you might about the Award: admissions@londonfilmacademy.com / +44 (0) 20 7386 7711