The British Council has a longstanding and well-earned reputation for championing British film-makers; over the years we have been instrumental in finding and nurturing talent as diverse and innovative as Mike Leigh, Peter Greenaway, Nick Park, David Mackenzie and Lynne Ramsay. We work with international festivals and partner organisations to bring the best British films to audiences around the world.

One of our most important activities is the preview service we provide for selectors from major international film festivals, such as Toronto, Venice, Locarno and Dinard. We organise the screening rooms and liaise directly with sales agents and producers to line up new films to be viewed. International programmers trust us to do this because they know we are an independent body and not tied to any one studio or production company - we are honest brokers and make our recommendations on the basis of quality alone.

Our other activities include obtaining prints and speakers for international festivals and events (including seminars, masterclasses and workshops) throughout the world. We also mount our own British film events; some examples can be found on the main Features home page and the News page.

We also co-ordinate British stands at key events such as the European Film Market in Berlin and the Marche du Film at Cannes.

The British Council does not fund feature film development or production; please see our funding page for more information on film financing and funding bodies.