First Light Movies provides funding to organisations to support film-making among young people aged between five and 19.  Productions of any genre are eligible to receive funding (e.g. live action, animated fiction, creative documentaries) and young people are expected to play a lead role in all aspects of the production process.

There are three levels of funding:

• Pilot award - a maximum grant of £5,000 for one film of up to five minutes long (ideally for first-time film-makers).
• Studio award - a maximum grant of £30,000 for between two and four films of up to 10 minutes long (a track record of filming with young people is necessary).
• What's the Big Idea? award - a maximum grant of £3,000 to develop ideas and stories for films (at least two scripts should be completed).

Organisations such as schools and local authorities are eligible to participate in the scheme.

The online application process for Pilot and What's the Big Idea? Awards was moved from 29 April to 6 May onwards, with deadlines for the receipt of applications of 24 June, 16 September and 16 December 2008, and 31 March 2009.

For further advice read http://www.firstlightmovies.com/funding/ 

Studio awards will re-open to applications 14 August, with a deadline of 14 October 2008.