About Us

Beta Filmworks provides Film and Filmmaking training across Leeds, Yorkshire and the Humber.

The organisation, in partnership with Leeds Young Film, has delivered the BFI Film Academy for the last 6 years and will soon be recruiting for the 2018/19 cohort. If you are aged 16-19 and interested in a career in film, then check out the BFI Film Academy programme here.

Beta Filmworks also provides CPD to teachers at both primary and secondary level and offers a suite of training courses for young people both in and out of the formal education setting. For more information please get in touch via the Contact Us page.


BFI Film Academy, Leeds – Delivery Partners

Access Moving Image

Access Moving Image is an award winning production company based in Leeds that makes films for cinema, business and the internet.

AMI is a little different from other film production companies in that it’s also a social enterprise set up to do exactly what the name suggests; to allow people from all walks of life – including young people, the marginalised and the ignored – access to opportunities to improve their media literacy and make films about issues that are important to them. We believe in the power of film as tool to affect positive change.

We’re also passionate about the need to find and develop talent. In addition to our involvement with Beta Filmworks and the BFI’s regional film academy we deliver a talent development initiative called New Wave. This supports and incubates emerging filmmakers by creating freelance work opportunities, along with access to advice and low cost resources. New Wave also allows practitioners to develop their own individual projects within a co-production relationship and the pilot phase of the project supported the production of the award winning feature documentary ‘We Are Poets’.

Agere Learning


Leeds Young Film

Part of Leeds City Council, Leeds Young Film runs the annual Leeds Young Film Festival every Easter for young people aged 0 – 19 and their families. Now in it’s 15th year the programme includes premieres and previews of the best new films from around the world as well as archive classics and family favourites. The festival also offers workshops and masterclasses for young people to learn all about filmmaking and the moving-image industry. It hosts two nationally regarded awards aimed at celebrating young filmmakers – Leeds Young Filmmakers Golden Owl Awards and Independent Directions (the INDIs), the UK’s only film competition for young filmmakers working without significant budgets or professional support.

The festival is presented by MediaFish, a group of young people aged 14-19 who are passionate about film. This group meets year-round to plan and deliver the festival, as well as running their own film club, visiting other film festivals and speaking at conferences.

Leeds Film Academy is the education arm of Leeds Young Film and offers year-round film related courses, both formal and informal, in and out of school. Recent programmes have included Screen Adventures aimed at KS1&2 and Making Movies Matter, CPD for teachers, delivered with Reel Solutions.