Applications now open for Too Much: Melodrama on Film

  • Date

    12th June 2025

Delivered in partnership with the BFI, FAN is proud to unveil the new UK-wide season – Too Much: Melodrama on Film – where audiences are invited to follow their emotions and get swept away by the big screen experience.

Too Much celebrates cinema which champions emotional intensity over propriety and ‘good taste’. With roots in the exaggerated performance of the silent era, the melodramatic mode incorporates a wealth of genres and stories. United by emotion driven plots, vivid visual language and self-conscious audience manipulation, these films are designed to make you break down in tears; cause a scene; fall in love. Ultimately, they want you to feel something.

What is ‘melodrama’?

Defining melodrama is notoriously difficult as its trademarks (emotive music, dramatic plots and expressive performance) are the bread and butter of cinema. To be included in the season, films must meet the following criteria:

  • Heightened emotions and pathos: on screen, and/or deliberately induced in the audience.
  • Some combination of amplified performance, visuals, score and plot used to achieve this.
  • Personal relationships at the heart of the emotional conflict portrayed.

Melodrama in film has long been associated with women – the rare storytelling mode concerned with their inner lives and everyday struggles. ‘Women’s pictures’ employed melodrama to express longing, rage and desire in characters facing motherhood, infidelity, sexual abuse and scandal. Too Much will celebrate the female stars of melodrama who have drawn audiences to the cinema in their millions, and films exploring women’s experiences are encouraged.

Backed by a UK-wide Press and marketing campaign and a central listing platform, the season will have a broad audience appeal.

You must be a member of Film Hub Scotland as part of BFI Film Audience Network to access support from this programme.

Where do I start?

Look at the Creative Brief below for more information about the programme scope and to get some inspiration.

Also get ideas from the list of available contextual titles that are available to book.

What support is available?

There are three ways you can engage with the programme and access support:

  • 1) MENU: Pick from the menu of key titles available from assorted distributors in the UK and access support of up to £125 per film for enhancement wraparound activity and audience development – with a very straight- forward process to access the support.
  • 2) BESPOKE: Up to £15,000 (average awards likely to be circa £5,000 based on previous activity) to develop a bespoke project within the parameters of the Creative Brief.
  • 3) CROSS-FAN: Up to £15,000 to develop programme and/or Marketing/Outreach Activity with the potential to scale or tour across the UK and/or projects involving multiple site-specific events across the UK. Read the Funding Guidelines for more information and guidance.

Period of activity

The bulk of the season takes place this Autumn (Oct-Dec 2025).

For non-theatrical members, the menu will be available to book until the end of Jan 2026.

Key dates

  • Final deadline for Bespoke and Cross FAN Proposals: Monday 14 July 2025 at 5pm
  • Menu Expressions of Interest can be submitted until Mon 29 September 2025 (but note that for your activity to be included in initial listings announcement, you will need to submit your EOI and confirm your bookings by the end of July.)
  • Period of Activity: Oct – Dec 2025 (Menu titles can be booked until January 2026 and some special regional preview event may be allowed to be before the start of October.

Accessibility

If you require any support with your proposal, or require it in a different format, please email us at info@filmhubscotland.com and we’d be happy to help.

Access further support via the BFI Access Support page.

How do I apply?

Please read carefully the Creative Brief and Funding Guidelines below.

All applications (Cross-FAN, Bespoke and Menu titles) are to be submitted via the Airtable link below:

→ Submit an application

If you require this application form in a different format, please let us know.

Image: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955, dir. Douglas Sirk) is one of the key titles for the season. 

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