Signposting
A national research lab is opening on this lot. It is not ours.
CoSTAR (Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime) is a UK research network funded with £75.6m from UK Research and Innovation through the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Its National Lab is led by Royal Holloway, University of London, with £51.1m of that.
The National Lab is being built on the CoSTAR Stage at Pinewood. CoSTAR's own facilities page says it opens in late 2026; an earlier announcement said January 2026.
Futures in Film is independent of CoSTAR. This page exists because anyone reading about technology testing at Pinewood should know CoSTAR is here and how to approach it.
Who runs it
Royal Holloway, with industry partners.
CoSTAR names Pinewood Group, BT, disguise, Magnopus, the University of Surrey, Abertay University and the National Film and Television School among the National Lab's partners. Sarah Ellis MBE was appointed Director in July 2026.
Crew at the camera on the festival floor
How a small company gets in
There is £7m set aside for smaller creative businesses.
CoSTAR calls this its Access Programme. The routes it publishes are below. Community interest companies have already been through the accelerator.
CoSTAR Ideate
A six-month accelerator for micro, start-up and early-growth companies, including a residency.
CoSTAR Evolve
Mentoring for more established companies.
Pilots, prototypes and demonstrators
Funding calls for specific projects, with in-kind facility time alongside the cash.
Facility booking
Direct use of the Futures Studio at the Egham campus, by expression of interest.
Enquiries go to costar@rhul.ac.uk. Funding calls are listed on costarnetwork.co.uk, and deadlines move.
Why it is here and not in the directory
Because it changes what is possible on this lot.
CoSTAR de-risks technology for businesses in a research environment. Futures in Film proves technology on a working unit, with a crew who learn it while it is being proved. Those are different jobs.
An organisation that needs both now has both within a few hundred metres.
