Last night we screened ten amazing short documentaries created by aspiring filmmakers from across the UK as part of our inaugural Documentary Talent Fund. At the event, held in Central London, we were joined by our filmmakers alongside their contributors and crew, colleagues from UK-based production companies and members of the press.
We launched the fund back in December 2020 and received thousands of submissions from a diverse group of filmmakers to make their own documentary short film, answering the brief: “Britain’s Not Boring And Here’s a Story.” The shortlisted ten filmmakers each received £40,000 to make films that shine a light on a unique perspective on British life, culture, and experience. They explore compelling topics of identity, community, self-belief, empowerment, disability, gender diversity, and inclusion, with the wider aim of elevating underrepresented stories and voices.
The winners range from first-time filmmakers to those with previous documentary experience and, most importantly, hail from across the UK — including Northern Ireland, Scotland, Manchester, London, Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Liverpool.
From our partners:
Throughout the year, the teams took part in Netflix-hosted workshops covering all aspects of the documentary-making processincluding legal, creative, HR, production and finance. Each filmmaking team also had a strong network of industry figures to guide them throughout the production process, as well as a Netflix line producer.
It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with these talented filmmakers and to watch their ideas blossom into these fully formed documentaries. These films have been made in a year when Covid created extra challenges, and we’re immensely proud of the tenacity, grit and creativity demonstrated to get these shorts made. The final films offer an exciting glimpse into the future of UK documentary filmmaking.
Learn more about the filmmakers at www.netflixdocfund.co.uk and check back in the coming days to watch their shorts on the site and on our Still Watching Netflix YouTube channel.
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