Netflix’s U.K. Documentary Talent Fund Returns For Second Year
Netflix has launched its second documentary talent fund for emerging filmmakers in the U.K. – and this year the streamer is extending applications to Ireland.
The fund will again be produced by Elisabeth Hopper with support from supervising producer Georgie Yukiko and assistant producer Daisy Ifama.
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Open to everyone – even those with no experience – the fund provides filmmakers with a budget of £30,000 ($36,500) as well as guidance from Netflix executives and other industry professionals to enable them to make a documentary short. Among the support offered by Netflix is a series of production workshops covering legal, creative, HR and finance, among other things.
The theme for this year’s documentaries is “connection.”
The chosen applicants will present their final documentaries at a showcase in early 2024. Applicants must be a resident of the U.K. or Ireland.
Each filmmaker will come away with an 8-10 minute documentary that will be pushed on Netflix U.K.’s social channels.
Last year’s cohort included “Love Languages,” by Jason Osborne and Precious Mahaga, which has just been long-listed for a BAFTA. Other films from last year have been screened at festivals around the world.
“We were thrilled with the results of last year’s inaugural documentary talent fund,” said Kate Townsend, VP for documentary features at Netflix U.K. “The filmmakers we collaborated with inspired and surprised us, and we’re so pleased with how they made the most of this opportunity. The resulting films were varied in subject matter and style and provided a brilliant response to the brief. This year we’re looking to go one step further, on the theme of ‘Connection’ and we encourage filmmakers to interrogate this and come forward with their unique take and vision, whatever that looks like.”
The judging panel includes Townsend, Dorothy Street Pictures founder/CEO Julia Nottingham, Oscar-winner Orlando Von Einsiedel, “In Her Hands” director Tamana Ayazi, “American Murder: The Family Next Door” director Jenny Popplewell, line producer Alex Brunati and SBTV CEO Tanisha Artman.
Entries for the fund open today and run until Feb. 16. For more information visit www.netflixdocfund.co.uk.
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