The short film-making programme shortFLIX has announced its final five young filmmakers, who will each make a short film for broadcast on Sky Arts in 2020.
The programme, run by Creative England in partnership with Sky Arts and ScreenSkills, actively seeks aspiring filmmakers aged 18-25 who are not in employment, education or training, with a focus on underrepresented voices. It is supported by the ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund with contributions from UK film productions.
Applicants were asked to submit a brilliant idea for a short film to engage audiences. This year’s finalists hail from Newcastle, Cheshire, Wakefield and London. Carrie Battram, Johnny Massahi, Danny Seymour, John Akinde and Isabella Culver were selected by a panel from more than 300 applications and a development process with 26 shortlisted filmmakers.
They will each receive a production award of £10,000 for their projects - a rich slate of powerful stories that explore family, friendship, rivalry, loss, survival and recovery in contemporary Britain.
The scheme presents a valuable opportunity for new voices to create diverse and representative stories for broadcast, while gaining practical skills and experience. Working alongside experienced professionals will also enable the finalists to benefit from further training, mentoring and support.
Gareth Ellis-Unwin, ScreenSkills’ Head of Film and Animation, said: “We’d like to congratulate all five finalists – and we’re delighted to see such a wide range of voices included. Working with shortFLIX on the scheme is part of our ongoing work to help build a more inclusive workforce in the industry, with the experience to tell a range of stories with authenticity and cultural relevance. We look forward to seeing the finished shorts in the new year.”
For more information on the five finalists’ upcoming projects, please visit the Creative England website here.