Following the resounding success of Bradford’s exciting new FilmMakers25 mentoring project to build a vibrant screen sector across the district, a second cohort will be launched this summer for a further 25 people who are keen to develop careers in film, TV and the digital space.
The FilmMakers 25 project is jointly funded by Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Bradford 2025 in association with Bradford UNESCO City of Film and ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen industries, using National Lottery funds awarded by the British Film Institute (BFI) as part of the Future Film Skills programme.
The first group of 25 filmmakers and digital content producers were selected via a simple application process to receive mentoring support from industry experts and the second cohort of 25 will be sourced in the same way. They’ll become part of a network that it’s hoped will create a strong talent pool of exciting producers by 2025, when Bradford is bidding to win UK City of Culture status.
The Bradford district has a strong association with the screen sector and was designated the first UNESCO City of Film in 2009, a permanent title bestowing international recognition on the area for its rich film heritage. The area is used as a location for numerous visiting film and TV projects but the indigenous commercial sector is currently very small. A brand new screen sector strategy has been devised to grow the sector and the FilmMakers25 project is just one part of a wider plan to build the creative industries in Bradford.
Shanaz Gulzar, Chair of Bradford 2025 and an artist and TV presenter, says: ‘The diverse voices of this district hold so much promise for the screen sector in Bradford in the coming years. Talent is everywhere in Bradford but opportunity is not. This fantastic career development programme now in its second year is a real game-changer for people looking to make a career and tell their stories in film, TV and the wider digital sector in the years up to 2025 and beyond.’
Cllr Sarah Ferriby, BMDC portfolio holder for Healthy People and Places, says: ‘We were delighted with the outcomes of the first year of this programme and seeing talent develop and be supported locally is vital to growing and retaining talent in Bradford district, which is why we are happy to support the second year of Filmmakers25.’
Local mentoring experts Under The Moon will run the programme as before, led by media consultant Ruth Pitt, who also runs the Commissioning Mentor Network for Channel 4 and the Creative Cities Convention, a screen industry conference for producers and broadcasters working outside London.
‘When we launched the first cohort towards the end of last year we connected with some astonishingly talented people right across the Bradford district,’ says Ruth. ‘Our content creators were matched with some of the top people working in film and TV across the North and many of those partnerships have delivered incredible professional development and work opportunities. Our mentees have had some real insights into production and distribution and despite lockdown they’re now forming their own networks to help create work for one another too. We’ve shown that mentoring is one of the fastest ways to bring about change in the screen industries.’
Those with a demonstrable skill in digital screen production can find out more about the mentoring network by visiting www.underthemoonltd.com or emailing info@underthemoonltd.com. Approaches from diverse and under-represented groups are particularly welcomed, as are enquiries from potential mentors willing to share their expertise for the benefit of others.
For further queries please contact: Ruth Pitt at ruth@underthemoonltd.com 07713 063447
NB: Applications for this opportunity close 5pm Friday 11th June
