Ten film projects, including features from Doctor Who director Euros Lyn and Borrowed Time producer Olivier Kaempfer, have been selected to progress to the first round of the Film Agency for Wales’ low budget film scheme.

The teams behind these projects will now participate in a training and mentoring programme supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, which is funded by the National Lottery via the BFI, and through the Skills Investment Fund (SIF).

The Film Agency for Wales devised and developed Cinematic in partnership with the BFI Film Fund, BBC Films, S4C and Soda Pictures to support emerging filmmaking talent from Wales in making “contemporary, dynamic and distinctive feature films” with budgets of around £300,000 ($480,000).

A total of 56 applications were made to the programme following its launch in June. The ten projects and their filmmaking teams selected to continue with the programme are:

Craig’s Film(working title)
Producer: Pip Broughton
Writer / Director: Craig Roberts

Folie a Deux
Producer: Eryl Phillips
Director: Gareth Bryn
Writer: Catrin Clarke

Maldod
Director: Lee Haven Jones
Writer: Roger Williams

My Grandfather the Spy
Producers: David J Evans, Ryan Hooper
Director: Martin Scanlan
Writers: David J Evans, Martin Scanlan

Prism
Producer: Mark John
Writer / Director: Tony Hurley

Random Deaths and Custard
Producers: Emily Morgan, Ed Talfan
Director: Keri Collins
Writer: Catrin Dafydd

Snapper
Producer: Olivier Kaempfer
Writer / Director: Claire Fowler

The Lighthouse
Producer: David Lloyd
Director: Chris Crow
Writers: Michael Jibson, Chris Crow

Up in the Clouds with Lowri
Producers: Samantha Zarzosa, Amanda Brennan
Writer / Director: Janis Pugh

Y Llyfrgell
Director: Euros Lyn
Writer: Fflur Dafydd

According to Film Agency Wales: “The selection reflects the varied landscape of film in Wales, transcending genre and language, and showcasing indigenous filmmaking talent from across Wales.”

This week’s training sessions will focus on the UK and international market for films and will be led by Angus Finney, while guest speakers will include Julia Short, head of acquisitions at The Works, and producers Margaret Matheson, Al Clark, Uzma Hasan and Alison Sterling.

A second round of interviews will take place in January 2014, with the final three projects selected to go into production.

Through Cinematic, these three feature films, including one in the Welsh language, will be made over the next 18 months by directors with original filmmaking voices, in collaboration with emerging and established writers and producers.

The scheme will also encourage a market and distribution focus from an early stage, as well as the exploration of wider IP exploitation. 

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