The low-budget production scheme has selected 12 projects and exceeded diversity target.

Film London Microwave has announced the shortlist of the 12 projects selected for its annual production and training scheme.

According to Film London, this year’s applications exceeded its diversity target of 50%. Over half of the teams who applied have a writer, director or producer from a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background.

The shortlisted projects and teams are:

  • Amsterdam, Lisa Jacobs (writer), Tara Fitzgerald (director), Georgina French (producer) Barefaced, David Cornwall (writer), Chester Yang (director), Adebayo Awolaja (producer)

  • Brutal, Ed Aldridge (writer), Scott Rawsthorne (director), Jon Shaikh (director), Amyra Bunyard (producer)

  • Looted, Rene Pannevis (writer-director), Jennifer Ericsson (producer), Jessie Mangum (co-producer)

  • Nocturnal, Olivia Waring (writer), Shan Ng (director), Robert Williams (producer), Colin Day (producer)

  • Real Boy, Liam Creighton (writer-director), Danny de Warren (producer)

  • Running Out of Grime, Dwayne Gumbs (writer/director), Iain Simpson (director), Benedict Turnbull (producer), Alex Williams (producer), Harri Kamalanathan (producer)

  • Samurai Sword, Lab Ky Mo (writer-director), Angélique Talio (producer)

  • Sick(er), Lucy Brydon (writer-director), Dan Cleland (producer), Jeannette Sutton (producer)

  • Treading Water, Lee Mattinson (writer), Samuel de Ceccatty (director), Manon Ardisson (producer), Chiara Ventura (co-producer)

  • Ultra, Matthew Hoad-Robson (writer-director), Rose Lewenstein (co-writer), Jacob Thomas (producer)

  • White Night, Charlotte Wolf (writer), Geoff Bellhouse (director), Chris Hees (producer)

The 12 teams have entered Microschool, a week-long intensive training ‘bootcamp’ where they develop their projects and their craft with professionals in the field.

In addition, each film has received £10,000 of development funding.

After their training, Microwave will then select six films for further development. After six weeks, two films will be commissioned.

Supported by BBC Film and the BFI,  the commissioned films will then receive £100,000 of their total £150,000 budget. Once the films are made, they will also have access to £25,000 to help fund distribution.

In previous years, Microwave’s scheme has financed BAFTA-nominated Shifty (2008), starring Riz Ahmed and Daniel Mays, and Sundance drama Lilting (2014), starring Ben Whishaw.

BBC Films’ Steve Jenkins said: “The 12 shortlisted teams and projects perfectly embody the range and diversity of talent which the Microwave scheme is designed to discover and encourage.

“We look forward to the tough but exciting challenge of finding the next two films.”

Mary Burke, senior production and development executive, BFI Film Fund said: “It’s a privilege to work on Microwave, especially with the dedicated warriors of low budget filmmaking at Film London whose fierce commitment to diversity and extraordinary talent shines through each year.”

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