Low budget production scheme selects 12 projects; hits diversity target.

Film London Microwave has announced a shortlist of 12 projects for the development stage of its next edition.

The shortlisted projects and teams are:

•        The Blue House, Patrick Dickinson (writer and director), Sophie Venner (producer)

•        Butterfly Kisses, Greer Ellison (writer), Rafal Kapelinski (director), Merlin Merton and David Braithwaite (producers)

•        Daphne’s Inferno, Nico Mensinga (writer) Peter Mackie Burns (director) Valentina Brazzini and Tristan Goligher (producers)

•        Engaged, James Condon (writer) Adam Randall (director) Bennett McGhee and Matt Wilkinson (producers)

•        Kill Her Witch, Faye Gilbert (writer and director), Yaw Basoah (producer)

•        The New Thirty, Wendy Okoi-Obuli (writer), Remi Vaughan-Richards (director), Yvonne Isimeme Ibazebo (producer)

•        Night Dances, Johnny Kenton (writer and director), Jo Allan (producer)

•        The Opposite of Everything, Ruth Pickett (writer), Nour Wazzi ( director), Stephen Smith (producer)

•        Punch, Ruth Ivo (writer and director), Rachel Wardlow (producer)

•        Unsung, Ayndrilla Singharay (writer), Liam Creighton (director) Fiona Black (producer)

•        The Visitor, Sebastian Godwin (writer and director), Hugo Godwin (producer)

•        Worm, Keir Burrows (writer and director), Dieudonnée Burrows (producer)

The 12 teams will undertake a five-day training ‘bootcamp’, Microschool, and shortlisted filmmakers will receive up to £10,000 development funding for the first time.

The Microwave panel will then choose six projects to take forward for a further six weeks of development, after which two projects will be commissioned.

Supported by the BFI and BBC Films, the commissioned films will be awarded £100,000 of their total production budgets of £150,000. Completed films will also have access to an additional £25,000 of ring-fenced funding to assist with distribution

Newly joining the £1.2m scheme are media and entertainment law specialists Harbottle & Lewis as business and legal consultants and marketing and distribution consultants Tom Grievson, formerly of Warner Bros, and former BFI executive Alex Stolz.

Microwave, which has produced films including Shifty, starring Riz Ahmed, and Sundance drama Lilting, this year attracted a record 160 applications.

According to Film London, applications exceeded the agency’s target of ensuring 50% of the teams applying had a writer, director or producer from a black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background.

Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said:

“With our previous slate, the bar has been set extremely high. However, given the calibre of the teams behind the shortlisted projects I’m certain we’ll see some exciting results and look forward to showcasing some brave new filmmaking voices.

“We are also working to ensure a better cross section of London’s wonderfully diverse community is reflected in the slate.”

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