A 2022 Round UpLet’s take a look at some film projects we have supported
2022 was a busy year for the BFI NETWORK funded films supported by Film Hub North
As we gear up for the year ahead and refine our plans for supporting filmmakers based in the North of England, we want to highlight what the teams behind some of the film projects we have supported with National Lottery funding through the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund and Early Development Fund have been up to over the last year.
From making the rounds on the UK and International film festival circuits to projects going into development with companies such as Film4, it has been quite the year for these filmmakers. Find out more about them and how you can learn about the available funding, development, and networking opportunities for your next film project below.
Bald
Directed by Luke Bather, its continued to storm the UK festival circuit playing Manchester where it picked up a Staff Pick Award plus Encounters, Leeds, Bolton and Sunderland winning best drama and IndieFlicks winning the audience award and also picking up best short from Wim Wenders at the Gogs Int. Film Festival in Wales.
You can now watch Bald on Directors Notes.
Dead Whistle Stop
Directed by Sean Mckenna, Dead Whistle Stop started the year by winning the Royal Television Society NE award for Best Short and followed up with screenings at Bafta/Bifa Q’ing, Aesthetica, PÖFF Tallin Black Nights, Leeds and Bolton.
FIST
Directed by Andy McVicar has been selected to premiere at the London Short Film Festival.
Incompatible
Directed by Maxine Peake, Incompatible has hit a raft of festivals including the BAFTA and BIFA qualifying Norwich, Bolton and Leeds Film Festivals. The feature titled Infertile inspired by the short is going into production with Shiny Button.
The writer behind Incompatible, Hayley Jayne Standing, has said this about their next project:
I am really excited to be working on my first feature film Infertile, collaborating once more with the fantastic Maxine Peake as director and with Kate Heggie producing for Shiny Button Productions. Huge thanks to Film Hub North who have been fundamental in my filmmaking journey thus far and for funding my short ‘Incompatible’, directed by Maxine Peake, produced by Shakyra Dowling and Jessica Levick.
One Like Him
Directed by Caitin McCleod, One Like Him was selected for the BAFTA qualifying Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and Leeds International Film Festival.
Salt Water Town
Wrapped up its festival run by premiering on Omeleto where it reached over 20,000 views for Dan Thorburn’s short and the feature version went into development with BFI NETWORK and has been picked up by production company Bridgeway Films.
Snapshot
Premiered at Wigan & Leigh Film Festival winning UK & International Best Short Film for director John Clark and has gone on to play at Bolton Film Festival.
The Barber
Dhivya Kate Chetty’s The Barber Premiered at Edinburgh Film Festival before going on to screen at Leeds and Aesthetica in the autumn. Read this interview we did with Dhivya Kate Chetty and the film's producer Alysia Maciejowska to learn more about The Barber and how it was made.
The Wilds
Werewolf comedy horror directed by Greig Johnson screened at over 15 festivals including BAFTA/BIFA Q’ing Uppsala, LA Shorts and Norwich. The Wilds feature has now gone into funded development.
Early Development Fund
The BFI NETWORK Early Development fund is open to writers and supports the key early stages of feature film development such as writing an initial treatment, researching ideas and creating related materials. Below is an update from a filmmaker we have supported through this fund.
BEEF
The writer/director behind Doggerland, Jack Benjamin Gill, has said this about his next project, BEEF:
Working with Film4 has been a legit dream. But the Early Development Fund was huge in making that collaboration happen. The process gave me the chance to get all my ideas on the page, bounce them off our exec and commit to a first draft. It lent the project legitimacy, and gave me the confidence and freedom to go a bit mad on the page. Like mad. Wrote 105 pages of carnage, which Film4 picked up in the summer. Felt pretty life-changing, and we wouldn't be where we are now without Film Hub North.
To meet Film Hub North’s Talent Team and find out about the support, funding, development, and networking opportunities available through the hub come to one of our FIlmmaker Roundtable events. We can’t wait to get to know you and your projects better.
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Header image credit: BFI NETWORK funded short film Bald, directed by Luke Bather
