Bridging the Gap with seven 16k awards
Bridging the Gap, is another documentary talent initative which, like Five Films,
offers training alongside production. Now in its fourth year it is
commissioning seven documentaries with an £8k cash, £8k in-kind budget.
Although the scheme and associated training is based in Edinburgh and
Angus in Scotland and is managed by the Scottish Documentary Institute,
it is open to filmmakers anywhere in the UK.
Noe Mendelle, director of Scottish Documentary Institute said: “We are
delighted to be able to continue offering even more filmmakers a safe
and experimental space to explore the traditional boundaries of
documentary. Recent Bridging the Gap films are screening widely on the
international film festival circuit and we hope to build on this
reputation. We have picked the theme of White to encourage a most
diverse range of applications from people with very different
backgrounds.”
ECA Vice Principal Brent MacGregor said: “We are very proud to be able
to continue to support this initiative. Together with Screen Academy
Scotland our partnership with Napier University, Bridging the Gap is a
hugely significant development offering unique training and production
possibilities to filmmakers in Scotland.”
“We’re hoping to build a documentary community within a creative
environment, where more experienced filmmakers will help newer talent
bridge the gap between training / graduation and their first
professional commission,” Noe Mendelle continued.
While twelve filmmakers will be selected and put through a training
process, the initiative will also present a series of documentary
master classes in Edinburgh for the benefit to the wider filmmaking
community. Seven filmmakers will receive a 16K budget to go on to make
their ten minute documentaries, alongside further hands on training in
directing and post-production. The films are geared for distribution in
cinemas and festivals.
Support from Skillset has been received as part of A Bigger Future,
the five year UK film skills strategy which covers the skills needs of
everyone working in the industry from development through to
exhibition. The five year strategy, a joint initiative between Skillset
and the UK Film Council, is funded by national lottery money and
industry investment.
Call for proposals
This call for proposals is under the theme of WHITE and open to all UK-based filmmakers.
Whether personal, political, religious, historical or contemporary – we
want inspiring, challenging stories reflecting UK diversity, told in an
imaginative way for the big screen. It is no co-incidence that 2007
marks the bicentury of Britain's abolition of the slave trade…
Send us your idea and become part of the freshest new documentary talent showcase.
12 proposals will be selected for a development period and the
filmmakers will attend a series of training workshops and documentary
masterclasses based in Edinburgh.
7 ten-minute digital documentaries on the theme of WHITE will be
commissioned at a pitching session with a budget of 16K (includes
in-kind production support) intended for distribution in cinemas and
international festivals.
Application deadline Mon 9 October 2006
Download application form & guidelines:
btg2006applicationform (word doc)
btg2006applicationform (pdf)
Download equal opportunities form:
CONFIDENTIAL EQUAL OPS form_btg4 (word doc)
CONFIDENTIAL EQUAL OPS form_btg4 (pdf)
Download BTG4 Flyer
btg4_flyer_email (pdf 500KB)
More information and application forms & guidelines from:
Angus Digital Media Centre
Media House, Brechin
Angus DD9 6RJ
Tel: 01356 628910