Who it's for
Helping young people to tell the stories that matter most to them
The fund is for young people aged between 17 and 25 who have an interest in socially positive filmmaking. The fund is accessible to anyone in the UK.
The purpose of this film fund is to help emerging young filmmakers. The idea is to give young people a voice, an opportunity to shout about and celebrate the things that matter to them most and to engage them in filmmaking. With our goal as a social enterprise focusing on young people considering video production or media careers, we feel that this could be an opportunity to take the leap and start that journey. For those who are already producing work, it could be an opportunity to work on a passion project and learn valuable skills without footing the bill.
Theme
Each year we will set a different theme related to a social topic to help steer the direction of the films. This year we are looking for films based around the idea of ‘Environment’. Now the world is a little more open and we’re thinking about the world around us, we want to give young filmmakers the opportunity to make a film about anything related to the word environment. This could be environmental issues you care about, outdoor community groups you may be a part of, an outdoor sport that has changed your life or the impact you/we are having on the world. The world is your oyster!
What we’re looking for
- A treatment for a film of under 10 minutes in length, using the provided template which you can download here
- Any medium – this could be live action, animation or stop-motion
- Any format – this can be either fiction or non-fiction
- Availability to produce your film between May 5th to July 7th 2023
What goes into the treatment?
- An overview of your film idea, why you think this story should be told and how you will make it.
- A breakdown of your budget to show if the idea is feasible. Consider the cost of locations, cast, props, music and/or equipment.
How it works
“There can only be two!”. The winners will be chosen based on their idea, creativity and ability to appropriately budget for the project. As well as the Neck of the Woods Films teams, we will have a panel of independent judges who will vote on their favourite ideas.
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Investment
A filmmaking budget of £1000 per winner to create and produce your film with, covering the costs you’ve laid out in your treatment.
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Mentorship
3 mentoring sessions with Neck of the Woods Films. This would include a session for; introduction and ideas, development and logistics of the film and a review session of the first draft.
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Filmmaking literature
Helpful filmmaking literature. This will vary depending on the winner’s interests and age.
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Award and certificate
The winners will be presented with an award and certificate to recognise their hard work and achievement.
Key dates
March 10th – Entries open
March 24th – Deadline for entries
April 14th – Shortlisted applicants selected
May 5th – Winner notified and prizes awarded
May 5th to July 7th – Mentoring sessions and film produced
TBC – Film screening of the winners films
Please note that depending on the number of entries we receive these dates may be subject to change. If this is the case all entrants will be notified in advance.
In the event that we don’t receive enough entries to have a fair judging process then the competition may be postponed and any existing entries will be rolled over.
How to apply
All entries must be sent to entries@notwfilms.com with the e-mail subject:
Young Filmmakers Fund 2023.
Please include the following in your e-mail:
Your name
Your age
Address
E-mail address
Phone number
Your treatment
Please note that any personal information collected in relation to this film fund will only be used for the purpose of validating your entry and getting in touch with the successful applicants. This information will only be accessible to the Neck of the Woods Films team. Judges will only be able to access the names and ages of applicants. All information will be securely stored in compliance with GDPR and after the prize is awarded this information will be destroyed.
For more information please read our privacy policy
Previous winners - 2022
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Lauren Parker with Hold Her Hand
Lauren submitted an idea for a film called ‘Hold Her Hand’. The film is about the way that women who have suffered domestic abuse help and lift each other up.
Lauren’s personal connection through her mum’s work, her passion for this story (and socially positive storytelling generally) and her determination to tell a story of positivity really won us over. Combined with an incredibly detailed treatment it was a complete package.
In summer 2022 Hold Her Hand won the award for ‘Best Women Empowerment’ film at the Roma Short Film Festival.
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Anas Sfagsi and Joshua Fields with SO14
Anas and Joshua submitted a concept for a film called ‘SO14’. It’s a film about the rich cultures and communities that make up the city of Southampton and the idea that despite a seeming lack of connection, there is something that binds them together.
We were all blown away by how much detail they put into their pitch, the well thought out nature of their story and the proof of concept they included as part of it. We just felt that they instantly understood the theme of community and put that at the core of their film in a creative and interesting way.