Scottish Documentary Institute’s new call for proposals on the theme of HOME open to all UK-based filmmakers
Bridging the Gap is the only documentary new talent initiative in the
UK which offers an intense creative training programme alongside
production. After picking up three awards and special mentions at the
61st Edinburgh International Film Festival this year for projects
produced under the scheme last year, including best short Scottish
Documentary - this year seven short documentaries with a budget of £16K
each (8K in cash, 8K in-kind) will be commissioned at an industry
pitching session in December. The call for entries is now open, with a
deadline for application of 8 October 2007.
In its fifth year, Bridging the Gap has again attracted substantial
investments by Scottish Screen’s National Lottery investment and
Skillset, the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries,
with generous in-kind support from Edinburgh College of Art (eca), home
of Scottish Documentary Institute, and Angus Digital Media Centre,
which has made it possible to continue the initiative aimed at the
wider UK production community.
Noe Mendelle, director of Scottish Documentary Institute said: “We
pride ourselves in offering filmmakers a safe and experimental space to
explore the traditional boundaries of documentary and we’ve been ever
so delighted with the results this year. Our film festival awards and
screenings to date are testimony to the quality of the films produced
under Bridging the Gap and we are very happy that Scottish Screen and
Skillset continue to support this talent initiative. We have picked the
theme of HOME 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.”
“The scheme is aimed at bridging the gap between training / graduation
and first professional commission for newer directing talent. For the
first time aspiring producers without projects may also apply and
participate in some of the workshops as well as shadow some of the
commissioned projects,” Noe Mendelle continued.
While twelve directors will be selected and put through a training
process, the initiative will also present a series of public
documentary master classes in Edinburgh which will be streamed online
for the first time this year 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.