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October 2019

Creative Growth Finance Loans for Creative Businesses

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From direct investment and loans to business mentoring; Creative England champion the best ideas of talented people and their businesses. Here is a message from them about their Creative Growth loans, on offer to creative businesses:

 

Creative England understands the needs of SMEs, particularly those in the creative sector. We know how difficult it is to access finance from traditional sources and that in order to take your business to the next stage, you need a cash injection to make your growth plans a reality.

Creative Growth Finance Debt Fund

The Creative Growth Finance Debt Fund, in partnership with Triodos Bank UK is a £24million fund to provide vital scale up finance to the UK’s most promising creative businesses. The fund will target post revenue, IP rich SMEs, that have reached a point of scale that requires supporting finance. Finance will be directed to post-revenue creative businesses presenting promising growth potential who harness creativity in technologies, are talent led and bring change, disruption and new IP to the creative industries.

The Offer

– Loans of between £100,000 – £500,000*
– Repayment terms of between 1 – 4 years
– Flexible repayment schedules; repayments monthly, quarterly or annually
– A fixed interest rate of between 7.5% – 15% depending on the risk profile
– A 5% management fee charged on payment of the loan

Eligibility

To be considered for a Creative Growth Finance Loan your company must:
– be registered in the United Kingdom
– have been trading for at least two years
– have identifiable revenues and customers
– operate within the creative industries
– have minimum annual revenues of £300,000
– have at least two years of accounts filed at Companies House

To Apply

For further information and to apply, please visit our website at https://www.creativeengland.co.uk/creativegrowthfinance/

To learn more about the fund and criteria for applying please read our FAQs.

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Queens of Amathus Documentary Premieres in Birmingham November 3rd

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Queens of Amathus, a powerful Birmingham documentary, is set to tell incredible journeys made by Cypriots to Birmingham. It will premiere on  Sunday 3rd November at Cineworld, Broad Street, Birmingham.

Women highlighted in the film headed to Birmingham for various reasons, united by their stories of personal sacrifice, poverty and war. BirminghamLive journalist Christina Savvas helps to tell their stories for the first time.

The film follows each person’s journey through time, right from the early lace trade pre-World War II through to the struggle of British rule and the Turkish invasion in 1974, where thousands of Cypriot people tragically lost their homes and in some cases were separated from their families due the atrocities that occurred.

Each woman featured in the documentary shares a very emotional and personal account of her experiences, with their lives in Birmingham a world apart from the quaint villages and towns of the small Mediterranean island. Poverty and the lack of opportunities forced many to leave their homeland and then conflict and war brought many more to the city, including one youngster who was separated from her mother and family in Famagusta during the invasion at the age of three, leaving her traumatised from the events that occurred.

The documentary is the brain child of Panikos Panayiotou, sports development manager at Birmingham City Council.

Panikos said: “Whilst undertaking my previous publications I felt that the female struggle was a story that needed to be told independently. The women of Cyprus that have migrated to Birmingham have a unique story with universal messages to women and the younger generation across the world, who live the privileged lives they live today because of the trials and tribulations of our Queens and the sacrifices of migrant women across the globe. A truly humbling experience the Queens of Amathus journey has truly touched my heart, as I hope it touches the heart of its viewers. I salute these queens of Birmingham that have made this city their own and shared their stories with us.”

Like all migrants in Birmingham from all over the world, the Cypriot community has played a major role in the city’s’ development, most influentially through the fish and chip shop trade, which is also briefly touched on in the documentary.

The documentary will premiere on  Sunday 3 November at Cineworld, Broad Street, Birmingham. It’s part of a wider concept of This Is My City  which is the start of a bigger programme to celebrate, document and showcase Commonwealth migration to Birmingham.

Queens of Amathus has also been shortlisted from thousands of entries to the Birmingham Film Festival hosted this year at the Millennium Point, Birmingham taking place between November 1 and November 10.

To Book

Tickets are available. Contact the production directly through Facebook or email Lgkest2014@gmail.com to reserve your place.

Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk
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Former Birmingham Student Leaps to Hollywood Silver Screen

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Former Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College student turned Hollywood filmmaker, Tayyib Mahmood returned to his roots this week, visiting his former stomping ground to promote the British Film Institute Academy.The programme, run in partnership with the Midland Arts Centre, gives young people the opportunity to make a short film under guidance from industry practitioners.

Last week saw ex-student Tayyib Mahmood return to Joseph Chamberlain College to showcase the thriving British film industry. A British Film Institute Academy alumni and now mentor, Tayyib now works at Pinewood studios. As a Studio Unit Trainee on the front line of production, his repertoire spans films including Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One – famously filmed in Birmingham – as well as brand new James Bond film, No Time To Die.

Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College is the only OFSTED Grade 1 college in Birmingham and Solihul. It’s already received high praise for its arts, performance and media department and Tayyib Mahmood’s story is testament to the college’s reputation of excellence. Tayyib’s passion for film was discovered whilst he attended the college. He then honed his skills at Birmingham City University.

Tayyib Mahmood on the College

Talking about his time at the college, Tayyib said: “Joseph Chamberlain College helped me discover my passion and love for film which I knew I had but didn’t know how to access. The facilities were amazing as well as the teachers for both Media and Film. They helped me achieve filmmaking at the highest level during my time at the college”.

Joseph Chamberlain College has been rolling out the red carpet for its alumni with former students achieving huge success across the Arts and Film industry.

Other famous faces amongst the JCC alumni include: British social commentary artist, Mahtab Hussain. He uses photography to explore the important relationship between identity, heritage and displacement. Successful actor, Adrian Lester OBE, is also a former student of the college. He’s now gone on to star in many box-office films, plays and TV series.

 

Source: www.iambirmingham.co.uk

 

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Tiger Aspect, Film Birmingham and BBC Comedy Offer Man Like Mobeen Training Scheme

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Production has started on the third series of award-winning BBC Three comedy, Man Like Mobeen.

About Man Like Mobeen

Man Like Mobeen is produced by Tiger Aspect, part of Endemol Shine UK, for BBC Three. The third series is due to air early next year. The series has scooped numerous awards and widespread critical acclaim. 63% of its audience is aged under 35 – well above the average for BBC Three.

Written and created by Guz Khan and Andy Milligan, Man Like Mobeen follows Mobeen (Guz Khan), friends Eight (Tez Ilyas) and Nate (Tolu Ogunmefun), and little sister Aks (Duaa Karim), from Small Heath, Birmingham. Offering a rarely seen insight into working-class life as an ethnic minority, the series addresses issues such as religion and class whilst showcasing Khan’s unique voice.

After the cliffhanger at the end of series two, the show will return to Small Heath. Here, Mobeen has been sucked back into the dark underworld of his criminal past. Has he gone beyond the point of no return? And what will the consequences be?

Training Scheme

Ahead of filming commencing, Guz Khan launched a training scheme in partnership with Film Birmingham, BBC Comedy and Tiger Aspect, offering eight entry-level positions for individuals from all backgrounds in and around Birmingham to get first-hand experience of the TV industry by working behind the scenes on the show’s production. The eight candidates will work in departments such as directing, producing, costume, make-up and camera work. They are also being paid £550 a week. Four of the placements are funded by BBC Comedy, with two places funded by Film Birmingham and two funded by Tiger Aspect.

Guz Khan says: “Accessing the entertainment industry is one of the trickiest things I have ever seen. And it’s for this reason it was imperative for us to allow working-class people the opportunity to do so. I want to see more of our people in front of and behind the camera. The best way to do this is to facilitate these opportunities when we can. I am genuinely excited to see regular folks grow into something special.”

Shane Allen, Controller of Comedy Commissioning at the BBC says of the scheme: “This initiative is a pro-active way to honour Guz’s commitment to including and representing the community he comes from. Tiger Aspect and the BBC are committed to tackling the socio-economic challenges that underpin TV’s need to open the doors to people of all sorts of backgrounds and enrich the off-screen talent pool.”

Film Birmingham Comments

Sindy Campbell, Head of Film Birmingham says: “Authentic representation on – and off – screen is extremely important to us and we’re proud to support Man Like Mobeen which showcases and inspires communities like Small Heath. Birmingham has one of the UK’s most diverse populations; we want to ensure our creative workforce reflects this. We are pleased to champion this initiative which provides the opportunity for those of all backgrounds to break into Birmingham’s screen industries.”

Damian Kavanagh is Managing Director for Tiger Aspect. He says: “Man Like Mobeen skilfully blends laugh out loud comedy with the important issues affecting Small Heath. The show has always had something to say. So I’m delighted it can now leave a huge legacy through this trainee scheme by providing the opportunity for a brand new generation of talent to get their first step on the ladder in TV production.”

Man Like Mobeen is a Tiger Aspect production written and created by Guz Khan and Andy Milligan. The producer is Gill Isles, the director is Ollie Parsons, and the executive producer is David Simpson. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Kate Daughton.

 

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

 

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ShortFuse logo

Submit Your Short Film to ShortFuse – Deadline October 31st

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 Submissions are now open for Film Birmingham’s next ShortFuse event on Tuesday 26th November 2019! West Midlands filmmakers have the chance to screen their short films at the Mockingbird Cinema and Kitchen to an audience of their peers and film enthusiasts.

ShortFuse is a bi-monthly event, aiming to engage with regional audiences and provide a platform for the work of emerging filmmakers. We are also proud to have premiered a number of regional films at our film night, and opened the floor to a number of award-winning filmmakers. We are accepting films of any genre from emerging or established filmmakers for this regional event.

Past ShortFuse Events

Past events at the Mockingbird Cinema showcased regional films, including the BAFTA-winning short 73 Cows, directed by Alex Lockwood and ‘Sylvia’, winner of the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker award at Cannes. Audience members are invited to participate in a Q&A with filmmakers following the screening and to network at a post-event mingle.

Filmmaker Adam Palmer, whose short film Answer was featured on ShortFuse’s opening night, said: “It’s great that ShortFuse offers a platform to showcase the work of filmmakers who sometimes get overlooked in the Midlands; it’s often London and elsewhere. There are some really great films screened as well. “If you have a short film, submit it. You get to watch it with an audience so you can gauge how your film is. A lot of the time you sit there one-on-one with your film. You don’t know how it’s going to be received so it’s good to be part of a community of filmmakers and film lovers.”

Attendee Lee Davis said: “When I saw the regional films, it made me feel like filmmaking is something I could do. I thought the range of the films was very varied, and it was good to hear from BAFTA-winners.”

To Submit

Deadline for ShortFuse submissions is midnight, October 31st, 2019.

Please email shortfuse@filmbirmingham.co.uk with the following info:

All films must be under 30 minutes. If selected, you will then be asked to provide a hi-res version of your film.

Please email shortfuse@filmbirmingham.co.uk for any further information.

 

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West Midlands’ Esteemed Creatives Unite to Turbo Charge Screen Industry

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Some of the UK’s most creative individuals including Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight this month launched a powerful new body to turbo charge the region’s screen industry.

Knight, together with Nativity film franchise founder Debbie Isitt and other leading minds from the region’s TV, film and games industries joined Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street to officially launch Create Central – Home of Original Story Telling.

Create Central has been developed with national bodies including the BFI, ScreenSkills, UKie, Creative England, the Creative Industries Federation and PACT to build on the region’s existing creative and cultural talent and take it to the next level, helping to drive investment, growth and thousands of new jobs.

Unveiling the name, branding and website (www.createcentraluk.com) during an event at The Bond Company in Digbeth, Mr Street said:

“There has never been a better time to invest and support our creative sector in the West Midlands. This is a boom time for production in the industry with the likes of Amazon, Apple, Disney, and Netflix all investing hundreds of millions of pounds in original UK content. As the home of original story telling, our region has the tradition and talent to capitalise on this in a big way. The tales of Shakespeare and Tolkien still generate enormous value and interest to this day, and our modern-day storytellers are continuing this success with hits like Peaky Blinders, the Nativity franchise, and Citizen Khan. Create Central will harness the talent of the brightest and best people within the industry so we can turbo charge our creative sector and lead the way once again.”

The Mayor said the WMCA, which he chairs, would work with Create Central to deliver an innovative scheme to train more people for jobs in the film, TV and games sectors.

The WMCA will make up to £500,000 available to launch a series of pilot Create Central Bootcamps in collaboration with ScreenSkills, Ukie and local colleges and providers by the end of the year.

The Mayor added: “We know we cannot grow our screen sector without the right talent and skills in place here in the West Midlands, which is why the WMCA in partnership with Create Central will be piloting new ways to help the industry source great local talent.”

He said the WMCA was looking to see 29,000 new, high skilled jobs in the digital and creative industries by 2030.

Create Central, which also includes Citizen Khan creator Adil Ray and will be chaired by international industry heavyweight Ed Shedd, will dovetail with the region’s wider cultural and tourism sector including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the forthcoming Coventry City of Culture in 2021.

Steven Knight said: “The West Midlands will be the big new everything in European film and television production. It will be bigger and better and the people who make the region what it is will be nurtured and inspired to make great moving image content. Watch this creative space.”

Create Central also aims to capitalise on the region’s status as the UK’s only city-wide 5G testbed – a technology it believes will be invaluable to digital and creative innovators including Leamington Spa’s internationally recognised games companies.

The area around the town has been dubbed Silicon Spa due to the concentration of games companies producing console blockbusters like, F1,Forza Horizon and Tom Clancy’s The Division.

The launch of the new body follows the 18-month long West Midlands Screen Bureau Project which was funded by the BFI through National Lottery funding from the Creative Clusters Growth Fund.

The project ended with the publication this week of the Clusters Development Plan which sets out a number of recommendations including the setting up of:

  • A screen industry body such as Create Central
  • A strategic approach to new infrastructure such as studios, hubs and flexible spaces
  • Screen skills training and development
  • Networks to help the industry work together on joint projects and other initiatives

Ed Shedd, chair of Create Central, added: “I am so excited about Create Central and the impact we will have on the West Midlands creative sector. We are perfectly positioned to respond to and benefit from the fundamental transformation the screen industries are undergoing, driven by the advent of near ubiquitous, high speed connectivity. I look forward to working with the industry, the WMCA and partners to help attract and stimulate our next generation of storytelling, be they telling that story on TV, film, social media, or games formats. And I also look forward to that next generation of storytellers enrapturing audiences, both locally and globally.”

 

Source: www.birminghamupdates.com

 

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New Perspectives Documentary Film Funding – Oct 31st Deadline

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Doc Society’s New Perspectives seed fund is an international film fund supporting the development of documentary features. It focuses on issues of social justice, driven by filmmakers who exhibit a unique perspective granted by their connection to the community or issue at hand.

Doc Society recognizes we are at a time where perspective is key to capture the truth of a story. It aims to support documentary film that ignites passion and creates real impact in audiences. They also recognize it’s incredibly difficult to get started. Doc Society is excited to launch the New Perspectives Seed Fund. This will support the development of non-fiction projects by filmmakers around the world.

They are particularly looking for filmmakers who offer a rare insight of the often underrepresented and overlooked. We’re looking for those stories that break barriers and explore nuance over polarity.

By global they mean global – from London to Dallas, Charleston to Taipei, Missoula to Nairobi. They want to hear from you and support your story no matter where you are from.

Funding and Mentorship

The fund will be providing more consistent, deeper support for filmmakers. From developing their creative approach, to casting characters, to advising on additional funding opportunities – they will be mentoring filmmakers on both the development and the progress of their project. In addition to supporting established filmmakers they will be empowering the next generation of non-fiction storytellers to be brave and curious in pursuing the stories they seek to tell.

This fund supports diversity across gender, sexuality, race, regions, mixed-abilities and class. Talent from non-filmmaking communities are encouraged to apply. This is an open call for filmmakers across the globe – whether you’re in a major city or a small town. Documentary pioneers simply need to be eager to share their perspective of the world around them.

This is strictly a development fund. Grants are non recoupable from $5,000 to $20,000 with all rights retained by the filmmaker.

Who Can Apply

Directors from anywhere around the world, of any level of experience can apply. They should be working on films around issues of social justice and equity, be in the early shooting phase, or editing selects. Doc Society’s New Perspectives seed fund does not fund Art Films, Biographies, Films in mid-production, Profiles, News, Current Affairs, Fiction.

To Apply

The deadline to apply is Oct 30. Grantees will be notified by the beginning of 2020.

All Grants are offered with a mentorship component from Doc Society’s Film and Impact teams.

For more information, click here.

Apply here.

 

Source: www.docsociety.org

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New Shoots Film Funding – Deadline October 31st

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New Shoots is Shooting People’s film competition which aims to support filmmakers wanting to take the next step in their career. Win £1,000 in film funding, industry mentorship, filmmaking equipment, prizes and a public screening of your short in London. Shooting People members can submit to any round. Entry is free. Not a member? Join the community now at 50% off (offer ends 31 October).

There will be four rounds to the competition in 2019 with entries open in January, April, July and October. Each round winner gets mentorship and prizes. An overall winner will be announced at our awards ceremony in December and will receive an additional £1,000 of funding to go towards their next film production.

Apply to New Shoots:

  • Submission periods for each round open through January 1st – 31st; April 1st – 30th; July 1st – 31st; October 1st – 31st
  • One month after submissions close, three shortlisted films will be announced
  • Then, these three films will be sent to a filmmaking patron who will select the winning film
  • Each round winner will be screened at a New Shoots live event
  • The overall winner will be announced at our awards ceremony at the end of the year

Submissions Open: Oct 1st – 31st

For more information and to apply, click here.

New Shoots Prizes:

Awards include industry mentorship from:

  • BFI NETWORK
  • Channel 4/Random Acts
  • Oscar Winning Producer Simon Chinn
  • Andee Ryder/Misfits Entertainment

Additional prizes are also available:

  • Zoom H4N Audio Recorder
  • Sennheiser XS Wireless Digital System, Lavalier Set (including ME2 clip-on lavalier mic + portable wireless system)
  • Sennheiser Shotgun Microphone MKE600
  • Final Draft 11 Screenwriting Software
  • A years subscription to MUBI
  • A years additional membership to SP
  • A screening of your film at Shooting People’s New Shoots event, RichMix London.

2018 Winner

Chloe White (An All Encompassing Light): “I was absolutely thrilled to be Shooting People’s winner. It’s been fantastic having my film screened in front a large audience (and making some great contacts through that), and then having some wonderful mentoring from top documentary producer Simon Chinn and production company Wildgaze. As a result of the mentoring, it’s helped me to rethink my feature and restructure my trailer. The kit was fantastic to receive and the cash is a HUGE bonus. As an independent filmmaker it’s so wonderful to have this kind of support and exposure. I’ve been a member of Shooting People since I began my career and through it, I’ve made really good friends, have taken advantage of the great discounts and heard about so many events and funding opportunities that have led to great things. Thank you!”

Source: www.shootingpeople.org

 

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Open Doors Leicester: Careers in Screen – October 17th

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Want to get the low down about working behind-the-camera in the screen industry? Open Doors aims to give you insight into what jobs are out there and help you build connections with industry professionals.

What’s It About?

This event is for people eager to get their foot in the door and interested to hear about different careers open to them in Film, TV, Animation, VFX and Games. You’ll get the opportunity to:

  • Connect with industry professionals
  • Hear their advice and insights about getting started in the industry
  • Network with like-minded people

Join us at the Grand Hall in St Martins House where you’ll meet industry professionals working in the Screen Industry in round tables of 10, followed by an open networking session. They will also be pizza on the night. To have a look at previous Open Doors event search #OpenDoorsCareers on Twitter.

Who Will Be There?

Industry professionals joining us on the night are:

More speakers to be announced in the coming weeks.

Chat to the ScreenSkills team about Trainee Finder, a scheme that places new talent on paid traineeships with UK films and TV shows like Wonder Woman, Game of Thrones and Peaky Blinders, and get inside advice before applications open in November. Find out about regional boot camps & CV clinics and how they can help launch careers in screen.

Event Details

This ScreenSkills event will take place October 17th at the Grand Hall in St Martins House. Leicester, between 6pm and 8pm. Admission is free. Age: 18+. Click here for more information and to register. If you have any questions email Vicky on Vicky.Jepson@screenskills.com.

 

Source: www.screenskills.com

 

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Apply for ScreenSkills Bootcamp – Deadline October 19th

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Have you ever dreamt of working on films like Star Wars – Episode IX, Wonder Woman: 1984, Downton Abbey, Horrible Histories: The Movie or How to Build a Girl? Have you recently finished school or university? Or do you work in an industry with transferable skills, such as events, logistics, office management, construction or hair and make-up? Then this ScreenSkills Bootcamp might be for you!

About the ScreenSkills Bootcamp

This free to attend boot camp training course by ScreenSkills takes place over one day and is for anyone looking to break into the world of Feature Films. The Film Bootcamp: Get Started in Film introduces you to how the film industry, and how film sets run. You will meet experts who’ve worked on films, and receive freelancing and CV advice. You’ll also work with two trainers, both highly experienced in these areas.

Training will take place on Monday November 18th 2019 in Central Leicester.

Who They Want

We are particularly interested in participants who want to work in Hair/Make-up, Art Department, Costume, Floor/AD, Locations, Production Office, Cameras, Sound, Lighting and Editing. We are working to develop an inclusive workforce in film and television. So we strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups, particularly those from BAME backgrounds or those who consider themselves disabled. A passion for making a career in feature films is the main criteria we are looking for in all applicants.

To Apply

Places are limited. We encourage early applications and we will consider these before the deadline.

The application deadline is 19th October 2019. Applicants will then be notified on or before 1st November 2019.

ScreenSkills supports this training course using National Lottery funds awarded by the British Film Institute (BFI) as part of the Future Film Skills programme.

Apply here!

 

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