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Writers’ festival launched in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome

A new festival for stage and screen writers is being launched by Transition Stage Company in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome.

Taking place at Birmingham Hippodrome from January 25 to 27, 2024, StoryTown Festival will include competitions, networking events, and panel discussions.

BBC Writers Room is supporting the festival and will host a free event as part of it.

Further details of the programme are yet to be announced, but it will include other free events and covers multiple genres of writing, including musical theatre.

Transition Theatre Company’s annual script writing competition Enter.Stage.Write will also take place as part of the festival on January 25 and 26, alongside its Amplified competition, which focuses on black, asian and minority comedy writers.

Both competitions will see five shortlisted scripts staged as performances in front of an audience and a panel of judges, followed by an awards ceremony. The winner of each competition will receive a £1,000 prize and a year of writing support.

This year’s judging panel will include creative director at Birmingham Hippodrome Chris Sudworth; director Darcia Martin; producer Lisa Walters; and development executive at Expand Media (Sky Studios) Scott Pope.

Natalie Edward-Yesufu, chief executive of Transition Stage Company and Enter.Stage.Write, said: “It’s vital that writers and storytellers embrace entrepreneurship, knowledge, and collaboration in the face of artificial intelligence and job uncertainty amidst the cost of living crisis.”

“Enter.Stage.Write is our celebration of writers, while StoryTown festival facilitates connections and learning among writers, producers, and storytellers. I’m thrilled to gather individuals from across the UK in Birmingham for this exciting experiment in unity.”

Sudworth added: “We’re delighted to partner with Enter.Stage.Write to showcase exceptional new works in the West Midlands.”

“The programme chimes perfectly with the artist development and producing journey we have begun at the Hippodrome, supporting the creation of work that represents and reflects our great city.”

Edward-Yesufu plans for the festival to continue annually.

Source: The Stage, article by Giverny Masso

Film and TV Charity rolls out unprecedented extra £0.5million to help UK film, TV, and cinema workers in urgent financial need as industry faces critical economic conditions that could devastate the livelihood of professionals, with long term consequences for the industry as a whole.

The Film and TV Charity has confirmed it is adding an additional £500,000 to its existing budget in response to the increase it has seen in applications for support with urgent financial need. Following a briefing call with representatives from its corporate partners, BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Prime Video, ITV, Hartswood Films, and Banijay have also pledged further donations to bolster the Charity’s budget, adding to donations from other organisations and individuals that have been made during the Charity’s summer campaign. Other partners are expected to add to the overall pot as the challenging period looks set to continue.

The Charity, which supports the mental health and the financial and social wellbeing of people working in behind-the-scenes roles in film, television, and cinema, made the announcement ahead of its incoming CEO, Marcus Ryder MBE, speaking to delegates at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

The move follows an 800% rise in applications for stop-gap grants in July 2023 compared to the same month in 2022 and is also in response to emerging evidence that workers across the industry are exposed to financial insecurity that can negatively impact their mental health, with a wide range of current and more systemic contributing factors causing a perfect storm for many.

The Charity’s recent survey looking at the financial resilience of industry workers shows that 46% of respondents had zero or less than £1,000 in savings and half aren’t contributing to a pension. People from marginalised groups were more likely to be affected, with carers, Black and Global Majority, and Disabled workers often finding it even harder to navigate current financial pressures with higher levels of debt and lower household incomes. Insights from the survey will be presented and examined during the Charity’s Edinburgh session, entitled Production under pressure: Supporting life on the frontline, featuring Ryder; financial wellbeing and inclusion consultant and Film and TV Charity Trustee, Kirsty Good; and Dean Webster, Head of Development at Ten66.

The Film and TV Charity encourages anyone who is dealing with financial worries, debt or who is experiencing mental health concerns to contact its free, 24/7 Film and TV Support Line by calling 0800 054 0000 or by visiting www.filmtvcharity.org.uk. There they can access tools and advice to support their financial wellbeing, as well as check their eligibility and apply for urgent financial support.

Source: Film and TV Charity

Kudos Knight options Fringe play for Birmingham slate

Source: Broadcast – Article by John Elmes

UK’s leading film location services group with West Midlands depot, grows by 18%

James Williams, CEO of Supply 2 Location Group, the UK’s leading supplier of location services and logistics to the film and HETV industry, with a regional depot in the West Midlands issued the following trading statement earlier this week:

“Following the conclusion of our management buy-out in June 2022, we are delighted to announce that our turnover for the year ending 31st May 2023 was £10.2m which is an 18.4% increase on last year and maintains our profile of sustained growth over the last four years. This increase is reflective of the success and continued growth of the UK’s film and HETV industry.

Over the past year, we have also made several strategic investments in our overall plan to complete our UK-wide network.

In December, we opened our Northern depot in Knowsley, quickly followed by our second Scottish depot at Pioneer Studios and our seventh depot serving the Midlands. These new depots will continue to contribute to our growth by providing a highly effective, seamless, integrated hub and spoke network across the UK.

As part of our strategy to reinvest in the latest equipment including environmentally friendly plant, Stage V generators and battery solutions, we have maintained our capital expenditure in line with the previous year at £1.5m.

We are currently in negotiations to establish our first international depot. Whilst at the feasibility stage, it is an exceptional opportunity and would represent a significant step forward in our business development plan.

The industry as a whole, including supply chain infrastructure and technical operations, continues to be affected by the ongoing screenwriters’ and actors’ strikes in America. This will have a far-reaching financial impact around the globe, and we can only hope that it is quickly resolved. Our Group’s exposure to this is mitigated by our broad UK customer base and our diversification into infrastructure support and maintenance including generator refurbishment for major UK blue-chip organisations, which continues to expand weekly.

Supply 2 Location Group continues to lead the way in offering innovative, cost-effective, and flexible solutions tailored to our clients’ budgets, time and location constraints. This depth of experience and determination to be the industry market leader in providing a quality service to the world’s leading TV and film production companies has seen us support this year Walt Disney ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, Warner Bros ‘The Batman’, Paramount ‘Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning’, Amazon ‘The Rig’, Apple TV ‘Silo13’, Netflix ‘Bridgerton’ and ‘The Witcher‘ and Sony TV ‘Outlander‘.

Our goal is to continue to develop the S2L brand and growth of our Group, increasing employment opportunities, improving our levels of service and evolving our range of sustainable equipment.”

MIDLANDS: 5-6 Franchise Street, Wednesbury, WS10 9RG, Serving Midlands Region

Source: Supply 2 Location

Kudos Knight appoints Rem Conway to grow West Midlands scripted production pipeline

Kudos Knight, the creative partnership between leading scripted producer Kudos and Peaky Blinders, SAS Rogue Heroes and This Town creator Steven Knight, earlier this week announced the appointment of Sex Education Producer Rem Conway as their Development Producer to spearhead their ambitious plans to grow a world renowned scripted production hub in the West Midlands.

This new role will support the Kudos Knight management team in developing a vibrant drama slate to be produced in
Birmingham. Identifying and nurturing emerging local voices and proven writers from the area, Rem will work closely
with the Kudos creative team to bring these projects, which will be made in the West Midlands, to life. Particular
focus will be given to championing under-represented and previously unheard voices, to build the most creatively
diverse and exciting pool of talent possible.

The partnership also announced the opening of their new Kudos Knight office at the Minerva Works in Birmingham,
part of Steven Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios development, where Rem will be based.

A Birmingham native, Rem began his career in theatre production before making the transition to film and TV. A
writer, producer and director, his production credits include Netflix’s Sex Education, BBC’s My Name is Leon, ITV’s
Our House and ITV/Amazon’s Riches.

Passionate about bridging the gap between grassroots creatives and the wider industry, Rem will work closely with
local partners, cultural organisations, including theatres and screen agencies, to identify writing talent and broaden
the range of the Kudos Knight writer talent base.

Martin Haines, Joint MD of Kudos, said; “Rem is a fantastic addition to the team. He shares our drive to supercharge
scripted production in Birmingham and with him on board, a new Digbeth base, a growing pipeline of productions
and upcoming investment in local skills, there is real momentum behind the Kudos Knight partnership and the TV
industry in Birmingham.”

Rem Conway, Kudos Knight Development Producer, said; “Being a Brummie, this feels like a long-time coming and I
am honoured to be a part of the journey. Birmingham is rich with all the ingredients we need to create world-class
content and being rooted in Digbeth is the first big step for us. Now we’re rooted, I am focused on our reach. I want
to collaborate with trailblazing writers, discover the next generation of storytellers and work with partners that
share our determination to succeed. We’re open for business and ready to go!”

The Kudos Knight Partnership is committed to growing the TV and film industry in the West Midlands and set to
make substantial long-term financial investment in skills and training to grow the local workforce.

In the first initiative to be announced, Kudos Knight will work in partnership with the Birmingham Film Academy, a
boutique, specialist film and television training facility based at Digbeth Loc. Studios. Together they will create access
and pathways for local people into the screen industries, providing practical training courses embedded in industry
practice to ensure participants have the necessary skills needed to serve the growing production sector in the
region.

Steven Knight, said; “Our plan is to change the game in the West Midlands as regards creative industries and in
particular TV and film. We will be a globally important content making hub, hosting the world’s best story tellers and
producing world beating international productions. To take on the world we need the best of Birmingham on our
side. Our doors are open, our story has begun.”

Karen Wilson, Joint MD of Kudos, added; “Birmingham and the West Midlands are a thriving hub of incredibly
talented creative people – from writers and directors, to producers and actors. Working with the brilliant Steven
Knight we will tell stories inspired by the West Midlands to audiences across the globe. It’s an incredibly exciting
time and big things are set to come.”

The Kudos Knight partnership was established to support production and creative development in the region. Kudos
(part of Banijay UK), the production company behind Knight’s recent BBC One drama, SAS Rogue Heroes, as well as
high profile series including Then You Run, Deadwater Fell, Grantchester, Code 404 and International Emmy winning
Responsible Child, signed a deal with Peaky Blinders, SAS Rogue Heroes, Taboo and See creator Steven Knight to build
a scripted production pipeline in Birmingham. Kudos have a first look deal with Steven Knight for UK projects, which
will be made in Birmingham with Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios as its hub.

Production has already been completed on the first title from the Kudos Knight slate, This Town which was filmed on
location in Birmingham and Coventry and produced from Digbeth Loc. Studios. The new six-part drama which will air
on BBC One in the UK and explores the beginnings of the two tone music scene which grew from the grass roots of
Coventry and Birmingham in the late 70s and early 80s. Kudos Knight is also currently developing a new drama series
about the life of William Shakespeare, based on a concept by the BAFTA-winning Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire
and has several high profile developments on its slate.

Source: Kudos Knight

Steven Knight teases the release of This Town on BBC Radio 4

Peaky Blinders creator, Steven Knight, joined BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday 2nd August, discussing his major new six-part BBC One project This Town, which was filmed in Birmingham and the West Midlands earlier this year.

This Town is a Brum based 80s family saga, set against the backdrop of the Two-tone scene. To give a flavour of what to expect in This Town, Steven was introduced with a series of 80s songs including Ghost Town by The Specials, On My Radio by The Selecter, and Mirror In The Bathroom by The Beat.

Steven explained how he grew up with this music in the early 80s West Midlands. “The series is not just about the music, it’s about individuals who are in difficult situations for whom the music is a kind of salvation. So it’s a homage to the music, but also a homage to the West Midlands and the people of the West Midlands, who are always endlessly creative.”

Steven reveals that This Town is the first of many productions to come out of his new studios in Birmingham, Digbeth Loc. “My ambition is to really increase the level of TV and film production. So we’re converting some derelict but beautiful Victorian warehouses and a waste disposal department and turning them into what will be state of the art studios. We’ve already attracted Master Chef, who will be coming there to have Digbeth as their base.”

“Really what we want to do is to not plant the industry or land the industry like a spaceship into Birmingham and then put barbed wire around it. We don’t see the point of that. What we want to do is attract and employ local people to train local people to get the skills levels up so that we can actually have people walking and cycling to work when they’re making international and national TV and movies.”

Finally, Steven teases his hopes for the release of This Town to be in the early part of next year. “I’ve watched the first four [episodes] cut together and I would say this, wouldn’t I? But it is quite remarkable.”

To listen to the full interview with Steven Knight, click here and go to 02:23:00.

Source: BBC Radio 4 – Today

Production Finance Market 2023 and New Talent Strand open for applications!

PFM is Film London’s annual feature film market, taking place in October in association with BFI London Film Festival (this year the market runs from 10-11 Oct, at the Thistle Hotel in Marble Arch). Filmmakers can apply with feature projects, and successful applicants take part in an intensive series of one-to-one meetings with financiers (including broadcasters, investors, sales agents, distributors and public funders).

The New Talent strand welcomes applications from filmmaking teams embarking on making their first or second feature. (Note: this year, they’ve removed the €1million budget ceiling.) In addition to giving the selected teams a day of one-to-one meetings with financiers, they offer an intensive Prep Week full of valuable training on pitching, financing and the world of independent film.

For filmmakers interested in applying to the New Talent Strand, Film London are holding some Zoom roundtables in the coming weeks (June 8^th, 22^nd & 29^th) at 4pm. Production & Development Executive Sanj Krishnan will be there to tell filmmakers more about the market and application process and answer any questions. You can register here.

There’s more information on Film London’s website about the PFM and New Talent strand.

And filmmakers can apply for the market here (deadline is Wednesday 6^th July at 5pm)

The PFM and NTS Key Dates:

• 6 July 2023: Application deadline
• September 2023 (exact dates TBC): New Talent Strand PFM Prep Week
• 10 October 2023: Production Finance Market Day 1
• 10 October 2023: New Talent strand Final Prep Day
• 11 October 2023: Production Finance Market Day 2
• 11 October 2023: New Talent strand Market Day

Further Questions? Contact: pfm@filmlondon.org.uk