• Judging panel will consist of senior experts from broadcast, production, editorial and charity
• £100k fund will commission five emerging filmmakers to create 20-minute documentaries telling the pivotal unknown stories from the LGBTQ+ community in the UK
• This year's theme is LGBTQ+: Queer Lives Today
• The Diverse Film Fund will provide one-on-one mentoring with senior industry professionals and exclusive webinars with media giants
• Together TV's Diverse Film Fund 2022 applications close on Thursday 31 March 2022 at 12 pm (BST)
• The chosen filmmakers' documentaries will premiere on Together TV in November 2022

 

Together TV is commissioning and funding five 20-minute documentaries in addition to providing mentoring and training from senior media industry professionals. The five chosen emerging filmmakers will receive up to £20k in production funding to create a film elevating the UK’s LGBTQ+ community’s voices in 2022. The overarching theme is LGBTQ+: Queer Lives Today.

 

With just under one week to go for applications to the second edition of Together TV's Diverse Film Fund, Together TV is ready to start announcing the panel of esteemed judges -

 

• Joanna Manning-Cooper - Group Director of Corporate Affairs, Sky
• Chris Burns - Head of Audio and Digital, BBC England
• Dani Carlaw - Head of Unscripted, Creative Scotland
• Hannah Bush Bailey - Film and Production Executive, Doc Society
• Janet Olaofe – Head of Content and Scheduling, Together TV and Chair of Judging Panel

 

        

 

Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund provides the opportunity for up and coming British filmmakers to gain their first television broadcast credit as a Director. The aim is to support and help develop a new generation of diverse storytellers. Together TV and its host of seasoned media industry personnel will provide the filmmakers with one-on-one mentoring and exclusive webinars to give them the knowledge to create vital and vibrant films.

 

The Fund, open to all filmmakers who are aged over 18 years old and are UK residents, is open for submissions now until the closing date of Thursday 31 March at 12 pm. All five documentaries will be shown on Together TV from November 2022.

 

Diverse Film Fund 2021, which focused on telling the stories of the individuals who are Black, British, and Breaking Boundaries, received almost 200 applications. Throughout the production process, the filmmakers were guided by the Together TV team, as well as by industry leaders at ITV, Naked Productions and Zeppelin Films. They also received training on aspects of film production, including workshops on Legal Compliance and Ofcom with Lara-Lee Green (ITV) and Production Management with Helen Landeau (Rogan Production).  The five films were broadcast in October 2021 as part of Black History Month, with further distribution through ITV Hub and Sky’s on-demand services.

 

Together TV is committed to sharing narratives that reflect the lives of our audience and inspiring positive social change. Alongside the Diverse Film Fund, we strive to improve representation on-screen by baking diversity into our year-round programming. For the Diverse Film Fund 2022, the ultimate aim is to explore the previously overlooked stories representing intersectional and lived experiences from the UK’s LGBTQ+ communities.

Janet Olaofe, Head of Content and Scheduling at Together TV and Chair of Judging Panel explains:

“For this edition of Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund, we are looking for stories that can resonate with a wide audience. We would love for the five films to tell the untold stories from the LGBTQ+ community in a way that can touch the hearts of the nation and get them thinking.

 

One of our main goals with the Diverse Film Fund is to be able to give the television industry a range of new diverse talent, whilst creating five remarkable documentaries that all capture the purpose of the theme. As the world’s first TV channel for inspiring positive change, we believe that our content needs to be inclusive and be a representation of Britain today. "

 

The Diverse Film Fund 2022 application can be found at www.togethertv.com/together-tvs-diverse-film-fund-2022

 

Together TV broadcasts on Freeview 83, Sky 170, Virgin Media 269 and Freesat 164 and delivers its change-making campaigns through its engagement platform, website, fulfilment partners and social media channels. 

 

ENDS

 

Accompanying images and headshots of the confirmed judges are available to download - https://togethertv.box.com/s/jjde6hiwr6qthafdsvzoss0uqvs5mdeo

 

For further information and assets, please contact:

Julia Newbound, PR Manager, Together TV

[email protected]

020 3196 1562

 

Notes to Editors

  

About Together TV   

Together TV is the UK broadcaster inspiring positive change. We run a national TV channel and engagement platform to motivate people to do good in their lives and communities.

 

We programme entertainment shows that focus on wellbeing and creativity, whilst championing diverse voices. In doing so, we open our audience’s eyes to the opportunities around them and motivate them to take part. 

 

As a result of watching, our viewers change attitudes, improve their wellbeing, gain confidence, do more for themselves and connect with their community.

 

Together TV broadcasts on Freeview 83, Sky 170, Virgin 269 and Freesat 164, and delivers its change-making campaigns through its engagement platform, website, fulfilment partner and social media channels. 

 

Together TV is owned by over two hundred individual shareholders with a wider group of funders and donors alongside the media and digital industry.

 

The Community Benefit Society and its board include representatives from the broadcasters and charity sector alongside its elected Members.

 

The Community Channel operating as Together TV is a charitable Community Benefit Society registered with the FCA (RS007400).

 

The Together TV Annual Report 2020/21 is available to download

TogetherTV-PM_AnnualReportSummary2021.pdf

 

www.togethertv.com