Together TV's new Diverse Film Fund to tell stories of black British lives today
Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund landing page >>
- Broadcaster Together TV will open submissions for its Diverse Film Fund on 1st March
- The £50,000 fund will commission five emerging filmmakers who do not yet have a broadcast credit as Director or Producer. Applicants may be working in film or TV or are graduates from a film/TV degree
- Up to £10,000 in production costs will be allocated to each of five short documentaries (up to 10 minutes in durations), with filmmakers mentored and supported during the process
- The theme is “Black British Lives today” with the films set to Premiere during Black History Month in October
- ITV Commissioning Editor and Together TV Trustee Satmohan Panesar to chair the seven-strong judging panel
- TV news anchor Charlene White on the judging panel alongside many others
- Naked’s Managing Director Fatima Salaria is joining the initiative with her colleagues Natalie Rose and Cal Turner being judges and mentors
- Partners supporting the fund are drawn from broadcasters, TV trade bodies and equality charities
- The initiative comes on the back of the Crowdfunding campaign run by Together TV’s Chair and Founder Caroline Diehl last summer, to promote and support more diverse content on Together TV
London, February 2021 – Together TV is launching the Diverse Film Fund to support the production of new, diverse short documentaries. From 1st March, filmmakers will be able to submit their treatment for selection by a stellar industry judging panel. Each filmmaker will access to up to £10,000 for production plus mentoring and support throughout the process. In addition, the films will broadcast on Together TV during the Black History Month season in October 2021.
The Fund, open to all filmmakers over 18 years old resident in the UK, will open for submissions on March the 1st here: Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund
The judging panel, chaired by Satmohan Panesar (Commissioning Editor at ITV and Together TV trustee) will include: Charlene White (Presenter, ITV News & Loose Women), Jasmine Dotiwala (broadcaster, journalist), Natalie Rose (Head of Features at Naked), Cal Turner (Head of Factual Entertainment at Naked), Lynda-Louise Burrell (Creative Director at Museumand), Janet Olaofe (Head of Content and Scheduling at Together TV).
Satmohan Panesar, Chair of Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund said: “I am so pleased that Together TV is launching this initiative. We know how important it is for the TV industry to support new and diverse talent. This Fund will create a real opportunity for five filmmakers to produce their work and see it broadcast on national TV. They will also be supported and mentored, a great way to boost their professional and artistic careers.”
Janet Olaofe, Head of Content and Scheduling at Together TV said: “As the leading TV channel for inspiring positive change, we believe that our media needs to represent the diversity and creativity of Britain today in the stories we tell. We have supported emerging talent from across our communities over the years, through commissioning, collaborating, mentoring and broadcasting films as best we can. We are now formalising this into something bigger, better and longer-term through this Fund which we hope will grow and launch In the years to come.. We wouldn't have been able to do this without the catalysing force of our Chair Caroline Diehl, and without the support of our donors and partners across the broadcast and charity sectors. We are deeply grateful to them, and thankful that we can help five new filmmakers see their work come to life.”
Together TV is on Freeview 82, Sky 170, Virgin 269 and Freesat 164, along with being on-demand on My5 and social videos on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and DailyMotion.
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For further information, photos, videos or an interview with a spokesperson, please contact:
Francesca Aita
Head of Marketing, Together TV
Notes to Editors
About Together TV
Together TV is the UK’s broadcaster inspiring positive change. We run a national TV channel and digital platform, which inspires people and create positive change in their lives and communities.
We programme entertaining shows that focus on wellbeing and creativity and we champion diverse voices while highlighting the great work of the charitable and voluntary sector. 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, gain confidence and do more for themselves and their community, from volunteering for a charity to getting involved in a creative project or fundraising for a cause close to their heart and to getting help and support. Our vision is a world where people and their communities thrive together.
Together TV broadcasts on Freeview 82, Sky 170, Virgin 269 and Freesat 164, and is available on-demand through www.togethertv.com, Daily Motion, YouTube, Facebook and My5.
Together TV is owned by over two hundred individual shareholders with a wider group of funders and donors alongside the media and digital industry.
It is a charitable Community Benefit Society and its board includes representatives from the broadcasters and charity sector alongside elected Members.
The Community Channel operating as Together TV is a charitable Community Benefit Society registered with the FCA (RS007400)
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