We were very excited to hear that Alexandra Genova’s Our Land commissioned by Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund has been nominated for the BAFTA Television 2022 Short Form Programme. The ceremony will be hosted Sunday, 8th May.

 Alex applied for our Diverse Film Fund in 2021 and impressed our judging panel and team with her thorough research for Our Land. The Diverse Film Fund came about thanks to the genorosity of those that crowdfunded with us to offer accessible opporunities in the industry. Together TV's mission is to inspire positive change and also to give space to underrepresented voices. We are bursting with pride following this amazing acknowldegement for Alexandra and her team involved in the production of Our Land. Her mentor throughout the experience was the incredible Fatima Salaria, Managing Director at Naked.

Alexandra's background in journalism undeniably helped her conduct valuable research for her film 'Our Land'. She utilised two years of research to produce her documentary on a topic that has been gaining momentum in an industry that is on the cusp of a massive change, that will hopefully include diversification. The research Alex did, brought her film’s narrative to a deeper and more engaging level.

Our Land is about the reality of being a black farmer in the UK. Agriculture is one of the least racially diverse industries in Britain. The lack of diversity in agriculture has much to do with farms being passed down from generation to generation. Our Land showcases the experiences of three black farmers and over two years of research were put into it. White maize farmer David Mwanaka shared how fellow farmers called the police three times when he began cultivating his corn under the assumption that he was stealing. 

When it came to filming, Alex’s day-to-day was coffee fueled, and began and ends with meditation and yoga. For Our Land, she used an EyeDirect camera for the master interviews so that the contributors were looking straight down the lens (and therefore straight at the audience) to get a more intimate feeling. Using new technology was quite fiddly and took time to set up the first time round! However, it was well worth it when you see the impact it had.

The production of Our Land was no doubt a great experience and Alex created a safe, fun environment for all contributors. Local allotment gardeners would even rustle up a BBQ, and the team would finish with a beer.

Alex shared that “The Together TV Diverse Film Fund was an amazing opportunity for my film and for my personal development. The well-curated webinars and the incredible exposure this grant gave me was invaluable. I’m very grateful to Together TV and to my fellow grantees who continue to be a supportive network.”Rewatch the BAFTA nominated Our Land on Together TV’s website and follow Alex and us on Twitter for more updates. We're proud of all the films that came out of the Diverse FIlm Fund 2021 and they're available to watch online. If you’re interested in applying for the Diverse Film Fund, which includes £20,000 of production fees available for five filmmakers to make 20 minute documentaries as well as mentorship and trainings from television royalty. Submissions close midday 31st March 2022.