Diverse Film Fund

The impact of social media on mental health has been a hot topic for a few years now. Whilst the focus of online bullying has often been on the end user of social media, the new short documentary from Bim Ajadi “Becoming Jazzy Whipps”, supported and funded by Together TV’s Diverse film Fund in partnership with BSLBT, tells the story of the bubbly deaf content creator, Jazzy Whipps, who is opening up after being trolled online because of her deaf voice.  To beat the bullies, we need to come together to spread kindness online to banish the trolls once and for all.

Fresh from shooting their Diverse Film Fund short films, we caught up with the 2024 selected filmmakers for Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund. This year, the theme is deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent lives today. Our three selected filmmakers Bim Ajadi, Stefan Pollak and Solomon Watkins will be bringing to life three short documentaries about stories close to their heart later this year. We brought them together one sunny afternoon to discuss their journeys.

London, April 11th 2024 - Together TV, the leading UK broadcaster inspiring positive change, proudly announces the filmmakers chosen for the Diverse Film Fund 2024, focusing on empowering storytellers from deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent (DDN) communities. This year, the fund welcomes two exceptional talents: Stefan Pollak and Bim Ajadi. 

London, February 2024 - Together TV, the UK broadcaster inspiring positive change, proudly announces the launch of the 2024 edition of the Diverse Film Fund, focusing on empowering deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent (DDN) filmmakers to tell authentic stories about Britain's diverse communities. This year's edition marks a significant milestone as the fund welcomes two new partners on board: Whisper, a leading sports and entertainment production company, and the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust (BSLBT).

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.

Aaron Carty’s dream was to be a superhero for his community. He initially began his career as a police officer at 18, but today he is an inspiration for many as the UK’s biggest Beyoncé tribute drag queen. Together TV's Diverse Film Fund filmmaker, Blaise Singh, captures Aaron's spactacle in "The Beyoncé Experience" showing on Together TV throughout Black History Month on Together TV from 19th October. He sat down with us and PA media for an exclusive interview about how he became the Beyoncé Experience.

The life of a filmmaker can be enigmatic to those of us who haven’t dabbled behind the scenes and on set. Together TV’s Diverse Film Fund supported five emerging filmmakers with a £10,000 fund, mentoring and training. 2021’s filmmakers are  Ikram Ahmed, Alexandra Genova, Sheila Kayuma, Jason Osborne and Blaise Singh.. The filmmakers had a varying level of experience, but this was to be their first TV credit. We sat down to hear first hand what a typical day looked liked for them.

We are excited to reveal 2021's Diverse Film Fund Filmmakers are Ikram Ahmed, Alexandra Genova, Sheila Kayuma, Jason Osborne and Blaise Singh. Each filmmaker will receive £10,000 and mentoring to produce a short documentary about Black British lives today that'll be broadcast on Together TV in October 2021.

• 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