The Stage

Slingshot launches £100k development scheme for film-makers

Published Wednesday 20 September 2006 at 17:00 by Liz Thomas

Slingshot, the all-digital film production and distribution company, is setting up a £100,000 development scheme for writers, directors and producers, after receiving a cashing injection from Skillset.

The Training and Development into Greenlight scheme is a master programme on digital film-making, designed to develop the skills of a new generation of film-makers as creative professionals whilst also helping to build up their low-budget feature film projects towards production.

Run in conjunction with the Metropolitan Film School and PAL, the project aims to help film-makers to learn about the entire value chain of film-making, from development through to distribution, and address both the creative and commercial concerns of their projects.

Over 12 months, Slingshot will put up to eight projects through the programme and the first intake is scheduled for October. Selection criteria covers factors such as originality of idea, strength of story and strength of talent with compatibility with the low-budget film-making model and market appeal.

Commenting on the award, Rachel Connors, co-founder and head of development at Slingshot, said: “This award from Skillset is industry recognition of Slingshot’s innovative approach to developing talent. Nurturing the best projects also means supporting and investing in the people that we work with. Crafting and communicating strong stories also means addressing their commercial concerns and finding the audience that the film will ultimately resonate with. These outcomes require different types of training and support - more than just script editing or leaving a writer alone in a room.”

To qualify for the scheme, applicants will require at least one of the following credits: A commercial, feature film or TV programme that has been broadcast or distributed in the UK; two short films that have been shown at a UK or international film festival; a theatrical production that has been reviewed by the national press.

To submit a project visit www.slingshot-productions.com/submissions