Two teams will be awarded £50,000 apiece to bring creative vision to life

Women in Film and TV (WFTV) has unveiled a funding initiative that will back two filmmaking teams to the tune of £50,000 each.

The WFTV Short Film Fund is billed by the organisation as a “significant new chapter”, aiming to tap into the next generation of underrepresented talent, specifically woman and non-binary filmmakers.

Two teams will be provided with comprehensive production packages of £25,000 in cash funding, £25,000 in kit rental, in-kind post-production support and bespoke mentoring from leading professionals throughout the lifecycle of their projects.

To be eligible, the writer, director or writer/director, producer and director of photography/cinematographer must all be women and/or non-binary. Filmmakers will also have complete creative freedom to tell the stories they want, and will not be prescribed themes, genres or subject matter.

WFTV said the fund aims to address the fact that women and non-binary filmmakers remain underrepresented across many of the industry’s leading creative positions.

The fund is created in partnership with Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV and, alongside financial support, it will offer expertise and production resources to the successful teams, giving them the practical tools to bring their vision to the screen.

Application to the WFTV Short Film Fund will open from Monday 7 September.

Katie Bailiff, chief executive of WFTV, said: “The WFTV Short Film Fund represents a significant milestone for our organisation as a film funder, but perhaps more importantly it’s a meaningful investment in ensuring greater representation of women and non-binary people in leading, creative roles in filmmaking.”

Jenny Clark, head of partnerships and marketing at Sunbelt Rentals Film & TV, added: “We’re proud to support the WFTV Short Film Fund through financial investment and access to our specialist camera, lighting and grip equipment.

“By combining funding with practical production resources, we can help remove barriers for women and non-binary filmmakers and, importantly, create more opportunities for creativity, collaboration and long-term success across our industry.”