As Edinburgh International Film Festival draws to a close, the Scottish Documentary Institute announced August 23 that the next edition of its Bridging the Gap initiative is now open for submissions.
Bridging the Gap is a training programme designed to support and inspire documentary talent in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and offers development training, a cash budget, and one year of international festival distribution.
“Bridging the Gap was designed to offer emerging filmmakers a stimulating, supportive, and collaborative space to explore the medium of creative documentary and get the opportunity to have their idea commissioned for the big screen. Offering such a space felt much needed at the time. It feels urgent and indispensable today, in the dizzying times we found ourselves in,” writes SDI.
Up to 12 ideas will be short-listed based on the proposal and supporting visual materials submitted. The projects will be developed and further honed through in-person workshops run by international filmmakers and leading industry professionals. The 12 filmmakers will then pitch to a panel of industry representatives, who will commission up to 6 films in January 2024.
As well as a cash budget of £8,500 (plus in-kind production and distribution support) the selected filmmakers will receive further mentoring over six months to create “vibrant, intimate and thought-provoking contemporary stories.” The films will be delivered by June 2024 and are intended for distribution in cinemas and at festivals.
Docmakers can join Inspiration sessions in Edinburgh (Wednesday 30 August), Glasgow (Thursday 31 August) or online (Monday 4 September) to learn more about how to apply to Bridging the Gap. Click here to submit online for the next Bridging the Gap. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 19 September.
WRITE NOW FUND LAUNCH
The Scottish Documentary Institute has also unveiled the WRITE NOW Fund, an innovative funding scheme designed for Scotland-based documentary directors who are at the initial stages of development in their first or second independent features. The WRITE NOW Fund is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Offering grants up to £3,000 as well as tailored guidance, the WRITE NOW Fund aims to support directors by providing them with the means to take creative risks and dedicate invaluable time to thinking, researching, writing, and planning.
“We know that getting a project off the ground is a labour of love, relying on the adaptability and resilience of the director to power through and carry on, often spending their own money. The WRITE NOW Fund is a response to the industry challenges that directors face during the most fragile stage in the process of making a film,” writes SDI.
This funding and support will help the directors take a “deep dive into the context around their films, secure access and research the stories of their protagonists, and consider how that might translate onto the screen.”
Furthermore, the WRITE NOW Fund is designed to provide an initial boost to kickstart the creative process and lay the first building blocks for a strong foundation to develop a feature documentary. The directors who will have access to this fund can use this opportunity to take risks, explore their story, and have time to think, write and plan ahead, SDI adds.
“Our aim is to give momentum to distinctive, creative, and story-driven films – applicants should make it clear how their project meets these criteria, and how the funding and support from SDI would have an impact.”The deadline for applications is Monday 25 September. Click here to submit for the WRITE NOW funding.
