Following the 2020 success of its 21-director short film anthology, The Uncertain Kingdom is collaborating with UK distributor Picturehouse Entertainment on a development fund for feature-length projects. The Uncertain Kingdom Development Fund will support projects that “interrogate” British culture, “asking who we are, how we got here or where we are going,” say fund organisers.
Picturehouse Entertainment will be closely involved in the selection of projects and will take first refusal on UK distribution.
The fund, valued at £60,000, will welcome projects of 70+ minutes in any form or genre, including documentary, fiction, animation, and dance projects. Projects will be considered at treatment or script stage. The fund is commercial and will develop projects with a route to market. Unlike the anthology project, The Uncertain Kingdom will not fund production and the projects are not intended to be released together.
Filmmakers must be residents of the UK but need not be British. Seeking to address the challenges directors and producers face creating sustainable careers, The Uncertain Kingdom Development Fund will target filmmakers who have previously made a feature, organisers say.
Applications will open on Friday 22nd October and close on Friday 12th November 2021.
The fund is led by executive producer John Jencks, who has fifteen years’ experience in film finance including with his current fund J Cubed Film Finance. The Uncertain Kingdom producers Isabel Freer and Georgia Goggin will return as executives of the fund. Clare Binns and Paul Ridd will lead from Picturehouse Entertainment.
“Whilst The Uncertain Kingdom’s initial short film project was conceived as a snapshot of the UK in 2020, this new fund is an ongoing commitment to films that are an active declaration of British culture,” commented John Jencks, executive director.
“We supported the Uncertain Kingdom shorts initiative in our cinemas and were struck by the quality of the work on display. We look forward to seeing what emerges from this new initiative and are always looking for ways to nurture new and exciting UK talent,” added Clare Binns, Joint Managing Director at Picturehouse.
“With the kingdom no more certain than when we launched The Uncertain Kingdom, we want to continue working with filmmakers who are addressing the urgent questions of our times. We hope that the prospect of a new film fund inspires filmmakers and kicks off creative conversations,” commented Georgia Goggin, development executive.
“We’re looking for projects that use the power of cinematic storytelling in all its forms – films that provoke discussion and reflect the diverse experiences of life in the UK,” commented Isabel Freer, development executive.
