Deadline: 8 April 2024
The Warner Bros. Discovery, in collaboration with Media Trust, is running an exciting filmmaking initiative celebrating Black British stories through film.
Warner Bros. Discovery and Media Trust are collaborating once again in 2024, with Bounce Cinema and new production partner Wall to Wall, to run Black Britain Unspoken, a filmmaking initiative aimed at giving Black British storytellers, filmmakers, and creatives space to share perspectives and experiences of being Black and British.
Through Black Britain Unspoken, three filmmakers will be selected and supported to produce a short-form documentary (max. 5-6 mins), which may go on to air on discovery+ during Black History Month (October 2024).
All submissions will be looked at by an appointed panel and a shortlist of 10 will be invited to a pitch day at Warner Bros. Discovery’s London offices. Three projects will be greenlit and provided with a production budget of up to £15,000 as well as production management support and editorial guidance from Warner Bros. Discovery Commissioning team and Wall to Wall Productions. Alongside this, each filmmaker will benefit from a bespoke professional development curriculum delivered by Media Trust and one-to-one mentoring through their partners’ Bounce Cinema.
Last year’s film pitches explored narratives highlighting moments of joy, celebratory occasions, and even the expressive nature of fashion within the context of the Black community. This year they want to continue to look for unique stories that shine a new lens on the Black British experience.
BBU forms part of the Warner Bros. Discovery Access, a creative talent development programme that champions underrepresented voices.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Project is open to entrants who are resident in the UK, meaning England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and identify as Black (or Black heritage) and British (“Entrants”). This excludes employees and family members of employees of Warner Bros. Discovery and their associated, affiliated, or subsidiary companies, agents, or anyone connected with this Project, including the third-party promotional partners. Anyone else professionally connected with the Project is also excluded from entering.
- Entrants must be eighteen (18) years or over. Proof of identification may be required by Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Entrants must not have more than three broadcast credits as a director or writer or have written and/or directed a feature length film or documentary.
- Entrants must have some prior experience working on a film or some form of visual media (e.g. student film, short film, music video, television etc.)
- Entrants must be available:
- to attend a pitching day at Warner Bros Discovery offices on 24 May 2024, OR to pitch via Zoom on this day;
- to attend an in person professional development week between the 17th and 20th June 2024 delivered by Media Trust (a charity with registered charity number 1042733, whose administrative offices are at Sayer Vincent LLP, Invicta House, 108, 114 Golden Lane, London, EC1Y 0TL), as well as an online session in September 2024. All reasonable travel and accommodation costs relating to the attendance of the professional development week will be covered.
- to attend 1 session per month virtually/in person with an assigned mentor between June and October 2024
- for 2-3 production and shooting days during July/August 2024(exact dates to be agreed with Entrant);
- for 3-5 post-production days during August 2024 (exact dates to be agreed with Entrant);
- to attend the film premiere in London (exact date to be confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery but anticipated to be during October 2024)
- for PR and promo events during September and October 2024, (exact dates will be agreed with Entrant);
For more information, visit Media Trust.
