19/08/2008

Film London’s micro-budget filmmaking scheme, Microwave, has now opened for the next round of applications. The scheme requires filmmakers to make a complete feature film for £100,000 or below, including all cash and in-kind support.

Film London’s support ranges from £50,000 - £75,000 with most of the awards in the former range. The scheme was launched in 2006 with the support of Skillset and the BBC.

Film London will initially shortlist ten projects which will participate in a four day ‘Microschool’ where the filmmakers will receive practical advice from industry experts. A competitive pitch will follow this process where up to five projects will be greenlit.

Microwave has already completed two projects; Steven Sheil’s horror film Mum & Dad played at the Edinburgh Festival recently and Eran Creevy’s Shifty, about a crack dealer, is keenly anticipated.

A further three films are in pre-production; Suki Singh’s thriller Analogue, Jes Benstock’s Miss World mockumentary The British Guide To Showing Off and Kolton Lee’s basketball romance Freestyle.

Maggie Ellis, Head of Production at Film London, said, “Microwave has proved to be an enormous success and the film-making talent that we’ve seen has been remarkable right from the start. As the two films currently nearing release and the three in pre-production show, we take this very seriously and we get results. With a shortlist of only ten projects, the new applicants need to demonstrate not only that they have a good script idea with commercial legs, but also that they have the talent, commitment and determination to make it go all the way to the screen. So we are looking forward to being impressed!”