FUNDING SECURED FOR NORTHERN LIGHTS

BBC Northern Ireland’s established short film scheme, Northern Lights, have secured funding for a further three years.
In total eight more short films of nine minutes in duration will be commissioned between now and December 1, 2003.
The first two films will be commissioned and delivered to BBC2 by December 1 2001, the next three by December 1 2002 and the last three by December 1 2003.
BBC Northern Ireland will put up to £30,000 towards each film and with the third party funding assumed, this usually brings the budget for each film to a maximum of £60,000.
The scheme was set up to promote Northern Irish Talent and, for the most part, the BBC would prefer that the writer, director and producer where from Northern Ireland.
All submissions must include a full script, a budget, proposed schedule and CV of the producer, director and writer, plus an indication of the probable Heads of Department and a short pitching document outlining the director’s vision for the piece. It will be necessary for producers to have a good understanding of the ACNI Lottery criteria for funding short films. The deadline for submissions is February 1.
Previous successes include: ‘Jumpers’ by Colin Bateman which won the award for ‘Best First Short’ for its Director at the 1998 Galway Film Festival; ‘The Freesia of Eden’ by Gemma McMullun won the Silver Spire Award at the Golden Gate Film Festival in San Francisco and the Kenneth F and Harle G Montgomery Prize at the Chicago Children’s Film Festival and ‘Dance Lexie Dance’ was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Short Films category. (CD)