Announcing the Sharp Shorts 2021 Shortlist

We are thrilled to share the 16 shortlisted films that will be developed through our short film scheme Sharp Shorts.

In April 2021, we invited writers, writer/directors or filmmaking teams of writer, director and producer to submit a one-page outline of their film idea. After a rigorous selection process, 16 projects have been selected for the development phase of the scheme, leading up to the opportunity to pitch for production funding.

The following 16 projects have been shortlisted:

• A Good Burning – Writer/Director: Laura Cameron-Lewis; Producer: Andrew Eaton-Lewis
• Candy – Writer/Director: Sarah Grant
• Ernie’s Bird – Writer/Director: Polly B
• Everything Changes But You – Writer/Director: Clare Duffy; Producer: Carys Evans
• FRO – Writer/Director: Eubha Akilade
• Lily – Writer/Director: Jack Guariento
• Living With It – Writer/Director: Holly Summerson
• Milkgum – Writer: Marcelle Nuke
• On The Twelfth Day of Findom – Writer: Joanne Thomson
• Revert – Writer/Director: Miranda Stern
• The Air We Breathe – Director: Lucas Chih-Peng Kao; Writer: Zoë Bullock
• The Fulmar – Writer/Director: Katy Beveridge
• The Jubilee – Writer/Director: Wilma Smith; Producer: Carol Brown; Executive Producer: Ken Anderson
• The Proof – Writer/Director: Jinling Wu; Co-Writer: Sean Wai Keung
• The Singer – Writer/Director: Cora Bissett; Co-Writer/Performer: Jamie Rea; Producer: Laura McBride
• YOU LAND – Writer/Director: Debora Bottino

The filmmakers and projects – shortlisted from 248 applications – will receive training and development support over a three-month period to take their initial short film idea to a script.

In early autumn 2021, up to 9 teams will be selected to receive up to £15,000 of funding to get their film made.

Sharp Shorts launched in May 2020 with a call for short film ideas. 16 projects were selected for an intensive development phase, and 9 were awarded funding through Sharp Shorts at the end of August 2020. You can read about the awarded projects here.

Featured image: Behind the scenes of Victoria Thomas’ Sharp Shorts 2020 funded film A Birthday Party – credit to Matt Towers