September is here 🍂

It’s September, BRAT summer is over and we’re all about to keep the Gilmores afloat with Netflix royalties as the air becomes cooler and the pumpkin spice latte personalities finally get their season. Also this month, Women X Film Festival is finally here.

10 Days Until Women X Fest

We’ve been banging on about our 5th edition of the festival for months now, if you haven’t grabbed your ticket yet here’s 7 reasons why you should.

1. Only 1 in 6 features this year were directed by women, so you’ll be able to watch authentic stories by female filmmakers that you won’t see in your local cinema.

2. We’ve expanded to features and Love Lies Bleeding is our debut, rewatch the Rose Glass thriller or discover it for the first time.

3. Q&As are out, roundtables are in. Rather than rushed questions as people are leaving the screen, spend some real time learning about the making of the films and journey of the filmmakers.

4. A little bit of history, we’ve teamed up with North East and Yorkshire Film Archives to reflect back on the Miners Wives during the strikes and how they were cast aside following the battle, a little like women in film post Me Too.

5. The 2000's film quiz is back, our costumes are at the ready and our prizes are waiting for you and your ridiculous team name to win them. The theme is either 2002 or 2007, find out on the night!

6. Rest your eyes and keep your hands busy with our creative craft sessions throughout the weekend, from painting to crocheting, the festival is more than just films.

7. Last but not least, we’ve launched our Writers Lab Sessions, where writers can work on their latest project alongside learning more about scripts and what makes a really good one.

Tickets are from £7.50 with discounts in place for students, concessions and those on low income support, just head here.

Netflix Documentary Talent Fund

Netflix landed in our inbox (yep!) to ask us to share all about The Netflix Documentary Talent Fund, an initiative that supports emerging filmmakers across the UK and Ireland.

Applications are now open - For more information, details on how to apply and any other queries, please head to their website: www.netflixdocfund.co.uk

This opportunity is available to anyone across the UK and Ireland and will give five filmmaking teams the chance to make a short documentary film with a budget of £30,000.00 (or € equivalent).

Applications close on the 27th September 2024 at 1pm.

You must be a UK or ROI resident. One application per person. Entrants must be aged 18 and over. T’s&C’s apply.

Watersprite Film Festival: Deadline TODAY!

Watersprite Film Festival is inviting student filmmakers from across the globe to submit their short films to the 16th edition of the festival.

We nurture, develop and reward the best creative talent in the world, attracting the highest-quality emerging student film talent from over 100 countries. The festival, held in Cambridge 7th–9th March 2025, hosts a variety of free networking events, film screenings and talks. Nominated filmmakers are provided with generous bursaries to contribute towards accommodation and travel to attend the festival.

Submissions are FREE and they accept Fiction, Animation, Documentary and Experimental films. The closing date for submissions is 9th September 2024. To find out more about eligibility, entry procedures and their mentorship programme, head to our website here: https://www.watersprite.org.uk/submit

Barbican Young Programmers

The Barbican Young Film Programmers is a talent development programme where young people work collaboratively to turn their love for cinema into a dynamic experience. As a collective, you will curate, market, and deliver the annual Chronic Youth Film Festival. Through the programme, you’ll gain insights into the ins and outs of film curation, expand your networks of filmmakers and industry professionals, and deepen your knowledge of the film sector. This culminates in you determining the themes, film programme, and connected public events for the festival.

The Barbican Young Film Programmers is facilitated by YFP alumna and acclaimed programmer Isra Al Kassi, co-founder of T A P E Collective, with special sessions from Barbican Curators and invited guest speakers along the way.

Applications are open here and the deadline is Tuesday 10th September

As always, thanks for reading and we’ll catch up with you next week ahead of the festival!

Team RP xo