Announcing The Whickers Film & TV Funding Award Finalists 2020
We are delighted to announce our 2020 Film & TV Funding Award finalists!
From a monumental David and Goliath story of climate justice set in the Peruvian Andes, to an mother-daughter relationship that offers unprecedented insight into the formation of Africa’s newest nation, to the little known and intimate world of legal opium trading in rural Rajasthan – take a look at the five extraordinary projects in the running to win our coveted annual Funding Award.
Jane Ray, Artistic Director at The Whickers, said of this year’s shortlist:
“We have been amazed by the range and diversity of projects this year. Applications have found their way to us from 50 different countries including, for the first time, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Honduras, Dominica and Moldova. It feels like the most truly international year so far and this would have made our founder Alan Whicker very proud, if not a little jealous as there are places that we have had the privilege and joy of finding out about that not even he could have visited. At some point however all this joy makes way for heartache as the judges had the near impossible task of deciding on our five finalists, but what finalists they are. Nobody underestimates the trial and uncertainty of completing a funding application but this year has been especially tough. The Whickers have been moved by the resilience, ingenuity and enthusiasm applicants have shown in the face of a global pandemic. Every one of the finalists have been affected by it. No one has thought to pack it in, despite lockdown, despite health concerns for their protagonists, despite the very real worry of keeping themselves well and fed during the crisis. If what we are seeing is typical of emerging talent in documentary making, the industry is in better shape than we thought.”
The finalists were selected by an esteemed judging panel of documentary commissioners, international distributors and filmmakers, and will present their projects at The Whickers Virtual Pitch from 11am on Wednesday 10th June at Sheffield Doc/Fest‘s 2020 Online Edition. The winner will receive £80,000 towards the making of their film, and a runner-up will be awarded £15,000. Tickets coming soon – We look forward to seeing you there!