39 Scripts, 150 Photographs, One Incredible Week

This week, we’ve once again been dazzled by the creativity of young people across Somerset.

We received 39 script proposals for our short film commission and submissions from 64 photographers—more than 150 images in total—for our upcoming summer showcase. That’s double the number of entries we received last year for both opportunities, and it’s incredibly exciting to see. Thank you to everyone who submitted their work.

Shortlisting is always a collaborative process, and we’re grateful to everyone involved. We’re especially delighted that photographers Justin Krause, Kate Pearce and Jeff Searle will be joining us to help select this year’s recipient of the Robert Richards Award.

While the exhibition will showcase work from many talented photographers, only one script can receive the commission, which includes funding, access to professional equipment and producer mentoring. At a time when budgets are tightening and funding priorities are shifting, opportunities like this can be amongst the first to disappear. We’re hugely grateful to our BFI Film Academy South West consortium partners—Watershed, City Eye and Screen Cornwall—for championing this commission (amongst other things!) and making it possible. We’re looking forward to working with them over the next three years following the successful application to the BFI.

Earlier this week, I met with our shortlisted filmmakers and scriptwriters to hear more about the ideas behind their proposals and what this opportunity would mean to them. What struck me most was not only the quality of the work, but the ambition, passion and originality each of them brought to the conversation. Talent is regular item for discussion at our team meetings and it was exciting to explore how we might continue working with some of these talented young creatives beyond this commission.

Deb Richardson