We are so excited to be bringing back the FOCUS Award for the second year running! The FOCUS Award is dedicated to young Black filmmakers and filmmakers of colour, who are 18-25 year olds and not currently working in the TV and/ or film industry. Entrants must submit a short film that they have made, up to ten minutes in length, and complete an application form telling us about who they are and what film means to them!
Every filmmaker who is shortlisted is given a mentorship session with a top corporate film company, and the winning filmmaker is enrolled onto a year of mentorship, with opportunities for feedback, shadowing and networking with three top corporate film companies. This year our wonderful mentors are The Edge Picture Company, Gorilla Gorilla! and Media Zoo. The award is sponsored by Gorilla Gorilla! and The Edge Picture Company – thank you so much for your support!
“With the FOCUS Award, EVCOM have set up an amazing opportunity for filmmakers to have their voice heard. Since being the recipient of last years FOCUS, many great opportunities have opened up for me as a direct result of the award,” says Hamza Pool, 2020 Winner.
Claire Fennelow, EVCOM’s Exec Director, says, “We recognise that Black people, and People of Colour are massively under-represented throughout our industry. The FOCUS Award is designed to foster, nurture and grow talent, as well as open doors. EVCOM is committed to addressing racism and race-related barriers to access and inclusion within the corporate film sector, to work towards a more inclusive and representative corporate film industry.
Last year, we were so impressed by the standard and variety of work that we received in response to the entry call out. We are really looking forward to seeing what the entries look like this year, and to making connections with young diverse filmmakers.”
Find out more about the FOCUS Award and enter here. If you know someone who you think might be interested in applying, then please do feel free to circulate this information!