Netflix have launches ten short documentaries created by recipients of the Documentary Talent Fund. The filmmakers from across the UK, received £40,000 in financing to create their own documentary short film, answering the brief: ‘Britain’s Not Boring And Here’s a Story’. The films were showcased at a premiere event in London and will be live streamed in the UK’s first ever TikTok Live Line-Up, available to Netflix’s 21.9million TikTok followers. 

 

The full list of recipients of the 2021 Netflix Documentary Talent Fund and details of the films being launched are (in alphabetical order):

·         Beya Kabelu, The Detective & The Dog Thief - Every four hours a pet in Britain is stolen, we'll follow the hunt for the missing pets; from the former homicide detective tasked with finding them and  the owners left distraught to the thief making six figures a year

·         Daisy Ifama & Grace Shutti, Twinkleberry - Twinkleberry is a lighthearted documentary about my super gay school year that had over 30 queer students in one year group... during 2005 to 2012... in a small town on the border of the West Midlands and the West Country

·         Dhivya Kate Chetty, The Bee Whisperer - Bee Whisperer is a film about community, belonging and migration through one man and his bees

·         Jakob Lancaster & Sorcha Bacon, Seal And The City - As London’s oldest fish market faces closure, its only hope is a seal called Sammy who has been visiting the market for 20 years

·         Jason Osborne & Precious Mahaga, Love Languages - In an Afro-Caribbean barbershop, six Black British men share their personal experiences of love, loss and masculinity.

·         Ngaio Anyia & Aodh Breathnach, Tegan - A young black woman with cerebral palsy is how the world categorises Tegan Vincent Cook - what we discover is her talent and drive as an equestrian, matched with unbridled dedication to reach the 2024 Paralympics

·         Sean Mullan & Michael Barwise, HYFIN - Jordan-Lee Brady-James aka HYFIN, a young Derry-Londonderry man in-between places, is told that a Northern Irish accent can’t rap

·         Shiva Raichandani & Chi Thai, Peach Paradise - Non-binary Japanese-Irish drag artist storms U.K.’s cabaret scene with a gender-diverse, Pan-Asian collective of bitten peaches, to dismantle racial stereotypes with love and glitter! 

·         Tavie Tiffany Agama, Women Of The Market - Introducing the markets of London and the entrepreneurial women that operate within them; trading, chattering, flattering and most importantly earning. These are the Women of the Market

·         Tobi Kyeremateng, ÓWÀMBÈ - Cultures live on through traditions, and in community halls across Britain, Nigerians created a spirit of celebration. Welcome to Ówàmbè - the life and soul of Nigerian party culture, and the foundation of a community.

Throughout the year, the teams took part in Netflix hosted workshops covering all aspects of production including legal, creative, HR, production and finance. They were supported by a mentorship programme that gave each team a strong network of industry figures to guide them throughout the filmmaking process. 

The winners incorporated a range of filmmaking experiences from locations across the UK - including filmmakers from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Manchester, London, Bristol, Gloucestershire, and Liverpool. 

Jonny Taylor, Director, Original Documentaries at Netflix, commented: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with these talented filmmakers and to watch each teams’ nucleus of an idea blossom into these fully formed documentaries that we’re launching. 

“These films have been made in a year when extra challenges and pressures were added due to Covid and we are immensely proud of the tenacity, grit and creativity demonstrated to get these films made and presented to this final standard of excellence. These films are a testament to everyone’s hard work and an exciting glimpse into the future talent of UK documentarians.”

The films is available to stream live via the UK’s first ever TikTok Live Line-Up taking place today (Friday 18th February) at 7pm, available to Netflix’s 21.9million TikTok followers. The films will then drop on Netflix’s YouTube Channel Still Watching on Sunday 20th February at 2pm.