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Additionally UK film companies are eligible to apply to the BBC’s PS1m Small Indie Fund, which opens today (October 3). The fund has been running with a TV focus since 2020 and has supported talented small independent productions companies with turnovers less than PS10m in factual, daytime drama, comedy and entertainment genres. It has given priority to diverse-led companies, and those based within the nations and English regions. The BBC Film associate producer programme has been piloted over the past two years. It has received positive feedback from both participants and productions. Films to have participated in the programme include

Rye Lane

,

In Camera

,

Scrapper and Hoard.Beneficiaries of the programme have included Manchester-based creative producer and screenwriter Radha Bhandari who was associate producer on Naqqash Khalid’s In Camera and is now in-house development executive and producer at Mary Burke’s Public Dreams.Associate producers will join films as early as possible during late stage development and early prep and be involved in casting, financing, crewing up and working alongside the lead producers across creative, financial, legal and practical production, with the aim of helping emerging talent to understand the whole lifecycle of a film, from prep to distribution.“The BBC associate producer programme provides the best hands-on learning and enables established producers to train the next generation on set rather than in a hypothetical situation. Burke said that this hire would not have happened without the BBC’s support. Bhandari said: “The BBC AP program changed the course my career.” It was an invaluable opportunity to learn 1-1 from acclaimed UK producers, watch a debut filmmaker bring their vision to life and form lasting relationships with local crew in Manchester.”Kareem Adeshina is producer of Caleb Femi’s Sundance London-selected short

Giraffe and was appointed associate producer on Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper

. After taking part in the BBC Film programme, he has subsequently gone on to gain an associate producer credit on upcoming BFI London Film Festival (LFF) closing night film, Film4-backed

The Kitchen

directed by Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya and is producer of the LFF-selected short

A Very Short Film About Longing, directed by Eimear McBride.Adeshina said: “At a point in my career where I was in need of a big change, Emma Kayee, Dionne Farrell and the BBC Film team really got behind me to assist that transition. The experience and connections that I have gained are invaluable. It’s given me a great foundation to go on and produce my first feature.“Through discussions with the producing community, we identified a need for clearer and more inclusive routes of progression for the next generation of producers, so it’s exciting to now present our associate producer opportunity and hopefully welcome a broader range of producing talent into the industry,” said Eva Yates, director of BBC Film.“We’re also really pleased to work alongside BBC commissioning colleagues to open the Small Indie Fund to film companies, offering vital business and creative development support. We recognise that challenges for independent producers are much greater than these measures alone can address, but we hope these initiatives speak to BBC Film’s ongoing recognition of the value and talent in the UK producing community.”How soaring costs and market disruption are threatening the survival of UK indie producers

Entertainment - Media News Watch originally published at Entertainment - Media News Watch