14/05/2016 - CANNES 2016: Latest round for Microwave scheme closes July 13

Film London has commissioned two new projects under its micro-budget Microwave scheme, the organisation announced at the ongoing Cannes Film Market on Saturday. Looted explores crime and moral ambiguity in a tale of burglary, friendship and thieves who fall out. The project’s writer/director Rene Pannevis has five shorts to his credit, with the latest one Jacked being nominated for a Crystal Bear at the 2016 Berlinale. Pannevis studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, under the artistic guidance of Oliver Stone. Jacked producer Jennifer Eriksson returns to produce Looted alongside Jessie Mangum, who co-produced Julien Temple’s The Eternity Man.

Sick(er) will explore anorexia, self-image and family bonds. Writer-director Lucy Brydon studied at Columbia University and began her career working in Shanghai’s film and television industry, which informed her debut novel Shanghai Passenger. She directed the short Babe. Dan Cleland, co-producer of David Leon’s feature debut Orthodox [+see also:
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The two commissions will receive £100,000 towards a capped £150,000 production budget, funding, along with an additional £25,000 to support their finished films’ distribution and exhibition. The British Film Institute (BFI), BBC Films and Creative Skillset back Microwave.

Film London have also called for applications for the latest round of the Microwave scheme, the deadline for which is 13 July and for which the aim is to long-list at least 50% of black, Asian and minority ethnic filmmakers. 

Adrian Wootton, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said, “Seeing how our filmmaking teams – and the stories they’re seeking to tell – grow and develop throughout the Microwave process is genuinely inspiring, and I couldn’t be more pleased to be commissioning Looted and Sick(er). These are exactly the kind of bold, striking stories and distinctive, innovative ideas we want to back, and in common with our previous commissions, set the bar incredibly high for the next round of applications.”

Mary Burke, Senior Production and Development Executive, BFI Film Fund said, “The beauty of Microwave is being able to help emerging filmmakers with exciting projects progress into production and become part of that vital talent pipeline that is so essential for the growth of our industry.”

Steve Jenkins of BBC Films said, “It’s great to have two such exciting and contrasting projects, further expanding the extraordinary range of talent and films, which have emerged from Microwave. There are now some hard acts to follow but I’m sure these teams are more than up for the challenge.”