Here’s how you could qualify for £1.5m in Netflix’s ‘Breakout’ filmmaking scheme

By Monica Athnasious

Published Feb 23, 2022 at 05:10 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

27852

Attention all budding filmmakers, this one’s for you. Netflix has announced an exciting new program to help platform emerging filmmaking talent in the UK. Teaming up with industry organisation Creative UK, the initiative will help fund the creation of upcoming filmmakers debut feature films. The scheme which has been announced Wednesday 23 February will allow for unknown filmmakers to have a unique opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Aptly titled “Breakout,” the new scheme will have six shortlisted teams awarded with £30,000 of funding as well as a professional development process that will include rigorous training from Creative UK while they simultaneously advance in the creation of their project. “Following resident lab events, mentoring, support and input—including from Netflix executives—at least one film will be greenlit with an approximate £1.5 million ($2 million) budget and a global launch on Netflix,” the announcement continued. That’s right, you could have your feature debut on the biggest streaming platform there is.

“Breakout will give new UK based filmmakers the opportunity to take popular genres audiences love, from sci-fi, to thriller and horror, to comedy and romance, and reinterpret them through a distinctively British lens,” is how it is being promoted. According to the industry giants, the program is motivated “by the principle that daring, ambitious filmmaking can drive commercial as well as critical success and can emerge from all backgrounds.”

One lucky creator among the shortlisted will receive the £1.5m budget, so financial obstacles in creativity would be vastly removed. Netflix’s manager of UK films Hannah Perks had this to say, “They’re not going to have to think about putting that financing together—and their film will be shown on Netflix globally. It’s every filmmaker’s dream to have a global release.”

So who can apply? “We are looking for creative talent who have not yet made a funded feature, but whose work has already generated positive industry and/or public attention in short film, theatre, TV and documentaries, or perhaps from online content, video gaming, commercials/advertising, graphic novels and music promos” the program stated.

“Although it’s about new talent, it’s about people who are film creatives, but who might also have worked in advertising, music videos or photography, and who haven’t had a chance to make a feature film but who have ideas. It’s about giving them a really healthy budget to make something that can be on Netflix and hopefully kickstart their career as filmmakers—especially British filmmakers, making commercial films our audiences love,” Perks continued.

Head of film and TV at Creative UK Paul Ashton added: “Talent is everywhere but opportunity is not, and from our very first conversation it was clear that Netflix shared our desire to offer career-changing opportunities to film talent in the UK. Having backed films at Creative UK which have realised their best life with Netflix, such as Calibre and The Ritual, we know how important Breakout will be. By giving filmmakers the opportunity to advance projects across a range of genres, we’re enabling them not just to make great films for an audience—but also to lay strong foundations in their relationship with Netflix in the UK.”

So if you haven’t had the chance to make a feature film and you’re working in the industry, now’s your chance. The deadline for applications closes midday on 23 March. For more information visit Creative UK.

Keep On Reading

By Eliza Frost

What is Banksying? Inside the latest toxic dating trend even worse than ghosting

By Matilda Ferraris

From Ballerina Cappuccina to Trallalero Trallalà, we unpack the darker undertones of Italian brainrot

By Abby Amoakuh

Millie Bobby Brown and husband Jake Bongiovi face backlash for starring in ad promoting Dubai

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

James Toback hit with landmark $1.68 billion jury award after 40 women accused director of sexual abuse

By Eliza Frost

Is the princess treatment TikTok trend the bare minimum or a relationship red flag?

By Abby Amoakuh

Celebrity Big Brother: JoJo Siwa’s partner Kath Ebbs turns off comments amid Chris Hughes romance rumours

By Eliza Frost

Does the SKIMS Face Wrap actually work, or is it just another TikTok trap?

By Charlie Sawyer

Here’s why Coca Cola is the most boycotted brand on the planet

By Charlie Sawyer

22-year-old groom arrested after police find 9-year-old bride at staged Disneyland wedding

By Charlie Sawyer

Netflix’s new viral movie, The Life List, is prompting Gen Zers to break up with their boyfriends

By Charlie Sawyer

Donald trump to accept $400M luxury plane from Qatar royal family

By Eliza Frost

Do artists really owe us surprise guests at gigs, or are our expectations out of control?

By Abby Amoakuh

Gisèle Pelicot trial prompts French politicians to incorporate consent in rape law after years of resistence

By Charlie Sawyer

Here’s why the internet is convinced that Trisha Paytas’ third baby will be the reincarnation of Pope Francis

By Eliza Frost

What is Shrekking? The latest toxic dating trend explained 

By Eliza Frost

How fans manifested Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

By Charlie Sawyer

Penn Badgley praised for opening up about fatherhood and raising sons on Call Her Daddy

By Alma Fabiani

BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Lisa and Rosé caught saying the N word in newly leaked videos

By Abby Amoakuh

What is soft swinging? And why is the term trending on Mormon TikTok?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Gaza journalist death toll surpasses that of both World Wars, following latest Israeli airstrike that killed reporter