Filmmakers called on to explore the Future of Food with new fund

Mentors and judges include Andrea Walji, head of content and production at Waterbear Network, the first video on demand platform dedicated to the future of our planet, Fergus Hayock, managing director of Picture Zero, a new production business focused on climate solutions and sustainable filmmaking, and Aaqil Ahmed, BAFTA and Emmy award winning media consultant, 25-year career at the BBC and Channel 4, council member of the ASA. 

Quorn, global market leaders and the original pioneers in meat alternatives, whose mission is to help the planet ‘one bite at a time’ by offering climate-friendly food choices, has launched a special initiative to inspire creative filmmakers to come together and shine a light on one of humanity’s biggest questions: what is the future of our food? 

The topic, which is key to the future of our planet, evokes questions such as how are we going to produce our food sustainably? How will our diets have to change to do that? And how will we adapt to ensure we’re able to feed a rapidly growing population that is running out of agricultural land? 

The Quorn ‘Pioneers Film Fund’, which has been created in association with planetSHINE, a sustainability communications agency that helps bring brand sustainability voice to life, aims to kick-start an important conversation around the future of our food in the hope that it will awaken new ideas around how we might feed ourselves in the future and positively contribute to saving our planet. 

The fund will award three UK and Irish filmmakers and their teams £15,000 each, to create an 8–12-minute documentary exploring the topic and the challenges faced to become a society with more sustainable sources of food. 

With the UN predicting a global population of nearly 10 billion by 2050, our need for food poses one of the biggest current threats to the planet. Our food system already generates 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and scientists warn that rapid population growth will require us to double the number of crops we grow in the next 30 years. 

There is simply not enough productive agricultural land to do this, and to combat the climate crisis it is critical that mankind reduces its carbon emissions. So, meeting this growing demand will require significant changes to both the food we eat and how we produce it. Balancing the issue of food security whilst simultaneously minimising environmental impact will be one of the toughest ongoing challenges our planet faces. 

The Pioneers Film Fund comes off the back of a new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which shows that human activity is continuing to have a detrimental effect on our climate, which was released ahead of COP26 – the next annual UN climate change conference which will take place in Glasgow in November this year. 

About the Pioneers Film Fund 

Quorn is looking for stories of those striving to protect our planet’s future. What are the potential solutions to this growing crisis? How will we feed ourselves in ten years? Whether it’s a story about a community, cutting-edge technology or a pioneering individual, Quorn wants to know how we could future-proof our food.   

Directors and producers are encouraged to think outside the box when responding to this brief. The future of food is a big question, and stories can be found in the most surprising places. However, whether the ideas are big or small, they must speak to our generation’s challenge to protect our future. Filmmakers…find your teams and submit your ideas! 

The productions do not need to mention Quorn or have any reference to the brand. Quorn simply believes that this is the one of the most important discussions we can be having across the globe and wants to spark conversation in the hope of finding solutions. The pioneering founder of Quorn, Lord Rank, was himself also a filmmaker and had a strong belief in the power that film has in telling a story and inspiring action. 

With an emphasis on supporting emerging talent and championing diverse voices, the Pioneers Film Fund encourages any UK or Irish filmmaker with a story to apply, regardless of age or experience. 

The three winning films will be showcased on Waterbear, the Pioneers Film Fund’s exclusive streaming partner, with a captive audience of hundreds of thousands of members. 

How to apply 

Directors are encouraged to find their teams before they submit, and they must be over the age of 18 and a UK or Irish resident to apply. Visit here for more information, including details on how to enter proposals to the Pioneers Film Fund. Entries must be submitted by 15th October 2021.  

A long-list of entries will be announced at ‘COPtimism’, planetSHINE’s pre-COP26 event which is sponsored by Quorn, taking place on 27th & 28th October in Glasgow. In early November the long-list will be invited to pitch to a panel of industry judges, including Andrea Walji, Head of Content and Production at Waterbear Network, Fergus Hayock, Managing Director of Picture Zero and Aaqil Ahmed, BAFTA and Emmy award winning media consultant. After which, the three winning teams will be announced on 26^th November. 

During production, the judges and planetSHINE team will offer mentoring sessions to the filmmakers throughout their process, as well as providing production support and guidance. 

In early 2022, the winning three films will be released on waterbear.com, the first video on demand platform dedicated to the future of our planet.