Netflix has announced the five filmmaking teams who were selected from thousands of applications to receive funding and professional support in the fourth year of the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund.
The filmmakers were selected by a jury of industry experts last week where they pitched the idea for their short documentary films inspired by the prompt “On the theme of change”.
The fund to date has championed filmmakers from across the whole of the UK and Ireland, with Netflix supporting talent from Wicklow to the Isle of Wight and Yorkshire to the West Midlands this year.
The successful recipients and their projects are:
Albie Swingler and Dorottya Székely
The Garden We Made
Sixty years after the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, a queer elder moves into the UK’s first ever LGBTQ+ retirement home and begins to unlearn a lifetime of secrecy.
Christine Saab and Rose Palmer
Luke Finds Fossils
On the Isle of Wight, the UK’s most prolific fossil hunter is transforming his garage into a DIY dinosaur museum. For Luke, a 35-year-old autistic father, it’s more than a passion project, it’s an attempt to turn a lifelong obsession into a bridge to his young daughter.
Amy Sargeant and Gabriela Cavanagh
Shiptonthorpe’s Summer
After anonymous poison pen letters turn a quiet Yorkshire village into global headlines, a community theatre production offers the chance to rewrite the story.
Helen Sanfey and Catherine Donohoe
Lisdoonvarna: Changing The Algorithm
As the world swipes right, a 21-year-old returns to the old ways, learning the art of love from Ireland’s last traditional matchmaker, his 83-year-old grandfather.
Bhulla Beghal and Sima Gonsai
Factory Dad
From the backyard of a family home, one of the last textile factories in the Black Country keeps running against the tide of a changing world. Inside, an Indian-born father spends his days crafting British wax and tweed coats alongside his faithful cat, Lola. His filmmaker son embarks on a journey to understand the man behind the work, and the life woven into every stitch.
Each team will now be supported by Netflix to produce a short documentary between eight to 12 minutes long with a budget of £30,000 each.
In partnership with Sheffield DocFest, the films will be screened in Sheffield in summer 2027.
All recipients will undergo bootcamp training from experts at Netflix who will coach and host workshops covering Creative, HR and Production.
The initiative provides filmmakers with a personalised experience to best suit their levels of expertise and help them further their careers.
