New Talent Mentorship Scheme

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New Talent Mentorship Scheme

About

The New Talent Mentorship Scheme is for emerging professionals working in film, high-end television, or animation, from backgrounds currently unrepresented in the industry. This scheme is funded by The William Grant Foundation.

The mentorship provides practical support and training for filmmaking professionals over a period of six months. Eight successful applicants are assigned mentors with expertise in their chosen field of screenwriting, directing or producing, who they will meet with once a month on an agreed date. Previous mentors include Alice Birch, Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor and John Hodge. Successful mentees will also receive complementary accreditation for Glasgow Film Festival 2024.

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Meet The Mentees

Meet the Mentees

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Mentors who will be working with the eight successful candidates include directors Charlotte Wells and Ben Sharrock, producer Sarah Drummond, and directors Louis Paxton and Michael Lee Richardson.

The scheme is funded by the William Grant Foundation. All mentors for the 2023/24 programme will be announced soon. The successful mentees for 2023/24 are:

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Applications for the New Talent Mentorship Scheme have now closed. Thank you to all who applied, we'll be updating this page very soon.

The New Talent Mentorship Scheme is for emerging professionals working in film, high-end television, or animation, from backgrounds currently unrepresented in the industry. This scheme is funded by The William Grant Foundation.

The Talent Mentorship Scheme is open to all people from under-represented backgrounds, including (but not limited to) individuals of the global majority, LGBTQIA+, low or no income backgrounds, and people with disabilities. You must currently live in Scotland, be over 18, and not in full-time education.

If you are a filmmaker and would like to be a mentor, please email industry@glasgowfilm.org

Aims of the New Talent Mentorship Scheme

The Talent Mentorship Scheme is run by Glasgow Film, a charity which also runs Glasgow Film Theatre (GFT) and Glasgow Film Festival (GFF). Glasgow Film plays a leading role in cultural life for the city of Glasgow, for Scotland, for the UK and internationally. We provide an independent film programme for diverse audiences in Glasgow. In its short history, Glasgow Film Festival’s Industry programme has championed new voices, both in front of and behind the camera. We believe we have an important role to play in supporting diverse talent; the Talent Mentorship Scheme will assist those who will most benefit from mentorship to develop their filmmaking careers and is for emerging professionals working in film from under-represented backgrounds. Quotes from Previous Mentees: 'My mentor has helped me to build my confidence and understanding of the industry, which I believe has helped me a lot in successfully applying for freelance commissions… These are all Scotland-based opportunities and I am particularly grateful to have worked with a mentor who is very knowledgeable about working in this country.' - Holly Summerson, who had mentor Sueann Rochester.

'My mentor’s belief in me helped me focus ...it encouraged me to push myself and test what I can do with the form and function of what I wrote. It was Campbell’s encouragement that led me to submit a new monologue to the BFI Film Academy in Eastside studios where young filmmakers produced it.' - Yusuf Javed, who had mentor Campbell X.

'Learning from someone I respect so much in the industry and having the opportunity of time to discuss my projects with her has been brilliant... In a truly unexpected way it has also shown the great benefit and power of learning from colleagues and other professionals who are also emerging in their fields.' - Reece Cargan, who had mentor Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor.

Who Are We Looking For?

Eligibility Criteria
The New Talent Mentorship Scheme is open to all people from under-represented backgrounds, including (but not limited to) individuals of the global majority, LGBTQIA+, low or no income backgrounds, and people with disabilities. You must currently live in Scotland, be over 18, and not in full-time education. You will have worked on one or more short films in your chosen field and are now looking for support to progress in a filmmaking career. You may be currently working on developing a film project, or looking to make next steps in building on your experience and accessing opportunities. The scheme will focus on screenwriting, directing or producing. People specialising in narrative fictional filmmaking, documentary, animation or experimental/artists’ film are welcome to apply. We are looking for applicants who would like to build their career in filmmaking and who would benefit from a mentorship towards achieving this.

Commitment
Successful candidates will be required to commit to monthly meetings with their mentor and submit a number of progress reports throughout the Scheme with support from the Project Manager. Additional feedback reports from our funders may also be required – all details will be confirmed with successful applicants at the start of the Mentorship period. The mentor meetings will take place via Zoom and/or in-person.

Accessibility
Please let us know at the point of application if you have any access requirements. Financial support is available for any access needs you may have, for example, BSL interpreters, live-captioning, travel bursaries or note-takers. Please note, whilst meetings can take place via Zoom, applicants must be based in Scotland.

Meet The Mentors

Meet the Mentors

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is the Talent Mentorship Scheme for?

A: The New Talent Mentorship Scheme is open to filmmakers from the global majority, LGBTQIA+ people, and/or those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds* who live in Scotland, are over 18 and are not in full-time education. *An economically disadvantaged background is self-defined and we expect this to include people from working class backgrounds and/or who grew up in low-income or otherwise economically disadvantaged households.

Q: What level of filmmaking skills and experience do I need to have to apply for the Talent Mentorship Scheme?
A: You need to have worked on at least one short film in your chosen field, e.g. screenwriting, directing, producing. There is no specific level of skill you need to have reached in your chosen field.

Q: Does a film I’ve worked on need to have screened at a film festival? A: No - the one short film that you must have worked on as a minimum level of experience does not need to have screened at a film festival or have reached audiences in any other specific way.

Q: Do I need to specify one area of filmmaking that I want to specialise in?
A: Yes - for the purpose of applying to the New Talent Mentorship Scheme you must state which area of filmmaking, e.g. screenwriting, directing, producing, you would like to focus on. People specialising in narrative fictional filmmaking, documentary, animation or experimental/artists’ film are all welcome to apply.

Q: Which benefits will I gain from the mentorship?
A: If you are successful in your application, you will gain practical advice, encouragement and support from the mentorship. Our appointed mentors have a wealth of experience in filmmaking and working within the film industry. You will receive their support in developing your filmmaking career and/or advice on a specific film project you’re working on. At the end of the mentorship, we anticipate you will have improved your overall knowledge in filmmaking and the industry as well as your confidence in pursuing a filmmaking career.

Q: Can I request a specific mentor when I apply or if I am successful in my application?
A: No - we will assign a mentor to you based on our assessment of your application and interview. You will not be able to request a specific mentor.

Q: What happens after I’ve submitted my application? A: We will select applicants for an interview stage, which will take place after applications close on Thursday 14 September. If you have not been selected for an interview, we will aim to notify you as soon as possible after this date. If you are selected for an interview, we will notify you of the date for this after applications have closed.

Q: Will interviews and mentor meetings take place face to face or remotely?

A: The interviews will take place via Zoom and/or in-person. Successful applicants and their mentors will discuss what option works best for them.

Q: Which other access measures are available to support people taking part in the mentorship?
A: Support for travel and accommodation as well as access costs will be available. For example, if you require BSL interpretation, note-taking or any other access measure, you will be able to request this and we will do our best to meet all requirements.

This New Talent Mentorship Scheme is funded by The William Grant Foundation.

New Talent Mentorship Scheme

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