We are pleased to present our most recently funded Early Development Fund projects. The BFI NETWORK Early Development Fund supports writers who do not yet have the first draft of a script (or equivalent format for immersive work), to produce an initial treatment – a piece of writing that outlines the story, characters, themes and structure of the project – and related materials like a mood board or other visual content. The Fund supports long-form live-action, immersive and animation fiction projects.
During the 2023/24 round, we awarded five projects from talented writers and producers from across the Midlands from a broad range of genres and filmmaking backgrounds. Over the next few months, we will be working closely with them to support them in developing ideas and building their treatment and pitch deck for their films.
This fund is supported by the BFI and The National Lottery.
KAIROS
Written by Ed Wise
Genre: Sci-fi/Drama
A promising scientist tackles her childhood trauma, exploring why her father, a single-minded physicist, vanished while developing a ground-breaking spacetime project. As the mysteries of his work and memories unravel, events spiral beyond their control.
About Ed
A Nottingham based screenwriter, Ed’s work has screened at international festivals including LSFF, Manchester and Kerry.
Inspired by immersive and atmospheric storytelling, he’s been selected for BFI Network talent development schemes and was a screenplay finalist at the Rhode Island Film Festival. Beyond writing, Ed has over a decade of experience in production and development, working across features, commercials and short films which have featured at festivals such as Fantasia, Foyle and Short of The Week. Ed’s career started in-house with Mike Leigh, then Ridley Scott before working at RSA Films.
THE GREEN MAN OF WINTER
Written by Evgenia Golubeva
Produced by Myles McLeod
Genre: Family Animation
During their first Christmas together, clashing step-siblings Leo and Krystal must team up to find Leo’s missing grandpa in a mythical spirit world before the border between worlds closes.
About Evgenia
Evgenia is an award-winning director, character designer, and screenwriter. They have worked with Disney, Nick Jr, BBC, YouTube Originals, and Sky Kids. Evgenia has directed animated TV episodes, written over 100 screenplays, and illustrated books.
Their original IPs for kids' TV shows are in development in Portugal and France. Their award-winning animated shorts have been recognized at various film festivals, including a UNICEF award. They are currently co-directing ‘Digital Girl’ at A Productions.
About Myles
Myles McLeod is a versatile producer, writer and voice actor, represented by Sheil Land Associates and Shining Management. He has won several awards, including a BAFTA in 2011, and has been nominated four other times. Myles writes screenplays, poems, and books, often collaborating with his brother Greg as The Brothers McLeod. They have created numerous award-winning short films and the preschool series Circle Square. Myles also works with Evgenia Golubeva under the umbrella of Walking House, including on BFI and BBC Small Indie Fund financed projects. He is the author of the Knight Sir Louis series and various non-fiction books.
BOUND
Written by Omari McCarthy
Genre: Thriller
A crooked cop and a vengeful spirit form an unlikely alliance.
About Omari
Omari McCarthy is an up and coming writer-director from Birmingham, UK. He began his career in the animation industry working his way up to production manager and screenwriter.
In production management he has worked on animated series such as Mr Bean: The Animated Series, Hey Duggee, 101 Dalmatians Street and The Tiger Comes To Tea. As a screenwriter he has written for animation and live action series such as PJ Masks, JoJo & Gran Gran, Biff & Chip, Justin’s House and Jamie Johnson FC. He is writing the live-action feature film 'Claudia' for Caribbean Tales, Greenacre Films and Imagine Media International. Omari wrote and directed his BFI NETWORK funded short 'Results Day', winner of Best Debut Film at St Andrews Film Festival, which is currently working the film festival circuit ahead of its online release via Omeleto in August. Omari has shadowed directors on series such as Justin's House, Malory Towers, Doctors and We Go Again (w/t) where he was bumped up to Splinter Unit Director.
HEADCASE
Written by Andrew Rutter
About Andrew
Starting out in music videos, Andrew produced a large number of visual promos one of which was nominated for a prestigious UKMVA in 2017.
In 2018 Andrew shifted gears and moved to short films, one of which ‘Peter the Penguin’ became a huge festival hit screening at the likes of Slamdance, Fantasia and Beyond Fest. It went on to win Best Short Film at Grimmfest before catching the eye of Disney who asked Andrew to take part in their new season of ‘Bite Size Halloween’ on Hulu. In 2022 Andrew wrote and directed his episode ‘The Heritage’ which premiered on Hulu over Halloween 2022. It went on to win awards at Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Panic Fest and Vortex in Rhode Island. Shortly afterwards in 2023 Andrew was selected for the prestigious BFI @ LFF Cohort. Andrew’s work often takes dramatic themes and puts them through a lens of thought- provoking horror with levity in absurdist humour.
REACTOR
Written by Thom Petty
Produced by Milo Beyts
Genre: Thriller
As a new variant of bovine tuberculosis rips through the English countryside, a single-handed Staffordshire farmer fights for survival as the community violently turns against her.
About Thom
Thom’s debut short as a writer, CHACONNE, won Best Short Film Screenplay at Amsterdam IFF and screened at Underwire, Kinofilm, Kerry, Jukebox, BZN, and the International Sound and Music Festival.
Thom’s first short as writer/director, BEFORE HE, was shot in Manchester as a single-sequence 9 minute film with a score by Douglas Dare. It screened at the BAFTA-qualifying Bolton IFF, Kinofilm and Manchester Lift Off. His 2023 BFI Network short TICKER was shot on 16mm film and featured actors Ian Gelder and Paul Copley. It has screened at a variety of BAFTA, BIFA and Oscar qualifying festivals, including Iris Prize (Best British Highly Commended), Fastnet (Best International Short film), The Short Cinema (Best UK Narrative Short), HollyShorts, IndieCork, London Short FF, Manchester IFF, British Shorts Berlin (Jury Prize Finalist), Midlands Movie Awards (Best Actor in a Leading Role, Nominated for Best Short, Best Writing), This is England, Kerry IFF, One Fluid Night (Best Performance, Best Director), Northampton FF, Phoenix FF Coventry and From the Silver Screen. It is currently streaming on Channel 4. In theatre, Thom’s play COAST was a finalist in the Platform Presents Playwright Prize and his 2020 ACE-funded commission CONFECTIONARY/APPLAUSE was performed at The Mercury Theatre.
About Milo
Milo began his career working in-house at leading talent agencies ICM and Curtis Brown before working in development at Moonriver Content for veteran producer Xavier Marchand.
There he helped make features MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS for Focus/Universal, CONSECRATION for AGC, and TV show NAUTILUS for Disney/AMC. His first short THAT? by Madeleine Shenai, won two prizes for Best First Time Filmmaker and screened at numerous festivals. His second short, BFI-funded GOODBYE PYTHON by Frankie Fox, is the first sci-fi film by a transgender director ever made in the UK. It was nominated for Best British Short at the BAFTA-qualifying Iris Prize and also screened at Encounters, Two Short Nights, Queer Vision and most recently BFI Flare. It is streaming on Channel 4OD. He recently line-produced for the BFI/Film 4 Future Takes scheme on short MAJID ZAFAAR by Luis Hindman and is currently in production on a documentary short with Ira Putilova following a trans and non-binary martial arts club (Canada OutTV/Iris Prize).
