The BBC has unveiled the 50 indies it is supporting through the second phase of its £1m Small Indie Fund, after steering the first wave of producers to 46 commissions.
Three-quarters of this year’s intake are based in the nations and regions, while half have diverse leadership. The cohort includes Northern Ireland’s Afro-Mic Productions, Manchester entertainment indie King of Sunshine and London-based Milk and Honey Productions.
Each of the sub-£10m indies will receive strategic investment, a BBC commissioning editor mentor and a development deal to help them grow.
The BBC doubled its planned investment for the 2020/2021 crop, supporting 96 companies, including Leeds drama indie Duck Soup Films, Bristol’s Uplands TV and Scottish factual producer Firecrest Films, with £2m to help alleviate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many of those indies continue to be supported in this second year. Afro-Mic, for example, was supported by the factual commissioning team last year, leading to the commission of its 10 x 30-part series Made Up in Belfast, and is now working with entertainment commissioners.
Milk and Honey is set to follow up its 3 x 60-minute series Black Art Matters with a four-part series made by three new black directors, two of whom are making their first 60-minute BBC2 doc. The commission was secured by a development exec hired through support from the fund.
Other indies winning commissions have included Cardiff Productions, which made BBC2 shows Black Voices and Beauty and the Bleach, Derry-based Alleycats, which makes BBC3 series The Fast and the Farmer (ish) [main picture] and Fully Focused, the indie behind BBC3 comedy PRU.This year's recipients of the Small Indies Fund:
Northern Ireland
Afro-Mic Productions
Alleycats
Fabel Productions
Walk on Air
Wales
Darlun
Frank Films
Kailash
Little Bird
Little Wander
Nimble Productions
Scotland
Flabbergast TV
Friel Kean
Highland Midgie
Koh Pro
Oxford Films (Scotland base)
Rogan Productions
Sinner
Two Rivers Media
Vincent TV
English Regions
Bohemia Film - SW
Button Down - Yorkshire
Clockwork Films - Leeds
Comedy Hothouse – North East
Cornered Tiger- Midlands
Daddy's SuperYacht - North East/London
Factual Fiction - Yorkshire
Indefinite Films - Bristol
King of Sunshine - Manchester
Middle Child – North East base
Ossian/Enchanted Isle – Scotland/NE
Peggy Pictures - Manchester
Portopia - Midlands
Rockerdale Studios - North
Saffron Cherry - Manchester
Spark Media - Suffolk
Super Best Quality Video - Bristol
The Connected Set - Brighton
TwentySix03- North East base
London
B Side
Chatham
Corona
Dramatic Encounters
Escape Plan
Fully Focussed
Milk and Honey
Nuwave Pictures
Summer Films
Other Productions
Parti Productions
Sarah Brocklehurst
