We, at SDI, live, breathe and support independent documentary because we believe in its power to inspire solidarity, bring together communities and advocate for change, in a generous and thought-provoking way. In our role as a charity and an intermediary between funders, industry, artists and audiences, SDI is in a unique position to support directors at an early development stage, which can be one of the most fragile in the process of making a film.
The WRITE NOW Early Stage Documentary Development Fund aims to support independent Scotland-based directors in the early stages of developing their first or second feature film. It is designed to provide an initial boost to kickstart the creative process and lay the first building blocks for a strong foundation to develop a distinctive, story-driven feature documentary. Our grantees can use this opportunity to take risks, explore their story, and have time to research, write and plan ahead.
The response to the inaugural call for submissions has exceeded our expectations, reflecting the vibrant landscape of documentary filmmaking in Scotland. We eagerly anticipate sharing further updates and are excited to announce the opening of a new call for projects in early 2024.
MEET THE GRANTEES
MARIE LIDEN
Marie Lidén is a Swedish-born filmmaker based in Glasgow. She graduated from Edinburgh College of Artin 2011 with a degree in animation before focusing on documentary. Her 2022 debut feature documentary Electric Malady premiered at CPH:Dox and was nominated for BIFA and BAFTA awards.
IAIN MITCHELL
Iain Mitchell a Scottish documentary filmmaker with a passion for natural history. After starting in undercover environmental investigations, he began developing wildlife films for broadcast. He has been lucky to see many animals up close including cheetahs, arctic foxes and wolves. Ian has also written and directed for theatre and fiction drama.
ISA RAO
Dr. Isa Rao is a Glasgow-based cognitive neuroscientist and documentary filmmaker. Her work encompasses directing for television and creative documentary, with a focus on telling visually captivating stories on human-animal relationships and animal consciousness.
CARLA SHAH
Carla is a self-shooting director and editor based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Since beginning her career in Brazil in 2012, Carla’s work as a documentary filmmaker uses portraits of human experiences to highlight larger, universal issues. From social justice to mental health, her films are raw, sensitive, poetic and frank.
SAN SAN F. YOUNG
San San F. Young is a Scottish / Hong Konger director with a love for creative documentaries that pushes boundaries and often form. From a background of crewing in fiction and current affairs, her focus is now combining urgent stories with the cinematic experience, and shaking up how and who gets to tell those stories.
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