Netflix Teams With Creative U.K. on Emerging Genre Filmmaker Program

Netflix is looking for emerging genre filmmakers in the U.K., teaming with industry organization Creative UK on a new program to help fund the development of debut features.

Entitled “Breakout,” the new initiative will see six teams given £30,000 ($41,000) of development funding to take part in an intensive training and professional development program, delivered by Creative UK. Following residential lab events, mentoring, support and input — including from Netflix executives — at least one film will be greenlit with an approximate £1.5 million ($2 million) budget and a global launch on Netflix.

“We know there are so many brilliant emerging genre voices in the U.K. with bold, ambitious stories to tell who lack the funding to reach their audience,” said Hannah Perks, Netflix’s content acquisitions manager, U.K. “We’re committed through our U.K. features initiative to creating a talent pipeline for Netflix and the wider industry to elevate and develop the widest range of voices. We can’t wait to introduce exciting new U.K. talent to our members all around the globe.”

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The streamer — which has given a platform to British genre films such as Calibre and The Ritual and is financing Babak Anvari’s upcoming neo-noir thriller I Came By — says the projects will be drawn from recognizable genres, including mystery and crime thrillers, bold and original horror, comedies and rom-com, young adult and family adventure, but reinterpreted through a distinctly British lens.

“Talent is everywhere but opportunity is not, and from our very first conversation it was clear that Netflix shared our desire to offer career-changing opportunities to film talent in the UK,” said Paul Ashton, head of film and TV at Creative UK. “Having backed films at Creative UK which have realized their best life with Netflix, such as Calibre and The Ritual, we know how important Breakout will be. By giving filmmakers the opportunity to advance projects across a range of genres, we’re enabling them not just to make great films for an audience – but also to lay strong foundations in their relationship with Netflix in the U.K.”

Breakout will be open to teams from across the creative spectrum whose work has already attracted industry or public attention but are yet to make a funded feature film. Applications will open today, Wednesday.