Scottish filmmaker makes top ten to receive Netflix funding of up to £40,000

A Scottish documentary maker is one of ten filmmakers who have been awarded up to £40,000 of funding to create their own short film.

Today Netflix announced the winners who will receive funding as part of its Documentary Talent Fund – a new initiative set up to bring to light under-represented stories and voices in the industry.

Glasgow-born Dhivya Kate Chetty is one of many filmmakers across the UK to be chosen for her short film – Bee Whisperer - a story about conservation, community and solidarity through one man and his bees.

Filmmaker Dhivya Kate Chetty from Scotland picture: Dhivya Kate Chetty

Each film will be eight to 12 minutes long and will be part of the Netflix series “Britain’s Not Boring And Here’s a Story.”

Kate Townsend, of Netflix, said the chosen filmmakers’ ideas show a unique perspective on British life, culture and experience.

She said: “We were so impressed with the richness of applications received and the originality demonstrated across the board, and want to extend our congratulations to this year’s deserved winning teams.

"It’s such an exciting glimpse into the future talent of UK documentarians and we look forward to collaborating together to empower each team to fulfil the potential of documentary filmmaking.”

Below is the list of winners:

● Beya Kabelu, The Detective & The Thief - Every hour a dog in Britain is stolen. The film follows the hunt for the missing pets; from the detective tasked with finding them to loved ones left distraught

● Daisy Ifama, Twinkleberry - Twinkleberry is a lighthearted documentary about her super gay school year that had 30+ queer students in one year group... in the middle of the West Country during 2005 to 2012

● Dhivya Kate Chetty, Bee Whisperer - Bee Whisperer is a tale of conservation, community and solidarity through one man and his bees

● Jakob Lancaster & Sorcha Bacon, Seal In The City - The only thing stopping London’s oldest fish market from being redeveloped into luxury flats is a seal, who has shown up there for breakfast every day for 15 years

● Jason Osborne & Precious Mahaga, Love Languages - Five black men debunk myths and stereotypes of black masculinity by having revealing, humorous and vulnerable conversations about their own personal love language set within the comfort of their safe space, an Afro-Caribbean barbershop

● Ngaio Anyia & Aodh Breathnach, Tegan - A young black woman with cerebral palsy is how the world categorises Tegan Vincent Cook - what we discover is her talent and drive as an equestrian, matched with unbridled dedication to reach the 2024 Olympics

● Sean Mullan & Michael Barwise, HYFIN - Jordan-Lee Brady-James aka HYFIN, a young Derry-Londonderry man in-between places, is told that a Northern Irish accent can’t rap

● Shiva Raichandani & Shane ShayShay Konno, Peach Paradise - Non-binary Japanese-Irish drag artist storms U.K.’s cabaret scene with a gender-diverse, Pan-Asian collective of bitten peaches, to dismantle racial stereotypes with love and glitter

● Tavie Tiffany Agama, Women Of The Market - Introducing the markets of London and the entrepreneurial women that operate within them; trading, chattering, flattering and most importantly earning. These are the Women of the Market

● Tobi Kyeremateng & Tania Nwachukwu, ÓWÀMBÈ - An intergenerational docu-fiction film on ÓWÀMBÈ in Britain - the life and soul of Nigerian party culture

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