The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF), the UK charity for cinema, television and film, has today announced the 11 recipients of the inaugural January round of the John Brabourne Awards (JBAs).
250 applications were received for the now twice-yearly programme that supports individuals who are driven and talented, but who may have faced personal or professional hurdles to developing their careers. Successful applicants receive a grant of up to £5,000, alongside professional support and talent development from The CTBF.
The programme is open to professionals working behind the scenes in cinema exhibition, television and film, and recent examples of support include writing and production development, financial assistance for postgraduate studies, and costs associated with studio space and equipment for craft professionals.
Lizzie Oxby, a writer-director and one of this round’s recipients said: “Little did I know, that on the night of the Referendum, the skies would open, and bring a flash flood to my live-work studio – putting a pause on my feature film project I’d been writing and developing. I’m very grateful for the JBA, for helping me recover lost time and speedily putting me back on track with the project, with their kind support.”
D’Arcy Myers, Chief Executive of The CTBF commented: “The JBAs are our flagship talent development programme, and as of 2017 in response to the increasing number and quality of applications, we began to offer the fund twice per year. We are thrilled with the response to the inaugural additional round, with the most talented emerging artists of our industry applying in their hundreds. The 11 recipients are each remarkable examples of what our film and television industries have to offer – talent, artistry, and dedication that will hopefully have the opportunity to grow with The CTBF’s support.”
Recent alumni of the JBAs include Shan Christopher Ogilvie who in March was selected for Film London’s ‘London Calling Plus’ shorts production scheme; Rachel Tunnard whose debut feature Adult Life Skills won Best Supporting Actor and Debut Screenwriter at the 2016 British Independent Film Awards and Best First Screenplay at the 2016 Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards; Mike Day, whose feature documentary The Island and the Whales has now played at 65 festivals worldwide; and Aleem Khan who was recently selected as a participant for the world-renowned and highly competitive 2017 Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
This year’s awardees are: Ali Mansuri, Andrea Luka Zimmerman, Annetta Laufer, Billy Lumby, Dean Loxton, Iesh Thapar, Jed Hart, Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, Lizzie Oxby, Marie Teuje and Mathieu Karsenti.
