Young Wakefield film maker will see film aired on Sky Arts

shortFLIX, Creative England’s short film-making programme, has announced Carrie Battram as one of five young filmmakers who will each make a short for broadcast on Sky Arts in 2020.

Carrie will present her film, Left Behind, a short about 15-year-old Johnny who, after the death of his mum, finds connection and hope through the things she left behind.

The short filmmaking scheme, in conjunction with Sky Arts and ScreenSkills, is a valuable opportunity for new voices to create diverse and representative films for broadcast, working with experienced professionals and benefiting from further training, mentoring and support.

Following 300 plus applications and an initial development process that included a cohort of 26 shortlisted filmmakers, the five outstanding projects have been selected by a panel of commissioners to receive a production award of £10,000 each.

The programme, run by Creative England in partnership with Sky Arts and ScreenSkills, actively seeks aspiring filmmakers aged 18-25 who are not in employment, education or training, with a focus on underrepresented voices.

shortFLIX 2019 ambassadors include Noel Clarke, Ellie Kendrick, Karla Crome and Oscar winner Rachel Shenton.

Other finalists are Johnny Massahi, who will make High Tide, a psychedelic rollercoaster comedy following the dysfunctional relationship between two brothers trapped in a sinking campervan.

Carrie with the other four finalists from around the country.

Next on the list is Danny Seymour from Cheshire who brings Offended to the table, the story of a middle-aged man who embarks on his first ‘date’ for years in a near-future where people express their reactions in a very surprising way.

Joining them will be Londoner John Akinde with If I Die Today, and the story of David who is caught between friendship, revenge and doing the right thing when he is swept up in neighbourhood gang warfare.

Isabella Culver, also from London, gives us Seven Sisters, a tale of modern-day witchcraft where protagonist Juliet seeks out an unusual form of therapy for the PTSD she is experiencing.

Noel Clarke, shortFLIX ambassador, says: “These types of programmes are so important for young filmmakers to gain the opportunity for hands on experience along with funding to bring their ideas to life.

"This industry is renowned for being hard to get into, so it’s great to see that shortFLIX is supporting fresh, new talent.”