Lights Camera Action: Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture kicks off specialist film workshops with 10 Bradford creatives

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture unveils the 8 film projects and teams who have received a comprehensive programme of story development, mentoring and training over the past month with support from Screen Yorkshire. Including an address from Oscar winning filmmaker Chris Overton. 

Select projects from the FORGE Film Labs will have the chance to premiere their films as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture’s celebratory year. 

Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture (Bradford 2025) is due to have a transformational impact on the Bradford district and will equip the region’s creatives with skills to help their career development.  

Bradford has a rich cinematic history and in 2009 the city became the first UNESCO City of Film, recognising the city as a global centre of film. Bradford 2025 is drawing on Bradford’s history and over the past month welcomed a diverse cohort of filmmakers through their FORGE Film Lab initiative in partnership with Screen Yorkshire.  

Through FORGE Film Lab, Bradford 2025 is investing in the future of Bradford’s filmmaking talent, equipping creatives with the skills and experience they need to enhance and further their careers in the sector.  

Participants of the FORGE Film Lab come from across the Bradford district. The diverse group of creatives have a range of experience in film, screenwriting, directing and producing. The successful cohort began developing their films, scripts and productions at the beginning of June and include: Hafsah Naib; Evie Manning; Haider Mahboob; Jordan Scott Kennedy; Casey Shaw; Kamal Kaan; Kat Rose-Martin; Kirsty Taylor; Anna Evans; Martha Kean; Louisa Rose Mackelston; Micheal McCabe.  

Over the past month, those involved in the FORGE Film Lab have been able to develop their films, scripts and cinematic ideas within a specialist environment at The Unit, based in Keighley. They have benefitted from having specialised support from industry professionals, such as: Alfie Barker, Andrew Oldbury, Ollie Huddleston, Phil Dodds, Sasha Damjanovski and Marilyn Milgrom. Designed and delivered by the talent development team at Screen Yorkshire the sessions covered a range of topics including pitch training, the role of editing in documentary, the art of screenwriting, character and story development and concluded with a keynote address from Oscar winning filmmaker Chris Overton. 

The process culminates at the end of July with a pitch to an industry panel including Bradford 2025’s Creative Director Shanaz Gulzar and BAFTA-winning producer Bekki Wray Rodgers. Three projects will be selected to receive production finance and work with Bradford based Cosmosquare Films, with producer Hollie Bryan making their films.   

Kate Moore, Executive Producer at Bradford 2025, said:  

“We’ve been blown away by the talent from these incredible film makers, who over the past month have been incubating their projects and developing their practice as storytellers. It’s a real privilege to see how their work has evolved over the course of the lab and to encourage and support dynamic, new work in and of Bradford” 

“The FORGE programme is just one of the ways we’re supporting directors, screenwriters, and producers to ensure the growth of Bradford’s film talent, and leave a legacy from Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture” 

Jo Schofield, Senior Talent Executive at Screen Yorkshire added: “Screen Yorkshire’s talent development programmes are helping build a new generation of storytellers, building skills to empower and support the local industry workforce. It’s been incredibly exciting to be part of this team bringing together creatives from Bradford, and to support them on their filmmaking journey. The depth of talent and passion is inspiring – each project developed on Forge has such uniquely authored qualities the panel will have a tough job deciding who gets the final production fund! I can’t wait to see these ideas come to life on screen. 

Hafsah Naib, a participant in the FORGE Film Lab, commented:  

“I’m thrilled at being selected to take part in Forge. There is something special about an opportunity to make films in your home city with local talent on a big stage.  It just feels like it’s my time to bring my vision to Bradford and create powerful work that will benefit audiences near and far and I’m excited to start.” 

The FORGE Film Lab has been created in collaboration with Screen Yorkshire. The lab has been delivered through The Unit; a specialist film talent hub based in Keighley co-funded by Bradford Council and Channel 4. 

The selected films will be announced in September 2024. 

Image taken by: Patrycja Maziarz. Front row: Michael McCabe, Louisa Rose Mackleston, Evie Manning, Marf. Back row: Haider Mahboob, Hafsah Naib, Kamal Kaan, Kirsty Taylor, Anna Evans