The Independent Filmmakers Network |Shooting People





	Sept at SP: Swap Ideas, Support Shorts, Save on Shoots
	
	
	
	
	
	
	



	Meet fellow filmmakers, back Personal Growth, and grab some exclusive shooter discounts while they last.
	
		
			
				
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	???? September at SP ????
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	Coffee or Cosmo? ☕???? Swap Ideas with Fellow Filmmakers
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	Looking to meet fellow creatives and swap ideas? Two opportunities coming up that are worth a heads-up. Doc Soc want to let you know they are kicking off Morning Brews from September, a relaxed online coffee morning for UK documentary makers. Pop in, ask questions about their funds, share a bit about your project, and hear what others are up to. Each session is an hour long, capped at ten people, with the first one on Thursday 11 September at 10:00. More info and how to save a spot here.
																	If you’re after in-person mingling, Genesis Cinema in Whitechapel are hosting Sip & Scene on 30 September. Two hours of laid-back networking with writers, directors, actors, producers and other content creators in a great indie cinema setting – perfect for swapping ideas, making new connections, or just soaking up the creative buzz. Get your free ticket here.
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	Last chance to become a part of the SP community... ⏰
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	If you haven’t heard yet - SP is closing at the end of October. We’re still welcoming new members until 30 September, so this is your last chance to be a part of the community and connect with others and join film projects :) Our final rates are just £5.95/month, and since billing stops after September, you’ll even get a bit of October on the house ????.
																	P.S. BFI’s Future Takes fund is opening soon - access the funding database to get an archive or all funds available.
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	BOOM: Shooters are Everywhere at the LFF ????
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	The BFI London Film Festival programme is live (running 8-19 October), and shooters are making their mark: 17 shorts, 11 features, and some big names. Look out for Stroma Cairns’ BAFTA-winning The Son and the Sea and shooter Aneil Karia teaming up again with the-one-and-only Riz Ahmed for a fresh take on Hamlet. Plus, shooters are also behind half of the LFF for Free London Shorts programme.
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	Support 'Personal Growth' on Kickstarter ????
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																
															
														
													
												
												
													
														
															
																
																	Shooter Andrew Rutter (recent speaker at our 'Horror Filmmaking with Fuck All Money' event) has just launched a Kickstarter for his new short, Personal Growth. And the logline’s a belter: "Paul, suffering a recent bereavement 
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	discovers a human growth poking halfway out of the grass in his garden. After calling a specialist for it to be removed, Paul is left with a dark empty hole that threatens to confront him with the things he’d prefer to keep buried - a cautionary tale of not tending to your garden."
																	It’s the kind of ambitious film we all desperately want to exist, but good luck getting a commissioner to sign off on something that strange. Back it and you could get anything from early previews and credits to invites for exclusive screenings - or just sling in some pocket change to help make it happen.
																	And if you’ve got a project of your own brewing, this is the last call to get in on our Kickstarter partnership programme. If selected, we’ll put you forward directly to Kickstarter execs for promo support, advice and more. You don’t even need a project ready to go - just drop your details here.
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	Shooter Andrew Rutter (one of our speakers from Horror Filmmaking with Fuck All Money) has just launched a Kickstarter for his new short, Personal Growth. And the logline’s a belter: "Paul, suffering a recent bereavement discovers a human growth poking halfway out of the grass in his garden. After calling a specialist for it to be removed, Paul is left with a dark empty hole that threatens to confront him with the things he’d prefer to keep buried - a cautionary tale of not tending to your garden."
																	It’s the kind of film we all desperately want to exist, but good luck getting a commissioner to sign off on something that strange. Back it and you could get anything from early previews and credits to invites for exclusive screenings - or just sling in some pocket change to help make it happen.
																	And if you’ve got a project of your own brewing, this is the last call to get in on our Kickstarter partnership. If selected, we’ll put you forward directly to Kickstarter execs for promo support, advice and more. You don’t even need a project ready to go - just drop your details here.
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	SP Community Advice
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	Dionte Simmons has raised a classic conundrum: should a director edit their own film? Niki Jones argues it depends - docs can thrive on it, but fiction often needs that extra perspective. Have you been saved (or sunk) by either approach?
																	Also up for grabs: foley tricks. Niki says celery = broken bones. Works brilliantly. Any composers or sound designers who have other hacks to share re best foley shortcuts?
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	GO MEMBERS
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	
																		After funding cuts forced them to cancel 2024, Encounters has bounced back for its 30th birthday edition, running 24–28 September in Bristol. Fifteen shooters are part of the official selection, in a programme that mixes fresh voices with premieres from international heavyweights — keeping up a tradition that’s always had space for the kind of bold shorts filmmakers cut their teeth on.
																		Fringe! Queer Film & Arts Fest turns 15 this September, bringing films, art and parties across East London (13–21 September). Against a backdrop of hostility towards queer and trans communities, the festival doubles down on joy, defiance and imagination. Shooters are part of that story too, with five shorts in the programme: Shoobs, Keith, Ranch, Contact and Bull’s Heart.
																	
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	GO LOOK
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	
																		FilmFreeway’s new GM Matt Toigo goes full gloves-off with Directors Notes, spilling the inside story on scam festivals, platform fees, and what’s next for filmmakers. Whether you submit every year or just dream of a festival premiere, this one’s worth a look.
																		It’s not just the look – shooting on film changes everything on set. Filmmakers say it sharpens focus, hones instincts, and turns every take into a moment worth savouring. Limited stock, no endless rewinds, and a tactile, deliberate process make the act of shooting itself a joy. Want to shoot on film?.
																		Apple TV+ has dropped the first trailer for Mr Scorsese, a five-part documentary exploring the life and work of the legendary director. Expect behind-the-scenes stories from Taxi Driver to insights from collaborators like De Niro, DiCaprio, and Spielberg. Watch the trailer and get a peek at Scorsese’s world here.
																		Big thanks to so many brilliant orgs who are part of Shooters and want to offer discounts exclusively to shooters; Straight 8 2026 is now open – make a short film on one roll of Super 8 and see it at Cannes or BFI IMAX (use code SHOOTERS15 for 15% off). Bertha DocHouse are giving shooters 25% off tickets (code DOC001). Our handpicked selection of orgs you need to know about is here. 
																	
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																		
																			 
																		
																	
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	GO GET
																
															
														
													
													
														
															
																
																	
																		Northern Directors | Deadline: 7 September
																		Earthrise Studios X Bupa Commission | Deadline: 8 September
																		IGNITE-Docs Talent Development (Ireland) | Deadline: 19 September
																		North Star Shorts | Deadline: 26 September
																		Hugo Burge Foundation | Deadline: 30 September
																		BFI X Film4: Future Takes (Opens 8 September) | Deadline: 20 October
																		Roy W Dean Fall Grant (UK’ers eligible) | Deadline: 31 October
																	
																
															
														
													
												
											
										
									
								
							
						
					
					
						
							
								
									
										
											
												
													
														
															
																
																	
																
															
														
													
												
												
													
														
															
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