Film London and BBC Films have committed to a further three years of partnership to continue producing micro-budget films through its award-winning film-making scheme Microwave, it was today announced from the Cannes Film Festival.

With films like the BAFTA-nominated Shifty and teen romance Freestyle already completed and released in the UK, Microwave has established itself as a scheme which supports emerging talent move from short to feature film-making, championing creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. The extension secures yet more opportunities for emerging film-making talent in the UK and brings the total number of features made under the Microwave banner to 13.

The training-through-production scheme today also confirmed two new greenlit titles from the last round of applications. Ill Manors is a multi-character and music-led story, and the feature debut by musician and actor Ben Drew - aka Plan B - and produced by Atif Ghani. Also now part of the Microwave slate is Borrowed Time, from London Film School graduates Jules Bishop, directing, and Olivier Kaempfer producing, a comedy about rediscovering youth. As with previous years, each project will be produced on a budget of no more than £100,000 with up to £60,000 cash funding from Microwave and the remaining finance raised by the production teams. All projects also benefit from the scheme’s extensive mentoring and training programme.

Now in its fourth year, Microwave's success to date confirms it as a unique, commercially minded training and production opportunity and a launch pad for UK film-makers. A clear example of this is writer and director Eran Creevy, who was nominated for an award at this year’s BAFTAs for his ‘outstanding debut’ Shifty, alongside names like Sam Taylor-Wood (Nowhere Boy) and Duncan Jones (Moon). Creevy is currently finalising finance for his next feature, Welcome to the Punch.

During its short life, Microwave has inspired production programmes with a similar spirit around the world and has enjoyed outstanding results. The scheme’s three completed features Mum & Dad, Shifty and Freestyle, have seen UK theatrical releases and sold abroad. Moreover, with Microwave’s fourth film, British Guide to Showing Off now in post production, Strawberry Fields currently shooting and Foxglove scheduled to shoot later this year, the scheme and the talent it supports are expected to make a lot of noise in the coming months.

To keep up to date with information about Microwave, visit the scheme's dedicated website or follow us on Twitter.

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