Space / Lle
Space to breathe, build and create
Space / Lle is a filmmaker development lab that encompasses a creative retreat in the Gower peninsula, South Wales, on the 4th – 9th May 2025 followed by mentoring, masterclasses and career building sessions over subsequent days throughout the year. The residential creative retreat will be led by LIM | Less Is More international development lab.
If you can’t make the Gower dates then please email us on network@ffilmcymruwales.com to register your interest in similar future activity.
By taking part in the programme, you’ll become part of a supportive group of emerging filmmakers and leading film and TV industry figures. They’ll help you to hone your craft, develop a film project you’re working on, and get to the next level in your career, all in an environment which champions the principles of care, well-being and respect. There will also be follow-on support for participants.
There is no fee for this lab. Participants will be paid £120 a day for their participation and all necessary accommodation and meals will be taken care of. There is also support for travel costs.
Additional support is available if you will find it difficult to fully participate in the lab due to socio-economic disadvantage, d/Deafness, Disability, neurodiversity, sight or hearing loss or a physical or mental health condition that you don’t associate with this terminology.
Space / Lle offers you the space to breathe, to build, to create, and to fall in love with film again. We look forward to getting your application!
Who can apply?
- The Space/Lle lab is focused on people based in Wales who identify as part of the global majority and who are aspiring to or already have some experience of, writing, directing or producing cinematic feature film. By global majority we mean people who identify as Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and/or people who have been racialised as 'ethnic minorities’.
- Participants should have a creative track record in TV or another art form and can be focused on animation, live action narrative or documentary film, but cannot have been the lead writer, director or producer on a feature film in the last ten years that has gained commercial UK distribution (ie not self-released).
- You must also be over the age of 18 and not in full-time education.
It’s important to us that activity is designed around your ambitions and needs so we’ll keep some elements of the programme flexible and will involve you as an active partner in the design of the programme.
How do I apply?
Applicants will need to have a feature film (live action or animated) or feature documentary idea that they’re applying with to get the most out of the lab, even if it’s just an early cinematic idea.
Unless we’ve agreed an alternative way of applying with you (see Access Support below) you should:
- Read the Guidelines
- Download and complete the application form
- Email the completed form and any necessary supporting documents to network@ffilmcymruwales.com by the Deadline
Deadline
12pm Tuesday 25th March 2025
Access Support and Inclusion
We believe in a screen sector that works for everyone and we are passionate about broadening access to that sector.
For applicants with access requirements, for example individuals who are d/Deaf, Disabled, neurodiverse, or have sight or hearing loss, support is available to complete an application. Please contact us to let us know how we can help. For example, we can cover the costs of a BSL interpreter for a meeting with us prior to making an application, scribing support for dyslexic applicants, extend the application deadline, or agree alternative formats for applying such as video applications or slide decks. We’ll be guided by you.
Contact Details
If you have any questions or access requests, please contact the below in advance of the application deadline:
Emily Morus Jones, Talent Coordinator emily@ffilmcymruwales.com or call 02922 676711 and leave a message stating your name, number, convenient times of day to call, and noting that you are requesting access support for the Space/Lle lab.
Nuno Mendes, Project Manager Culture Connect Wales nuno.mendes@watch-africa.co.uk
Lab Leaders
Patricia Drati is a Danish award-winning producer, director, and film development consultant of Ugandan origin, working with both documentary and fiction. After completing BA in Film Studies, she worked for several years as a journalist and writer. Between 2009-2015, Patricia was Head of CPH:LAB at CPH:DOX. She curated, developed, and managed the cross-cultural training and production lab for international filmmaking talents, where she initiated more than40 low budget films, awarded in Venice, IFF Rotterdam and Visions du Réel among others. In 2016 Patricia became a partner in Copenhagen-based production company Good Company Pictures, where she works as a creative producer, and where she is currently developing two feature documentaries as a director. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Patricia has been a member of selection committee and script reader for Torino Film Lab, Less Is More, Hubert Bals Fund, BFI Doc Society Fund and Doha Film Institute. She is currently mentoring Hot Docs Blue Ice fellows in the period 2024/2025 as well as a group of East African filmmakers from Uganda, Burundi and the DR Congo in the framework of Matatu Film Lab. She has served on juries at Vision du Réel, Karlovy Vary IFF, Docudays UA, Interfilm Berlin, CPH:DOX and IDA Documentary Awards.
Nayeem Mahbub is an international script consultant working with a variety of fiction, hybrid and short projects. As well as his ongoing collaboration with LIM Boosting Ideas, he is currently consultant and mentor at EAVE Producers Workshop, European Short Pitch and Kehittämo - talent development lab (Finland). He has previously worked with Hamburg Series Lab and Pop Up Film Residency amongst others. He has a background as a film and video editor, working in both narrative and commercials. An alumni of the multinational documentary masters programme DOCNomads, he started his career writing and directing 2D animation in his native Bangladesh, followed by a short stint as a BBC World Service producer.
Space / Lle is made possible with support from the Welsh Government via Creative Wales, BFI Network and Arts Council of Wales.
