Who Is It For?

The Matchmakers - Global South Lab is designed for UK-based emerging producers with a proven creative track record, who are developing a feature film project with clear co-production potential in Africa, the Caribbean and/or Latin America.

To ensure this Lab is the right fit for you and your project, please review the following criteria in detail.

Defining an ‘Emerging’ Producer

To align with BFI definitions and ensure we are supporting producers at a pivotal career stage, we define an ‘Emerging Producer’ as someone who has produced no more than three feature-length projects that have been commercially distributed or selected for a recognised film festival.

We also welcome producers with a comparable track record in television, theatre, or immersive/audio-visual work, who are now looking to move into feature film production. For example, this could include producing a television drama, a series of professional theatre productions, or a significant immersive installation.

The Lab is tailored for producers who have moved past the absolute beginner stage but are not yet established veterans in the international co-production landscape. You should have foundational producing experience but are now seeking the specific skills and networks to scale your work internationally.

Evidencing Your Creative Track Record

Your ‘creative track record’ demonstrates your ability to develop a project from idea to completion and navigate the practical challenges of production.

You evidence this through providing us with previous work samples, through links to your previous completed work (e.g. a trailer to a completed feature, a feature film, a feature documentary, or other relevant audio-visual material). This is the most direct evidence of your creative and technical standards.

Your producer biography & filmography, should paint a detailed history of your professional experience. This should clearly list, titles of projects you have produced. Their format (e.g. feature film, TV drama). Their status (e.g., completed, in post-production). Key achievements (e.g. ‘Official Selection, BFI London Film Festival,’ ‘Secured broadcast on Channel 4,’). This can be further evidenced through submitting your IMDB link, or website.

Your Producer's Statement is a crucial piece of evidence. It should articulate your creative vision and your long-term career goals.

Required Project Stage

To gain the maximum benefit from the Lab's focus on packaging, financing and co-production, your project must be at a sufficiently advanced stage. Therefore, you must have, a complete feature-length screenplay. This should be a final or near-final draft. We are not looking for projects at treatment or first-draft stage. The script should be polished enough to be presented confidently to potential co-producers and financiers.

A director must be formally attached to the project.

You must be the rights holder or co-rights holder of the project.

What this means in practice is your project should be largely developed creatively and ready to move into the financing and packaging stage. The Lab is designed to take a nearly market-ready project and equip you with the tools, knowledge and connections to secure its financing and production partners, from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. You do not need to have any financing in place, but you should be at the point where you are actively seeking it.

We are looking for emerging producers, who are holding a compelling, well-developed project that is poised to take the next step onto the international stage. If you have a track record of completing professional work, a complete script in hand and the ambition to build equitable global partnerships, then this Lab is for you.