Privacy Policy for the Matchmakers Global South Lab, in accordance with data protection laws, primarily the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Last Updated: December 2025
1. Who We Are
This privacy policy applies to the Matchmakers - Global South Lab (“the Lab”),
which is managed and administered by DreamCoat Films and Mairarê LTD (“we”, “our”, or “us”). We are the ‘data controller’ for the information you provide during the application process.
You can contact us at: matchmakers@dreamcoatproductions.com.
2. The Purpose and Legal Basis for Processing Your Data
We collect and use the personal information you provide in your application for the following purposes:
- To administer and process your application for the Lab.
- To communicate with you about your application.
- For selection purposes, including assessment by our internal team and independent selection panel.
- For equal opportunities monitoring (this data is anonymised and used for statistical purposes only).
- If successful, to manage your participation in the Lab, including travel and accommodation logistics, and promotion of the Lab and your project.
Our legal basis for processing this data is Legitimate Interest, as it is necessary for the administration and operation of the Lab.
For special category data (such as the ethnic group or health information you may provide for access requirements), we process it based on your explicit consent, which you grant by providing this information in your application.
3. What Personal Data We Collect
We collect the information you provide in the application form, which may include:
- Identity and Contact Data: Your name, email address, phone number.
- Project Data: Your project title, logline, synopsis, script materials, budget, and finance plan.
- Professional Background: Your biography, filmography, and links to previous work.
- Equal Opportunities & Diversity Data: Your gender identity, ethnic group, and socioeconomic background (this is anonymised and used for statistical reporting only).
- Access Requirements Data: Any information you volunteer about a disability or health condition to allow us to provide appropriate support.
4. How We Store and Protect Your Data
- Your data is stored on secure, password-protected servers and cloud platforms (e.g., the Google Workspace used for the application form).
- Access to your personal data is restricted to personnel directly involved in the administration and selection process for the Lab
(including the independent selection panel) on a need-to-know basis.
- We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to prevent unauthorised access, loss, or destruction of your data.
5. Data Sharing and Transfers
We will not share your personal data with any third parties for their own marketing purposes.
We may share your data with:
- Our Selection Panel: Comprising independent industry professionals, who are bound by confidentiality.
- Our Delivery Partners: Specifically, the National Film and Television School (NFTS), for the purpose of programme delivery.
- Service Providers: Such as cloud storage providers and travel agents, who act as ‘data processors’ under our strict instructions.
- Funders: We are required to provide anonymised statistical reports on applicant diversity to the British Film Institute (BFI).
We do not transfer your data outside the UK.
6. Data Retention
- Successful Applicants: If you are selected for the Lab, we will retain the personal data necessary for the programme's duration and for a period of 3 years thereafter for reporting, evaluation, and alumni network purposes.
- Unsuccessful Applicants: If you are not selected, we will retain your application data for a period of 12 months after the application deadline for evaluation and audit purposes, after which it will be securely deleted. Anonymised diversity data will be retained for longer-term statistical analysis.
-7. Your Data Protection Rights
Under data protection law, you have rights including:
- Your right of access: You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
- Your right to rectification: You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate.
- Your right to erasure: You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Your right to restriction of processing: You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Your right to object to processing: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Your right to data portability: You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.
Please contact us at matchmakers@dreamcoatproductions.com if you wish to make a request.
8. How to Complain:
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us at the email address above.
If you remain unhappy with how we have used your data, you can also complain to the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
