Juno Studios, co-created by Fiona Lamptey, B-Side Production, at which Matimba Kabalika is an executive producer, and Rye Lane producer Yvonne Ibazebo’s Turnover Films are among the 33 UK film and TV production companies to receive support from the latest round of the BBC’s Small Indie Fund.
The fund will distribute £1.3m between the companies, as well as offering bespoke mentoring. Launched in 2020, the Small Indie Fund supports the growth of small independent production companies from across the UK with turnovers below £10m across film as well as TV drama, comedy, film, entertainment, factual, daytime and children’s.
The 2025 cohort sees the highest ever number of diverse-led producers – with 79% of companies having at least two individuals in specific leadership roles from one of the following under-represented groups: Black, Asian or minority ethnic, disabled and/or working class. This is up from 77% in 2024.
This is the second year that the Small Indie Fund has supported film companies via BBC Film, with 11 film companies receiving backing. (Some film company awards were made in 2020, but 2024 was the first time BBC Film has been fully involved).
London-based B-Side Production works in tandem with B-Side Management, founded by former Troika reps, including Kabalika, in 2021. B-Side Production was also in receipt of the fund’s support last year.
“The support of the Small Indie Fund has been invaluable to B-Side and we are excited to have received our first greenlight from the drama commissioning team, a co-production with Mam-Tor, for Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson,” said Kabalika. “Having produced Caleb’s debut short film Pray, with the support of BBC Film it is a full-circle moment and proof of the value of that the fund gives.”
Juno Studios launched last year as a collaboration of former Netflix executives Lamptey, Bec Mortimer, Amber Taylor and Vinnie Shergill. Screen Star of Tomorrow 2023 Danielle Goff’s company Lunar is also among the awardees.
Michelle Stein and Jennifer Monks’ The Fold, based in the north west of England, Ciara Barry and Rosie Crerar’s Scotland-based barry crerar and Justin Edgar and Alex Usborne’s London company 104 Films are again recipients of the Small Indie Fund support, having received backing in 2024.
Companies selected for the 2025 Small Indie Fund
*Denote BBC Film awards
Northern Ireland
• Deadpan
• Nice one
• Blackthorn*
Wales
• Riot Time Pictures*
• Red Seam
• Cardiff Productions
• Kailash Films
Scotland
• barry crerar* - Scotland & NI
• Studio Something
• Flabbergast
• Rogan
English Regions
• Candle & Bell Limited - North East
• Northern Child – North East
• Schnoobert Productions Limited – North East
• Button Down – Yorkshire & The Humber
• ClockWork Films – Yorkshire & The Humber
• Public Dreams* – Yorkshire & The Humber / London
• CosmoSquare* - Yorkshire & The Humber
• Abbotvision Productions – Manchester
• The Fold* – North West
• Common Story – West Midlands
• Acclaimed Content – West Midland
• Rural Studios – West Midlands
• Chalk Productions – South East
• Slate Works – South East
London
• 104 Films*
• B-Side Production*
• Juno Studios*
• Lunar*
• Nico
• Them Ones*
• Three Tables Productions
• Turnover Films
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