UK writer-director Nadia Fall has won the €10,000 (£8,648) Breaking Through The Lens Action Grant, an award for a filmmaker from a marginalised gender presented in partnership with Swiss watch and jewellry manufacturer Chopard.
Fall was chosen from five finalists, with the award presented at an event at the Chopard boutique in London this evening (Tuesday, October 10).
Fall won the award for her project Brides, which follows two teenage girls who leave their troubled lives in an English seaside town to join Isis in Syria. A UK-Italy co-production between the UK’s Neon Films and regional Italian funds, Brides was written by Suhayla El-Bushra and produced by Nicky Bentham for Neon and Marica Stocchi for Italy’s Rosamont. It is currently in pre-production ahead of a November 2023 shoot in Wales, Italy and Turkey, with support from the BFI and Ffilm Cymru Wales.
Fall was named a Screen Star of Tomorrow as a writer-director earlier this year. She has an established career as a stage director, holding the post of artistic director at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, and directing more than 10 plays at London’s National Theatre.
“We have cast authentically with two young women of Muslim heritage from Somali and Pakistani backgrounds,” said Fall. “The grant will go towards supporting our young cast in preparation for what for some will be their first acting experience. This includes dedicated rehearsal time, working with voice and movement coaches as well as support from a full-time well-being officer. In addition, part of the grant will be used upon completion of the film to attach an impact consultant, so that we can fully engage with communities, young people and diverse audiences during the festival run and release of the film.”
Speaking to Screen about Brides earlier this year, Fall said, “I felt more strongly than ever that it was us that had to tell this story and that the only medium was film.”
“It’s a subject matter that can trigger heated debate, but our film is about creating empathy, not about othering. It’s also a road-trip movie about the intimacy of female friendships and about those risky choices we make as teenagers.”
The Action Grant launched at Cannes this year, receiving more than 200 submissions; and selected its five finalists last month.
Jury members for the award were Chopard president Caroline Scheufele; director, founder of 225 Film Club and chair of Bafta’s British Short Film Category Rita Osei; South Indian actress and activist Shruti Haasan; Bafta Elevate and Breakthrough leader Shantelle Rochester; and director and BTTL alumnus Laura Moss.
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