Bumble is awarding five women-made short films funding as part of its second Female Film Force competition. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the winning projects include a comedic drama about Queen Victoria’s postpartum depression and a German doc exploring children’s interpretations of contemporary feminism.
Bumble started Female Film Force last year to help rectify the gender imbalance in show business. The dating app’s first competition was open only to Irish and UK women’s projects, but expanded in 2019 to also include France and Germany.
“The Female Film Force is an empowering initiative set out to shine a light on the imbalance in the film industry and provide women across Europe with the opportunity to tell the stories they’re wanting to tell,” said Louise Troen, Bumble’s vp of international marketing and communications.
Female Film Force 2019 received over 1,300 pitches. Ten finalists were evaluated by industry panelists such as actresses Archie Panjabi and Stacy Martin, director Amma Asante, and producer Jane Featherstone. The five winning shorts will be fully funded by Bumble, receive support from mentors, and be presented at an industry event in January.
“The program encourages women to have the confidence to believe in themselves and take the plunge into creating their own stories. We were incredibly fortunate to work with an inspiring panel of industry leaders who helped us select the final five recipients, all of which embody Bumble’s core values and beliefs,” Troen commented. “The funding will help launch these inspiring women into the industry and we can’t wait to see what they produce in January 2020.”
“Doctor Who” scribe Joy Wilkinson is making her directorial debut with “Ma’am,” the short about Queen Victoria and her post-natal struggles. Jude Goldrei is producing and Kate Reid will serve as DP.
“Sunita” is written and produced by Joan Iyiola and Chibundu Onuzo. Per Bustle, it is the story of Dolapo, a British-Nigerian who is having difficulty finding her place at a traditional boarding school. Things change when she meets Sunita, an Indian girl who provided the hair for Dolapo’s wig.
“Ascending Grace,” centering on a group of Catholics whose plane is grounded en route to Lourdes, is directed by Claire Byrne, written by Karen Healy, and produced by Sharon Cronin.
From director-producer Julie Robert, “Et Chaque Nuit” is an animated project about the relationship between a woman, her girlfriend, and the ghostly deer that has haunted her since childhood. Robert and Maëva Poupard are handling the animation, and Céline Le Thérisien is writing and line producing.
The final winner is “Viva La Feminista,” a documentary examining modern feminism from the perspective of six German children. The project hails from Silke Meya and Laura Mentgen’s production company, Noumia Film.
