Separate awards were announced this week to help South West companies and freelancers to attend this September’s Toronto Film Festival, and to give two places at the event’s acclaimed Talent Lab to UK film-makers from black, Asian or other minority communities

South West Screen is offering up to £650, to regional SMEs or freelancers, to cover the cost of registering for the Toronto event, which takes place from 6-15 September. The offer is being made in conjunction with UKTI ,which will provide top-up support to cover travel and accommodation costs.

In a separate arrangement, Skillset UK is teaming up with Toronto Talent Lab and the British Council to give two talented Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) filmmakers the chance to participate in the artistic development element of this year’s festival, where previous guest tutors have included Terry Gilliam, Gus van Sant, Gurinder Chadha, Kevin Spacey, Neil Jordan, and Atom Egoyan.



News of the awards comes at a time when South West Screen is working with a number of Canadian organisations to create sales links and co-production opportunities with Canadian broadcasters and with Canadian companies looking for UK based co-producers. Ensuring a strong SW presence at the Toronto festival is seen as a good way to underpin the strategy because the event is a major trading centre for buyers and sellers of feature films, feature documentary, TV drama, animation and natural history and a useful place to explore and form production partnerships.



For information on how to apply for the delegate bursaries, please contact Hannah Green, Business and Skills Development Co-ordinator at SWS:email hannah.green@swscreen.co.uk or phone: 0117 952 9980. Info and forms are also on the South West Screen website . The deadline for applications is 10 August

To find our how to apply for the Talent Lab awards, see "Skillset ":http://www.skillset.org/talentlab

or contact Simon Greenacre by email or by calling 020 7520 5756

The deadline for competition entries is 12 noon on Thursday 19 July.