TWO NEW £2,000 PRIZES

Want some extra cash? Making a short film with funding money from a London borough just got better.

Now, in addition to the very handy £500-£5,000 cash that is regularly available from the boroughs for film production, all the films made with the funding will be in the running for one of two new £2,000 prizes.

Nicknamed “The Bobs” – The Best of Boroughs Film Awards (well, you would not want to have to say that all the time would you!) – the prizes are being offered by Film London in partnership with ITV Local London, the capital’s broadband TV service.

There will be a Jury Prize, decided by a panel of film and TV bods and Viewers’ Prize, voted by ITV London tonight viewers.

To be eligible, borough funded films have to be completed before March 31, 2008. All short listed titles will be streamed at www.itvlocal.com/london with the prizes being awarded at a ceremony in the summer.

The new round of the London Borough Film Fund Challenge 2007 is open now, with16 boroughs participating - including 3 new ones (Camden, Islington and Lambeth) - in six film-fund partnerships. The six are as follows: 1) Havering, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham (Eastern Edge Film Fund); 2) Camden and Islington (Without Limits); 3) Haringey, Enfield and Waltham Forest (Triangle Film Partnership); 4) Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth; 5) Tower Hamlets, Newham and 6) Hackney (Pathways); Wandsworth and Westminster (Wandsworth and Westminster Film Fund).

Lindsay Charlton, ITV Local’s Director of Programming and Content, said: “ITV Local is becoming the natural home for short films as we develop the biggest national network for grassroots film-makers. I hope our support for the Bob Awards will help Film London discover some of the stars of the future.”

Film London, the capital’s film and media agency, is providing in the region of £40,000 towards the scheme.

Application forms are available at: www.filmlondon.org.uk/boroughfilmfunds

Filed August 6, 2007