Future
North East
North East Screen, in partnership with Pact, have launched a joint initiative, Future North East, designed to identify promising indies in the North East and help to develop them into global businesses.
Future North East is based on Pact’s successful Future30 scheme – which launched in 2021 as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations – and is the second partnership from North East Screen and Pact following the Producer Fast Track scheme which ran 2021, supporting some of the region’s ambitious screen-based companies, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to develop screen content for global markets.
Click here to read more about Future North East.
Learn more about the companies that have been selected to take part in Future North East below:
Candle & Bell is an award-winning film, television, podcast and video content production company.
The company was founded in 2013 and in 2023 they celebrate 10 years in business. In 2017, they were named one of the TOP 50 Emerging Creative Companies in England. They are recipients of BBC Small Indie Fund 2023.
MCC Media is an award-winning production company based in the North East of England. They specialise in broadcast and continuously have a range of projects in development.
Paul McCoy founded MCC Media in 2004 after working with several national TV companies. From there the business continued to grow and within a few years MCC had already won a number of awards including one at the prestigious Royal Television Society Awards (RTS).
As producer and director of the company, Paul is passionate about creating outstanding content to deliver to a range of audiences.
Northern Child (Middlechild) opened its doors in the Ouseburn area of Newcastle at the beginning of 2022. The indie specialises in factual, singles and series. To date Northern Child has made a ten-part series for BBC1 Daytime, Northern Justice, following ordinary people facing extraordinary times in their lives as they turn to local lawyers for help. Therapy: Tough Talking, an ambitious documentary for BBC Three where the team installed a camera rig into a purpose built space in Newcastle and followed a young man through psychological therapy. Currently, Northern Child are producing a six-part prime time observational documentary series for Channel 5 going behind the scenes of Europe’s busiest transport network.
MOTIF was set up in 2019 by James Craggs and Tautvydas Baranauskas, crossing over from a background in sports journalism and corporate to deliver short form comedy for BBC and Channel 4 digital platforms during the pandemic. They went on to win contracts to deliver digital content for FIFA and a range of large corporate and charitable clients. They are recipients of the Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund.
Schnoobert Productions are an emerging scripted comedy indie headed up by experienced TV executive Jason Cook, based in Newcastle and already running writersrooms in the region, upskilling our next generation of writers.
The company exists because of a true desire to give other North East writers, performers, producers, directors and other creatives an outlet. To encourage, train and facilitate up-and-coming talent in the region and hopefully be a small part in creating a thriving television industry in the North East. Writers rooms, internships and hands-on training form the backbone of the vision for the company.
Sea & Sky Pictures are a small indie based in Hartlepool, and they punch well-above their weight class!
Formed in February 2020 by Adam Bouabda, Sea & Sky Pictures has produced scripted comedy, BFI funded short films, masses of online content and its first feature film. Adam heads up all scripted development and Louise Brannon runs the unscripted development arm of the business. The company was on the Channel 4 Emerging Indie Fund 2022 and is on the BBC Small Indie Fund 2023. In August 2022 the company won the BBC Comedy Regional Partnership Scheme, with Hat Trick Productions.
Signpost Productions is an award-winning production company based in the North East of England. It is a production house like no other, with diversity in our DNA. Every commission comes with a commitment that the production crew will be as diverse as possible. Signpost Productions is a production unit that is part of ITV, the UK’s biggest commercial broadcaster. We produce more than 1,500 hours of content every year for broadcasters, businesses, commercial brands and digital channels.
Paul Irwin has a background in working with disadvantaged young people from around the world. He’s taken this lifelong professional passion and innovating new solutions using digital media and interactive storytelling.
He created an interactive film series ‘TryLife’ aimed at educating young people about the consequences of their actions. If you remember the old choice-based adventure books you will love TryLife. Some of TryLife’s branching narrative scripts have been 450+ pages in length.
He is currently developing a range of projects including: an interactive film with the heads of the infamous Bloods, Crips and Mexican Mafia gangs in South Central LA, an 8th interactive TryLife film in the North West, an interactive climate action app for small children, and three interactive VR projects.
TwentySix 03 is a Gateshead based non-scripted production company. In the past few years it has made Angels Of The North (BBCThree), 24/7 Pet Hospital (BBCOne), Inside The Heist (Discovery+), Hannah Spearritt : Breast Implants and Me (ITVBe), Me, My Brother and Our Balls (BBCThree), Retreat Yourself (ITVX), and You vs Chris and Kem (ITV2).
Founded by ex-ABC, ITV and Sky Entertainment Commissioner Duncan Gray, with ex-Sky Living Controller and Royal Variety Show Executive Producer Antonia Hurford-Jones as its MD, the company is committed to providing opportunity and career progression for North East based production talent.
Wander Films is a content marketing agency and TV production company creating next level visual content to #beatthescroll®.
The team of 20 is made up of filmmakers, editors, social media managers, vfx artists, project managers & graphic designers. Wander has a newly established development team focused on producing exciting content in the factual entertainment genre!
