How young people can bring their film cast & crew together with FILMD

Above all else, filmmaking is a collaborative pursuit and finding the right mix of people to go on that journey with can be extremely difficult. That's why we're exciting to present a new film and TV production platform FILMD, which brings together cast, crew and creative professionals. 

Founded by entrepreneur Craig Heyworth and BAFTA award-winning actor, writer, and director Craig Roberts, their mission is to help all independent filmmakers - especially the next generation of young filmmakers - succeed and achieve their dreams. Find out more below about what FILMD can offer your students.

Welcome to FILMD

We are incredibly proud to introduce FILMD to educators and the next generation of young filmmakers across the UK. Our innovative cloud-based collaboration platform connects talent, tools, and support to help cast, crew, and creative professionals develop their own projects and discover opportunities to work together.

Since our launch, we have been honoured to receive amazing support from our industry colleagues including those at the British Film Institute (BFI), the London Independent Film Festival (LIFF), and the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).

A little bit of history

Our roots at FILMD date back to the summer of 2020, mid-pandemic, amidst the vast uncertainty facing isolated cast, crew, and creative professionals in our industry, and the thousands of young people aspiring to join the profession.

We wanted to find a new way to give filmmakers - particularly those facing adversity - greater opportunities; to bring more independent filmmakers together; to remove the barriers in the entertainment industry; and to create an accessible online community where people could find new talent, secure work, and manage their own productions.

With Craig Robert's significant experience and knowledge of the film and TV industry, my experience and knowledge of tech startups, and the exponential increase in user interaction with technology during the pandemic, a tech solution seemed the most promising solution for change.

The rest, as they say, is history!

On January 21st, 2022, after 18 months of development and following a successful series of tests with 200 inaugural members, FILMD was launched.

A world of opportunity

Our FILMD web application gives users the ability to create projects, assign production roles, and seek out collaborators. Using our 'member mapping' system, users can safely search for other FILMD members by name, approximate location, profession, skill set, and even equipment, allowing filmmakers to build connections and establish productions more easily, both locally and across the UK.

An array of additional features and tools are included within the app, such as the casting and crew board, direct messaging, a community feed, and screening rooms where users can receive feedback on their work and provide the same for others in the community.

And this is just the beginning. We have just launched FILMD Grants and we are currently shortlisting submissions for our first-ever ‘short film' award.

Suresh Shrestha, Senior Developer at FILMD, said; "FILMD comes at a time where the need to connect cast, crew, and creative professionals together has never been so great. We're really excited to be launching an app that offers an incredibly simple solution to an industry-wide challenge."

Craig Roberts, Co-Founder, said; "Having acted since I was younger, I've seen first-hand how difficult it can be to get a break in this industry. Even at an advanced level, it's still a huge challenge getting a film off the ground, with all the talent, funding, equipment and logistical requirements needed. FILMD sets about to offer a fresh way of connecting a new wave of talent together in a platform that we feel confident has the potential to break down barriers for filmmakers."

Head to the FILMD website to discover more. Meanwhile, our Filmmaking Hub is a great place for young people to discover what stage of the filmmaking process they're interested in and our Careers Hub can help them take that passion to the next level.