Lab Films
DISPLACED WOMEN PITCH
*A pitch development program for displaced women working in film
2nd Edition
An open call program for refugee and immigrant women in film — exploring displacement, identity, storytelling, and belonging through mentorship, collaboration, and pitch development of their documentary and fiction shorts.
Launched in 2025, lab: is an initiative created in response to the personal and collective challenges faced by displaced women in the film industry. It offers space, structure, and support for those who’ve had to start over — far from home, and often far from industry networks.
First boots donated to her in the UK. Three sizes bigger.
And yes — our 2nd Edition is open for submissions.
ELIGIBILITY
You can apply if you:
Her Ursula hoodie. She wore it through the occupation. A refugee centre volunteer said it was cool.
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Have a migrant or refugee background
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Are currently based in the UK
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Have prior experience in film or media
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Are seeking to (re)integrate into the UK film and TV industry
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Are developing a short documentary or fiction project about displacement
THEMES WE WANT TO SEE
We're looking for documentary or fiction projects that reflect on displacement — in whatever form that takes for you:
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War & Conflict
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Climate Displacement
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Economic & Social Displacement
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The Migrant Experience
Your project can explore identity, memory, belonging — what it means to carry that experience as a woman, and to tell it on your own terms.
Explore 1st Edition Projects
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU
We are going to select 8 participants - 4 for fiction and 4 for documentary - who will take part in our 4-month pitch development programme. All our participants will get:
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4 -stage group and one-to-one mentorship
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Dedicated funding & grant sessions
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Direct meetings and Q&A sessions with commissioners
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Studio & post-production facility visits
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Pitching workshop
Glitter ballerina. A gift from her mother’s English friends, kept since she was a child.
Want to know who might be guiding you through the programme?
Meet the Mentors and Stages you'll go through with your project
The programme culminates in a Live Pitch Event in London, where you'll present your project to a panel of industry experts to compete for in-kind support prizes from our partners. Specific prizes will be announced soon.
Explore 1st Edition Live Pitch Highlights
HOW TO APPLY
Simply submit:
A childhood photo with her parents.
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A script or documentary treatment for your project
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A pitch deck
This becomes the foundation you'll work from throughout the programme.
Already have both ready?
No pitch deck yet?
*sign up for free, create a new project, and the platform will walk you through the sections and questions you need to build one
Deadlines:
Regular deadline: 17 October — £10
Late call: 6 November — £20
Follow us on Instagram for updates.
Got any question?
Email Us:
Meet the Founder & Lead
was founded by Marharyta Sheremet, a displaced filmmaker from Ukraine who knows firsthand the barriers of starting over in a new country and industry.
As both an artist and a refugee, she created this initiative to offer a clear, structured, and human entry point into professional filmmaking for those whose voices are often left outside the room:
“As a displaced filmmaker, I once needed this support myself.”
WITH GRATITUDE TO OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS
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with support from the BFI Inclusion Team
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