Ayub Din to mentor fund for first-time filmmakers

Ayub Khan Din, the writer of Award-winning comedy 'East is East', about the conflict between a Pakistani father and his mixed race family in Salford, 1971, will mentor the budding screenwriters for a new film fund initiated by the UK Film Council. The Council's new Development Fund programme for first-time filmmakers has made its first awards to talent and projects reflecting the fund's ambition to open up opportunities for budding writers and filmmakers across the UK. The first set of awardees includes three writers who are completely new to the industry.

The programme aims to identify and support emerging filmmakers: screenwriters, writer/directors and writer, director, producer teams who have not made a feature film or who have not yet had a feature film released theatrically or broadcast on UK television, whilst also fostering talent that has already made a mark in shorts or other media. In addition to providing financial support, the programme also includes a mentoring component.