2026/27 North Star Shorts and Next Wave Filmmakers selected

The second edition of Take Three's North Star Shorts and Next Wave has now begun, with nine new short film project ideas selected across both programmes.

The twenty-one emerging filmmakers will be supported to develop their films through masterclasses, editorial feedback and 1-2-1 sessions and awarded £25,000 in production funding, alongside £3,000 in development funding.

The chosen shorts showcase Scottish and Scotland-based talent across a variety of genres including sci-fi, dystopia, comedy and drama.

Take Three forms part of Screen Scotland’s Talent Builder programme.

North Star Shorts

North Star Shorts provide an opportunity for early career Scotland-based talent to make their first fully funded short film, and is supported by Screen Scotland and BFI NETWORK (awarding funds from The National Lottery).

A mix of 14 people are shown over two rows of sevenSelected projects

Bittu 

  • Ciarán Pasi, Writer/Director 

  • Steven Jeram, Producer 

High Score 

  • Declan Dineen, Writer/Director 

  • Olivia Clark, Producer

Latch

  • Meg Wriggles, Writer/Director

  • Guto Portugal, Co-Writer

  • Misha McCullagh, Producer 

Ripe

  • Jessica Barnfield, Writer

  • Ainsley Bowman, Director

  • Josie Neasham, Producer

Transcendence

  • Shian Denovan, Writer/Director
  • Ruth Aitken, Producer

Wrestle

  • Ryan Williams, Writer/Director
  • Penny Davies, Producer

Next Wave

Next Wave supports filmmakers who may have received a previous short film production award through a Screen Scotland and/or BFI NETWORK programme, and is supported by Screen Scotland and MG ALBA.

Headshots of a mix of seven different people are shownSelected projects

A Boy's Best Friend

  • James Ley, Writer/Director
  • Laura McBride, Producer

Fear a’ Rèidio

  • Kevin MacNeil, Writer
  • John Murdo MacAulay, Director
  • Shona Mackenzie, Producer

Oath of Allegiance

  • Razan Madhoon, Writer/Director
  • Katharine ‘KK’ Kennedy, Producer