Netflix UK Unveils Documentary Talent Fund Winners

Projects about a renowned deaf DJ and why Black people struggle with swimming comprise some of the latest winners of Netflix UK’s Documentary Talent Fund.

The winning docs received £30,000 ($38,000) each and are focused on the theme of “connection.” They were showcased at a premiere event at London’s Ham Yard Hotel last night and are now available to watch via Netflix’s 6.3 million-subscriber YouTube Channel Still Watching.

The projects, which can be seen below in full, include a story about deaf DJ Troi Lee, titled Turn Up The Bass, created by a mostly deaf crew, to a film exploring the stark statistic that 87% of Black people in the UK can’t swim. Other projects include Iranian Yellow Pages about a man trying to make a new life in London who places an advert in an eccentric newspaper and discovers the Iranian community hidden in plain sight.

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with such talented filmmakers and watch each teams’ ideas blossom into fully formed documentaries,” said Kate Townsend, Netflix’s Director, Documentary Film. “We are immensely proud of the tenacity, grit and creativity demonstrated to get the films made and presented to this final standard of excellence.”

The second year of the fund includes filmmakers from across the UK and Ireland – including talent and teams from Bristol, Reading, The Midlands, London and Dublin.

The projects: