The Phoebe Frances Brown Film Fund

Launched in April 2023. It is exclusively for female filmmakers who have a comedy story they want to put on screen.

The fund is provided by Mister Tibbs, a group of directors who specialise in making comedy for brands and broadcasters.

In its first year, the fund attracted around 140 applications from talented women from all around the country. Those applicants were shortlisted down to just six who were then interviewed by a judging panel that included members of Mister Tibbs, TV comedy stalwarts Big Talk and Phoebe's sketch group Major Labia.

The winner of the inaugural award was Sychelle Kristina Yanda, Sky for short. Sky is a young producer-writer who won over the judging panel with her passion and energy. Sky spent most of 2023 scripting, producing, shooting and editing her project 'Koko', a TV series taster centred on her late Grandmother, the eponymous Koko.

“It felt like an opportunity to get the support that I needed in order to push my writing to the next level. The team at Mister Tibbs were supportive from the interview stage right through to the edit process. I felt seen and understood. My story was a personal one and I was blessed to be supported by the team to help me bring the vision I had to life. It's exciting to say I have another short on my portfolio but it's even more exciting that I have learned more skills and made new friends in the process! I've also realised that I really like directing and plan on directing a few more shorts!”

Sychelle Kristina Yanda - writer, producer, director ‘Koko’

The Phoebe Frances Brown Film Fund will return in 2024. If you’re interested in applying then make a note of the launch date, April 12 2024, and check this link on or after that day.