We’re thrilled to announce the grantees for the second edition of our WRITE NOW – Early Stage Documentary Development Fund.
This initiative was born from a deep understanding of the unique challenges filmmakers face at one of the most critical stages of documentary filmmaking: inception. The early development phase is a time of discovery, exploration, and, often, uncertainty. It is when raw ideas are first brought to life, and the foundation for a documentary begins to take shape. However, it is also a time when resources are limited, and support can feel hard to come by. We created WRITE NOW to fill this gap, offering essential early-stage funding and guidance to help Scotland-based feature filmmakers refine their project vision and move confidently towards development and production.
By supporting directors during this crucial stage, we aim to do more than strengthen individual projects. We believe that investing in early-stage development contributes to a broader, more vibrant documentary ecosystem. The stories we help bring to life today will shape the conversations of tomorrow, and it’s our mission to ensure that these films are given the opportunity to grow and reach their full potential.
MEET THE GRANTEES:
HEATHER ANDREWS
Heather E Andrews is an award winning filmmaker and artist from East Ayrshire, Scotland. She strives to explore new ways of producing work in an ethical way, favouring analogue methods in both picture and sound and blurring the boundaries between documentary and fictional work. Her most recent short film This Werewolf Complex won the Best Experimental award and Grand Jury Prize at the SMHAF International Film Awards 2024.
CARINA NICHAOUCHINE
Carina NicHaouchine is a Scottish-Algerian filmmaker with a focus on creative documentary. After her first short documentary Ululation, which was made through Bridging the Gap, she trained with OTOXO Productions in Barcelona. Carina is currently in post-production for her first feature film, supported by Screen Scotland and a participant in Sheffield Doc Fest’s Queer Realities Director’s Lab.
ANNABEL MOODIE
Annabel Moodie is a mixed-media filmmaker with a background in anthropology. Her Bridging The Gap film Friends on the Outside won multiple awards worldwide and was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA. She is an analogue film fan, and in 2024 took part in BAL film school with Baltic Analog Lab.
THEO PANAGOPOULOS
Theo Panagopoulos is a Greek-Lebanese-Palestinian filmmaker and PhD researcher based in Scotland. His work explores collective memory, fragmented identities and archives. His most recent film The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing won the best short film award at IDFA, was selected at Sundance Film Festival 2025 and has been shortlisted for a BAFTA.
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