Db x Looking Sideways Fund: the winners!

Meet our winners and find out what happens next

A couple of years ago, I had the idea of trying to find a practical way to help new creatives and storytellers get into the industry. So partnering with Db to launch the Db x Looking Sideways Fund this year was the realisation of long-term ambition for me, and it was brilliant to see how many people were inspired to enter.

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Earlier this autumn, we whittled our initial 300 entries down to a longlist of 12. Now we have chosen our final two winners.

Read on to meet them, be reminded of their ideas, and learn why they entered and what they hope to get out of the Fund.

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The winners

1. Antoine Couturier and Eloise Curran

Antoine

Idea:

A surfer on the east coast of Scotland gets sick after swimming at his local beach. He and others in his community discover that sewage pollution is at the root of it all. To protect their natural playgrounds and backyards, surfers, kayakers and activists alike go looking for answers - and action from those responsible.

We are looking for funding to finish filming, producing and editing this documentary in full, and then promote it to get it seen by as many people as possible. The more people see it, the more chance there is of action being made!

This film has been in production for over a year now using any money we make from other work to fund it. There is still a lot to film to really bring this project to life, and we need help as funds are getting tight, and the project will suffer without additional support.

For this, we will need to travel, rent some equipment from time to time, and pay some of the bills! …. and we would like to enter as many film festivals as we can.

Judge’s feedback:

“A really relevant global topic, and I think governments and companies need to be held to account. I was also impressed with how far into the project they are, and get the impression they’ll use the funding and mentorship wisely”. - Owen Tozer

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Eloise

Interview:

Tell us a little bit a bit about yourselves

Antoine: I'm a filmmaker and photographer based in Glasgow, Scotland. I first picked up a camera in 2018 and quickly realised I wanted to tell stories that move people. At the start of my professional life, like many from my generation, I felt a huge weight of responsibility on my shoulders to do something about the state of the world. I had no idea where to start, but I noticed that watching films affected me deeply. It impacted the way I think and shifted my perspective on things. I've come to realise that gripping storytelling and taking an audience on an emotional journey is an excellent way to engage people's minds and hearts. It's a powerful tool. If I can impact just a handful of people's perspective through my work - make them laugh, cry, dream - I'll have succeeded.

Eloise: I’m a new producer/ filmmaker from Scotland. I love documentaries and always searching for the latest and greatest docs out there. I’ve always had the desire to make my own, telling the stories of those who may otherwise go unheard, but never went all in for it - until now. For the past year I’ve been juggling my full-time job in Digital Communications along with filming projects in my own time – it’s been a joyful and steep learning curve!

Where did your idea come from?

Antoine: A friend got quite sick after swimming at his local beaches and became concerned for the wellbeing of other water users in his area. He reached out about shooting a short film to highlight the issue. He hoped to use his network to raise awareness and some funds for Surfers Against Sewage. Naturally, I started to investigate. I quickly realised that this project needed to be a lot more than just a short film about a surfer who got a stomach bug. As a member of the surf community here in Scotland, I knew that what I was learning, the stories I was hearing - It all needs to be brought to light, and fast!

Why did you enter the Fund?

Antoine: The project grew so quickly that I struggled to keep up with everything. Thankfully, I met Eloise around this time last year, and she agreed to help me produce the film. We've been funding this project entirely from our own pockets and by making time for it whenever we could. We've never made a film before, so needless to say, we've been running into a good few hurdles along the way.

When we heard about the Fund, we got excited. One of the toughest things to come by in the filmmaking space is someone who can give you tailored advice. Someone who can take the time to guide you through everything from story development to promotion and distribution, to whatever else is waiting for you around the corner.

Our bank accounts were also taking a hit, and the project was starting to slow down because of it. The financial support combined with guidance from such well-established players in this industry had us scrambling to meet the application deadline.

How are you hoping the Fund and mentorship can help with your project?

“The award gives our project some credibility. We're thrilled to have been selected for the award and that we caught the interest of such well respected brands in the industry. Hopefully that alone helps to strengthen our message and spread awareness about the issue we cover in our film”.

With some funds to work with, we'll be able to get to set and shoot more scenes, rent kit when we need it, and hopefully hire someone to help us communicate some of the more technical aspects of the story.

The mentorship is where we're breathing the biggest sigh of relief. Making a film on your own with no experience is hard, and there are an endless list of questions and hurdles along the way. We want this film to be successful and to be seen across the UK and beyond. To get there we could use some help, and this mentorship award is very promising!

What are you hopes for this project?

Through speaking to activists, water-users, organisations and people on the street, we got fragments of a larger story that we started piecing together. It seemed that everyone who was aware of the issue only had a piece of the puzzle. And those that are unaware of the issue, unfortunately vastly outnumber those that know what's going on. We hope that this film can unify these voices and paint a clear picture about what's going on, point out what's at stake and what needs to happen to turns things around. And as any filmmaker would, we hope people enjoy the film and watch it through!

Any advice for people in a similar position to you?

Perseverance! If you have a story you want to tell and you're passionate about it, go do it. Don't worry if you're not sure how to go about it. Keep asking questions, take a course in something, search Youtube, whatever it takes. A big key for us has been to connect with others. I reached out and met Eloise - she's been a huge help and I couldn't have gotten here without her. Finally, even if you feel down or exhausted (and you will!) believe in yourself and keep pushing. If we hadn't, we wouldn't be sitting here writing this post!

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2. Jennifer Wang

Jen

Idea:

I want to create an interview series (written and recorded clips) exploring neurodivergence in action sports. This year I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and I know it fueled my obsession with action sports. There's always been comments about how athletes are "wired differently" but very rarely is neurodivergence actually named.

I work in neuroscience as well and so I want to use my resources as a scientist to investigate whether there is a link and also have athletes open up about how they know that their brains work differently (regardless of whether they have been formally diagnosed or not). Living with ADHD and autism is difficult, and there are a lot of stereotypes so I hope this series can break some of them and show people how they can thrive even if the world doesn't always accept their way of thinking.

Judge’s feedback:

“Really interesting subject matter, and the candidate has real access and insight”. - Sam Moody

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Interview:

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

My name is Jen Wang, and I'm a non-binary femme in STEM from Dallas, Texas.  I'm a research assistant in a lab studying traumatic brain injury and neurodegeneration.  When I was 12, I randomly came across the 1999 X Trials on TV and tuned in because I really loved the Disney movie Brink!  Then I watched the X Games on TV, saw Tony Hawk do the 900, and immediately was obsessed. Being a nerd who wasn't allowed to try most of those sports, that meant learning everything I could, watching all the competitions, and chatting with folks on freestyle motocross forums. The nerdiness lives on with my blog To the Power of X where I try to integrate my science background, love of pop culture, and passion for social justice in discussions about action sports.  Now in my 30s, I'm re-learning how to skateboard and snowboard.  I also like to write poetry, volunteer at the animal shelter, and pole dance. 

Where did your idea come from? 

“I got diagnosed with ADHD and autism this past year, and the signs seem so obvious in hindsight.  It made me wonder about other adults who might not have a formal diagnosis, and I noticed many podcast interviews with action sports athletes had them talking about hyperfocus, the inability to sit still, and a disregard for social norms or an inability to fit in with their peers”

That doesn't necessarily mean someone is neurodivergent, but scientists have long explored the reason why some people pursue risky activities yet the connection with ADHD and/or autism hasn't really been brought up.  I'm in a unique position where I have my own experience to draw on, as well as access to scientists studying autism at my day job.

Why did you enter the Fund? 

 I've always wanted to be involved in action sports beyond just being a fan.  My blog was a first attempt, but it's still fan-oriented and a bit all over the place in topics.  The Fund would help me focus on a specific aim, and I was very interested in the mentorship aspect.

How are you hoping the Fund and mentorship can help with your project?

Writing is my strength, but a comment I get about my blogging is that people don't want to read paragraphs of text.   I would love to branch into a visual medium, but my skills in video editing are limited and I could use guidance in how to present material in a more concise manner on camera.  Also having a project where it's not just me involved will provide the extra drive for me to focus on producing the best content possible.

What are you hopes for this project? 

I want to open up a conversation about neurodivergence in the action sports community.  When I first learned of the Fund, I immediately knew that I wanted to highlight a marginalized community.  We're seeing more queer and BIPOC athletes get the spotlight (although there's a long way to go), and while there's not always an obvious stigma to neurodivergence, it is there.  Many of us struggle with standards of "professionalism" in our jobs (meeting deadlines, being personable, juggling multiple responsibilities), and I wonder if this has affected some up-and-coming athletes.  On the flipside, I want people outside the industry to see that there are ways to accomodate for neurodivergence that isn't just psychotherapy and special classes at school.  Not everyone might end up a professional athlete, but they don't necessarily have to take the traditional route of going to college and finding a job.

Any advice for people in a similar position to you? 

Go for it!  I had the worst case of Imposter Syndrome when applying because I thought my idea was too strange and I am not really connected with the action sports industry (or media for that matter).  However, I told myself that it costs nothing except a little time to apply, and that's often the case with a lot of things.  I spent my early adult years being too self-conscious and even afraid to try things, like going to the X Games in person or learning how to snowboard, and I've learned that it's made me miss out on opportunities for happiness.  So go do the thing you're passionate about even if you're the only action sports-obsessed nerd around (now you know you're not the only one), and you'll meet people who support you along the way!

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So that’s where we are. Huge thanks to everybody who took the time to enter the Fund. If you have any questions, please let me know below: