Maltese film producer Maria Caruana Galizia has successfully secured funding from Creative England for her feature film debut, Stine. The film – a contained sci-fi feature film set in Newcastle upon Tyne – is written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Kat Wood.

The film is being developed with the support of national creative development agency Creative England’s Emerging Talent Fund via the Bfi net.work, with work beginning immediately.

Wood and Caruana Galizia, from video production company Candle & Bell, first met two years ago on the Bfi net.work’s Making the Leap talent development programme: a series of networking and learning events for Northern-based producers, writers and directors preparing to make their first feature film. Wood and Caruana Galizia discovered they both shared a passion for great genre stories, and have been looking to work together since.

When Kat first sent me her ideas for Stine, I knew it was a film I had to produce.

Having already worked for several years in the industry as a professional screenwriter, Wood wrote and directed her first short film Home earlier this year. Starring Academy Award nominated actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, and produced by Kevin Spacey (House of Cards, The Social Network), Home won Wood the Jameson First Shot Competition – making her the first UK recipient of this coveted directing award.

“To have Creative England fund the development of Stine is a great indicator of their belief in not only the project, but also in Maria and I as we embark on making our first feature film a reality. I love genre films and sci-fi in particular, so to be able to bring a sci-fi project to life in the North East where I grew up is something I’m very passionate about,” the film-maker said.

Caruana Galizia also commented: “When Kat first sent me her ideas for Stine, I knew it was a film I had to produce. She has proven herself as a talented writer and Candle & Bell is tremendously proud and excited to be working with her on her directorial debut.”

Formed in 2013, Candle & Bell is committed to working with filmmakers based in the North East and making films set in the region. The company has a track record in producing award winning short films and commercial video content. Recent short film productions include A Six and Two Threes, by Andy Berriman, which has already screened at 11 festivals and won three awards, and they have just finished production on Mordechai, by Benjamin Bee and They Live in Forests, They Are Extremely Shy, by Saeed Taji Farouky. The company is now in the process of acquiring a slate of feature films.

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