UNTOLD stories from Holme Wood, a British-Bangladeshi love story set on Leeds Road, and the ‘Beast of Bradford’ are among the films about life in the district made by people who live and work here.

Film-makers across the district have received Make: Film grants to create original short films and documentaries as Bradford prepares to bid to be UK City of Culture 2025.

More than 94 submissions were received from people who live, study or work in Bradford, through an open process launched earlier this year. The brief was to explore stories that challenge perceptions of the district and its communities.

A total of 37 projects was selected by a panel from Bradford Council, Bradford 2025, Bradford City of Film and the National Science and Media Museum. The films will be screened on digital platforms and potentially in public, subject to Covid safety guidelines, and a selection will be considered for the BFI National Film and Television Archive collection.

The aspiring film-makers were given council grants to produce mini documentaries and short films, covering subjects such as a first day at primary school; the effects of the pandemic on those with dementia; experiences of Congolese migrants and Muslim female prisoners; ghost stories and forbidden love.

Grants of £4,000 were awarded for films including Holme Grown, telling stories from Holme Wood’s community; From Sunrise to Sunset in the Cold and the Heat, contrasting Bradford with Karachi on one day; a dark Christmas comedy set in suburban Bradford; and Mushy Peas to Green Tea Kulfi, about life in a local chippy.

Other film-makers, granted £1,000, have made documentaries, music films, animation and dramas. The diverse subjects include two teenage Jewish refugees returning to Bradford to re-invent themselves; the legend of the Bradford Boar; the cultural heritage of Drummond Mill, Ilkley Manor House Trust in lockdown; the impact of Khidmat Centres on Muslim women who have been through the criminal justice system; and “Bradford teenagers with superpowers” in Freedom Studios’ 10-minute film Lights out in Little Germany.

Bradford 2025 Bid Director Richard Shaw said: “It is inspiring to see such an imaginative and creative range of subjects proposed by these film-makers and it shows what a rich a seam of talent we have here in Bradford district.

“In a place with such a strong screen heritage it’s thrilling to be able to support a new generation of film-makers that will help create a new narrative for Bradford. Prepare to be surprised!”