Matchmakers Global South Lab
The new development initiative Matchmakers Global South Lab has officially launched for emerging UK-based producers. Delivered by DreamCoat Films and Mairare, and backed by the BFI Creative Challenge Fund with National Lottery funding, the programme is open to UK producers developing feature-length fiction projects seeking international co-production partners in Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Joseph a. Adesunloye, DreamCoat Films and co-founder of Matchmakers says: “In an era when stories cross borders and production ecosystems span continents, the Matchmakers Global South Lab stands as a bridge. The UK is increasingly collaborating with African, Caribbean and Latin American territories, from Morocco to Nigeria to Brazil yet many UK-based emerging producers lack direct routes into these markets. This programme aims to provide answers to that gap.”
Luiza Paiva, Mairare and co-founder of Matchmakers says: “We’ve designed this new programme to answer the BFICreative Challenge Fund’s call to expand opportunities for UK producers. The aim is to open doors and create opportunities for UK producers to build capacity, partnerships and presence in the Global South, and vice versa. Filmmakers in these regions increasingly look outward for collaboration and rely heavily on global networks for co-production support, which is exactly what Matchmakers aims to provide with our incredible partners.”
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
A total of 10 UK projects and their producers will be selected. Participants will receive mentoring, guidance and masterclasses from industry leaders and filmmakers like Emily Morgan of Quiddity Films; Karim Aïnouz of Inflamável, Moroccan screenwriter, director and producer Saïd Hamich of Mont Fleuri Production; and Akin Omotoso, director of Rise for Disney+.
Additional partners include the Brazilian Ministry of Culture’s Audiovisual Secretary Joelma Gonzaga, Screen Nigeria and the Brazilian Embassy in London. The Lab also forms part of the UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025–26.
The programme, held across the UK and online from January to April 2026, will begin in Leeds. The cohort will also attend the European Film Market at Berlinale to meet potential co-producers and present their projects internationally, in partnership with the British Council (UK) and Projeto Paradiso (Brazil).
Mia Bays, Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund, said: “Our ambition for the Creative Challenge Fund has always been to unlock bold new opportunities for project development. We are therefore delighted to back DreamCoat Films & Mairare with a programme that powerfully embodies our mission: to equip emerging producers with the tools to develop distinctive projects, while placing a dedicated spotlight on co-productions with Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. Their expertise positions them to deliver something truly tailored and unique, rooted in experience and international perspectives. By opening up vital global connections, and combining these with sustained mentorship and structured support, we are confident UK producers participating will gain transformative benefits that extend far beyond this programme.”
Melanie Hoyes, Director of Inclusion, BFI says: “The Matchmakers Global South Lab is a brilliant new programme that aligns with our mission to expand UK storytelling and those who get to tell them. Our support for diverse voices is unwavering, and this lab is a timely reminder of the importance of giving access to and elevating a multitude of talent.”
Briony Hanson, Director, Film, British Council says: “The programme shares many of the British Council’s Film goals, not least in its ambition to support international collaboration for emerging filmmakers whose voices are currently underrepresented in the UK industry.”
Akin Omotoso, Producer/Director, says: “My love for our industry is for our storytellers, stories and the collaboration that make stories possible and wherever the opportunity arises I lend my voice to support those match making goals.”
