THREE Keighley projects are among nearly 40 from across the district awarded funding to create short films or documentaries about life in the area.

Highfield Community Film Collective, Dementia Friendly Keighley and Heifer Productions CIC have each received £1,000 to produce work portraying the district, its communities and people.

In total, grants have been awarded to 37 projects.

The Make: Film initiative comes as Bradford district continues to expand its cultural activity in preparation to bid for the UK City of Culture 2025 title.

More than 90 submissions for grants were received from groups or people who live or study in the district, or have another strong connection with the area, through a process launched earlier this year.

Organisers said they were looking for original film projects that would “challenge perceptions and showcase the distinctive characteristics of the district and its communities”.

The successful submissions were chosen by a panel of representatives from Bradford Council and partner organisations including Bradford 2025, Bradford UNESCO City of Film and the National Science and Media Museum.

The filmmakers’ work will be showcased through digital platforms and potentially screened publicly, subject to Covid-19 guidelines. And a selection will be considered for the BFI National Film and Television Archive.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for healthy people and places, said: “This project has been a great opportunity for people to reflect the immense creativity and diversity of our district today. Those filmmakers who made the shortlist have achieved this through their stories and the locations and communities they want to represent. We were delighted to receive so many submissions from across the district and look forward to sharing them early next year.”

Bradford 2025 bid director, Richard Shaw, said he was delighted at the range of submissions.

“It is inspiring to see such an imaginative and creative range of subjects proposed by these filmmakers and it shows what a rich a seam of talent we have here in Bradford district,” he added. “In a place with such a strong screen heritage, it’s thrilling to be able to support a new generation of filmmakers.”