The BFI (British Film Institute) Film Fund has announced that it will back the feature film directorial debut of black British playwright Debbie Tucker Green, titled Second Coming.

This is part of quarterly BFI initiative that will give first time directors opportunities to make their first features, with budgets under £2 million (just over $3 million). 

Second Coming is a drama that centers on a London family dealing with the impact of a pregnancy of a member who isn’t entirely mentally stable. 

Film4 will develop and co-financing Tucker Green’s feature debut, with Hillbilly Films.

Tucker Green is an award-winning playwright who’s also written for British television. Dirty Butterfly, her debut play, was produced by Soho Theatre, and her next work, Born Bad won the 2004 Laurence Olivier.

In 2011, she wrote and directed a TV movie titled Random (image above) also backed by Film4 – a combo documentary, stage and feature narrative used to tell the story of 24 hours in the life of a Black British woman on the day her younger brother is killed in a random act of violence. The film starred Nadine Marshall, Daniel Kaluuya, Jay Byrd, and Louis Mahoney.

It’s a project we highlighted 2 years ago.

Tucker Green joins Esther May Campbell as the two first time feature filmmakers selected during this round of film funding from the BFI.

Ben Roberts, director of the BFI Film Fund, commented: “Given the volume of applications we receive for projects with first time directors, we wanted to make a commitment to regular reviews of emerging filmmakers that is fair, open and inclusive. Debbie’s and Esther’s films are brilliant examples of the type of new work we hope to champion – bold, unique films from filmmakers who are prepared to take risks.”

The closing date submissions for the next round of film fund awards is May 31. To apply to the Film Fund, click here.

Congrats to Debbie Tucker Green whose Second Coming we’ll be watching for over the next 12 months.