Film London has joined forces with the British Council to launch "Shakespeare’s Sister," a short film initiative to develop some of the UK’s best emerging women filmmaking talent and help tackle gender disparity within the film industry.

Two women-led teams, which can include transgender women, will be offered £15,000 (about $23,000) in production funding to create short films inspired by the works of Shakespeare. They will also receive practical support and mentoring from Film4, along with a year’s Women in Film & TV membership.

The completed films will form a key part of the program of work Film London is commissioning to commemorate 400 years of Shakespeare throughout 2016.

"The need for projects that address filmmaking’s gender divide has been identified in BFI research, which found that female writers and directors are underrepresented across the film industry despite huge audience demand and proven commercial viability," the press statement reads. "Roughly one in ten films are directed by women, and just under a fifth are written by them. With this disparity in mind, ‘Shakespeare’s Sister’ is both forward-thinking and necessary in its aim to support, champion and showcase the work of emerging female filmmakers and provide them with a global platform for their work."

Filmmaking teams must comprise of female writers, directors and producers. Applicants from all backgrounds, including transgender women, are encouraged to apply. Films can be up to 15 minutes in length, and should be inspired or informed by Shakespeare’s plays, poems, characters or life.

The deadline for applications is November 3, 2015.

For full guidelines and how to apply, click here.