As one of the inaugural recipients of the Film and TV Charity’s Reel Impact Fund, Dean reflects on what true opportunity looks like for underrepresented filmmakers – and how targeted initiatives are finally opening once gatekept doors.

Opportunity. It’s a word you hear often in our industry – usually paired with promises of inclusion, access, and support. But for filmmakers like myself – Black, under-resourced, and often self-financed – opportunity doesn’t always mean the same thing. It’s not just about being invited; it’s about being able to show up, to stay, and to thrive in spaces that were never built with us in mind.

What opportunity really means for marginalised filmmakers

My career has been shaped by moments that either revealed or restricted opportunity. When my short film Class 15 – starring the brilliant Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Top Boy, Dune) – premiered at Urbanworld in New York in 2016, it should have been a breakthrough. It was an Oscar-qualifying festival. It had momentum. But I couldn’t afford the trip. No flight. No meetings. No networking. And with that, a window quietly closed.

It was a moment of clarity. I saw how crucial presence was – not just having your film selected, but being there: for the Q&As, the mixers, the casual introduction that becomes a lasting relationship. The opportunity wasn’t just on screen. It was in the lobby.

The role of the Reel Impact fund

Fast forward to 2024. My latest short, The Mediator, starring Daniel Portman (Game of Thrones) and Cat White (Ten Percent, Threesome), was accepted into the St. Louis International Film Festival – another Oscar-qualifying platform. But again, I found myself on the back foot. I’d self-financed the film, drained my resources, and had a growing network in Los Angeles I wanted to explore. The cost felt insurmountable.

At a celebration hosted by the Film and TV Charity to honour the life and legacy of Sir Horace Ové – the first Black British filmmaker to direct a feature-length film in the UK – I heard whispers of a new initiative. A targeted fund designed to support Black and Global Majority creatives at the very stage when access often narrows rather than expands. That initiative would become the Reel Impact Fund – a direct response to the industry’s calls for meaningful change in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. It wasn’t just a gesture – it was infrastructure.

When I was awarded the grant, new doors began to open – doors that had previously felt firmly shut. For once, cost and circumstance didn’t make the decision for me. I got to say yes.

From festival floors to targeted industry access

With Reel Impact’s support, I flew out to St. Louis and shared space with filmmakers from Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, and the UK. The impact didn’t stop there. From Missouri, I travelled to Los Angeles. for a few pre-arranged meetings. On my first evening, I was invited to a screening by a producer – and that led to a cascade of further connections. One meeting became many: with the producers of the film, with development execs open to discussing the projects I’ve been shaping. I met director Menhaj Huda (The Flash, Kidulthood) through an introduction arranged by B3 Media, a pioneering network nurturing diverse talent across film, immersive storytelling, and digital culture. We spoke about navigating the industry and sustaining momentum.

And yes – at that same screening, I ended up chatting most of the evening with Jordan Peele’s cinephile mum. For a moment, I felt the intangible click of alignment. I was in the right room.

Opportunity is not a handout – it’s sustained access

Opportunity isn’t one meeting or one grant – it’s sustained access. It’s a seat at the table, yes, but also a chance to stay in the room long enough to build, collaborate, and be remembered. Reel Impact didn’t just offer me money, it offered belief. And belief helped me get through the door – it helped me stay in the conversation.

We’re still celebrating firsts – My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr. became the first Nigerian film ever selected for Cannes, screening in the Un Certain Regard section and receiving a Caméra d’Or Special Mention. That alone shows why targeted investment is critical. These stories, these voices, these talents have always existed. What we’ve lacked is consistent access to infrastructure.

The Reel Impact Fund, didn’t just offer money – it offered belief. The kind of belief that moves careers forward. And not just mine. If we are to meaningfully change this industry, we need more than pledges. We need investment, presence, and action.

If we’re serious about equity in film and television, we need more than statements—we need sustainable action.

Opportunity should be more than a buzzword. It should be a blueprint.

About Dean Leon Anderson

Dean Leon Anderson is a London-born and raised screenwriter, director, and producer whose work explores themes of family, identity, resilience, and cultural nuance.