ITV Expands Successful Fresh Cuts Strand for Disability History Month 2024 & takes new push into short series

ITV and MultiStory Media, part of ITV Studios, has today announced the return of the acclaimed Fresh Cuts strand. This year, marking an ITV first, the selected talent will produce/direct compelling short-form series which will air on ITVX and ITV’s digital channels as part of programming for Black History Month, and this year also for UK Disability History Month.

As well as the move from single hours to short-form series, Fresh Cuts 3.0 welcomed aspiring directors to apply with or without an idea of their own, to produce content for this year’s strand.

Making their directorial debut for ITV, the selected producer/directors for Black History Month 2024 are Moses Ssebandeke with his profile series Alter Egos, Sammy Ofori-Attah’s Black Magic with Trixy, and Destiny Williams’ light-hearted Dogs of Grime. 

For Disability History Month 2024, programming includes Stephanie Symington’s makeover series Date My Nan, Richard Walker’s Disabled talent-led chat show Unfiltered Women and Molly Dennis’ cooking show Takeaway or Fakeaway.

Natalie Rose has been appointed as the Executive Producer, overseeing the strand for MultiStory Media, and Commissioning Editor Richard Botchway will oversee the series for Sue Murphy’s Fact Ent team.

Fresh Cuts is funded through ITV’s £80 million Diversity Commissioning Fund, which launched in 2022. Over the past two years, Fresh Cuts has provided opportunities to eight directors, earning a BAFTA nomination along the way. Among them is Jason Osborne, whose first network documentary commission for ITV was nominated in the Emerging Talent: Factual category. 

Executive Producer for MultiStory Media, Natalie Rose said: “Fresh Cuts is all about championing underrepresented voices. Our content will be produced and directed by first-time talent from diverse backgrounds. Their perspective is central to producing this content and how it is executed. The move to short-form series and genre shift to more pop-y Fact Ent ideas is an exciting development for this year’s series. I can’t wait to see this very talented group of filmmakers put their take on these ideas, and get their first network directing credits along the way.”

In conjunction with Black History Month and Disability History Month, as part of ITV’s commitment to support and commission content from diverse-led businesses, Amplify: the Companies was launched. As part of this initiative, two companies have been selected to produce a short-form series: one from a Disabled-led company and another from a company led by People of Colour. These series will be released during the respective commemorative months.

Postcard Productions will produce Ash Holme - What Not To Do with Dad, following the presenter and content creator as she takes in different experiences with her Dad, and Gold Wala will produce Evil Escapes, following three disabled comedians, including "Lost Voice Guy" Lee Ridley, as they take a spooky road trip across the UK and attempt to prank and out-scare each while exploring Britain's scariest and weirdest attractions.

Richard Botchway, Commissioning Editor at ITV, added: "Fresh Cuts has been a fantastic route to giving new talent their first network credits and I’m excited to be a part of this year’s series. The new short-form approach is intended to create engaging, more easily shareable content, with the potential to attract younger audiences and bring greater visibility to the series, wherever audiences choose to view their content. We’re also really excited to be working with Faraz at Gold Wala and Rich at Postcard Productions, in their first commissions from ITV.”

Gold Wala MD Faraz Osman said: “Championing diverse voices through entertaining, fresh formats is what we are all about. So we are thrilled to be working with the ITV team and some of the UK's most exciting comedy talent to create a scarily funny new show that is sure to make you scream with laughter!”

Postcard MD Rich Bentley said: "We are excited to bring the fabulous Ash Holme and her ever-patient dad, Phil, together in this entertaining format that combines outrageous adventures with real heart. We do not see father-daughter combinations on screen and Ash and Phil's unique and brilliant relationship offers a new way of exploring and challenging how we understand the modern world."

Ade Rawcliffe, Group Director of Diversity and Inclusion at ITV, commented: “We’re proud to support new and emerging black and disabled talent as ITV champions authentic storytelling from fresh perspectives. With a notable gap in Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent talent at the Producer/Director level, expanding Fresh Cuts to mark Disability History Month allows us to support underrepresented talent in our industry.”

[ENDS]

Notes to Editors:

BLACK HISTORY MONTH (OCTOBER)

Alter Egos (3 x 10")

A profile series following ordinary people with an unusual Alter Ego

PD: Moses Ssebandeke

MultiStory Media 

Black Magic with Trixy (6 x 5")

BGT Finalist, Magician Trixy embarks on a magical journey of London, visiting different areas of the city that bear historical and cultural significance to the black community before he performs a trick on one those he meets

PD: Sammy Ofori- Attah

MultiStory Media 

Dogs of Grime (5 x 6")

Light-hearted interview series with Grime stars and their dogs

PD: Destiny Williams

MultiStory Media 

Ash Holme: What not to do with Dad (2 x 10”)

What Not To Do With Dad sees TikTok star and party-animal, Ash Holme take on the types of challenges you would never, EVER want your parent to know about. Only she’s taking her dad, Phil, along for the ride.... How will they fare learning to pole dance? Visiting a sex club? Or double dating? And what will they discover about each other - and their relationship - in the process?

Postcard Productions

DISABILITY HISTORY MONTH (NOV - DEC)

Date my Nan (4 x 10")

Disabled MUAs treat one deserving Nan to a make-over followed by a date with a friend, family member or admirer

PD: Stephanie Symington

MultiStory Media 

Unfiltered Women (3 x 10")

Disabled talent-led chat show featuring Samantha Renke, Fats Timbo and Jay Howard.

PD: Richard Walker

MultiStory Media 

Takeaway or Fakeaway (4 x 8")

Ayala Daly attempts to cook her version of a classic takeaway dish at home. The catch is that she has to make it in the time it takes for a local takeaway to deliver their version while also beating them on taste (which will be judged by a child).

PD: Molly Dennis

MultiStory Media 

Evil Escapes (2 x7”) 

A unique, comedic, spine-chilling travel series featuring a trio of disabled comedians including Lee Ridley (Lost Voice Guy, winner of BGT). In their specially modified car equipped with advanced tech to monitor heartbeats and sweat glands, our team will explore the UK’s scariest and weirdest locations. Each episode showcases their unique perspectives, hilarious pranks, and the support they provide each other while navigating haunted houses, eerie historical sites, and thrilling attractions.

Gold Wala Productions

Fresh Cuts Producer Biographies 

Moses Ssebandeke

Moses began his filmmaking career in 2007 at the age of 15. Many of his self-written and directed comedy sketches have gone viral, amassing 100 million views across all social media platforms. In 2020, Moses graduated with a postgraduate diploma in Writing and Producing Comedy from the BAFTA-winning National Film and Television School, which Variety and The Hollywood Reporter have ranked among the best film schools in the world. This course is sponsored by Channel 4 and Netflix. In 2023, he was selected to participate in the ITV Comedy Writers Initiative.

His film "Patient 4318" was screened on UK national television and at the African American Film Market in Hollywood, LA, in 2015. Moses began performing stand-up comedy in 2012, and in 2013, he was selected for a prestigious apprenticeship with BBC Comedy. This led to his work in content creation and development across various BBC departments, including BBC 1Xtra, CBBC, and BBC Three.

In 2017, Moses Ssebandeke's script "Mary's Room" was shortlisted by Creative England (now Creative UK) to be part of the Shortflix program. The script was also developed by BFI's Film London and went on to be nominated for a Screen Nation Award. Moses has written and directed many award-winning short films, several of which have been screened on the BBC. He also created a BBC Arts interactive documentary starring Brit Award winner Stormzy.

In 2018, Moses won the ScreenSkills Short Film Award for his film "Reflection," which was screened at the British Film Institute (BFI). His other short film, "Distance," was screened in Budapest and won the Channel 4 Values Award. His graduation film "Insta Grim" won Best African Diaspora Film at the 23rd African Film Awards and a Silver Award at the Dark Comedy Film Festival in LA.

Moses is the co-founder of the film collective Lionstooth, which produces innovative shorts and has held several sold-out screenings at BAFTA and Channel 4 headquarters. In 2020, he wrote and directed a lockdown feature film called "Drapetomania," which is now available. He also wrote and directed another feature film in 2021 called "Double Booked," which is also out now.

Sammy Ofori-Attah

Sammy Ofori-Attah is a Glasgow-born, Yorkshire-raised filmmaker who transitioned from a 14-year career in dentistry to working in film and TV. Completing a two-year film diploma at Raindance Film School provided him with a solid foundation in film and television, allowing him to write, direct, and produce multiple scripted and unscripted films that were screened at the Raindance Film Festival in 2018 and 2019. Earning a Directing and Producing TV MA at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) helped him build on this foundation, making him a more rounded producer and director.

Some career highlights include working with the BBC Film Unit at Glastonbury Festival in 2023 and 2024, directing his debut short narrative film, Momentum, about a radical movement where art is created from rubbish, and creating a short documentary titled Black Men Can’t Swim, which explores his struggles with swimming. He also directed The Ratings Game, a first-of-its-kind virtual production, multi-camera reality TV pilot.

Sammy is thrilled to be involved with Fresh Cuts, having seen how previous series have highlighted rarely seen aspects of Black culture. He looks forward to exploring the theme of magic across London in this new project.

Destiny Williams

A self-proclaimed TV nerd, Destiny Williams is a London-based creative whose work is heavily influenced by their experiences with racism and social injustice while living in China. Driven by a passion for finding authentic stories and amplifying overlooked voices, Destiny has discovered the symbiotic relationship between casting, writing, and producing to create narratives that are grounded in authenticity and integrity, believing that everyone’s story deserves to be told.

Beyond casting and writing, Destiny is the founder of OLAM Productions (Of Lipstick and Melanin), a multimedia platform that highlights underrepresented talent and Black and Brown creatives over 25 through interviews, visual content, and music. Destiny believes the visual and written arts are tools not only for entertainment but also for education, with the power to drive social change.

For the past three years, Destiny has focused primarily on casting, identifying distinct voices and talent from across the UK for a wide range of unscripted TV shows, short films, and music videos. Some of these projects include The Rap Game UK (BBC3), Women of The Market (Netflix), and Out Of Order (Comedy Central), hosted by comedian Rosie Jones, which was named Gamechanger Programme of the Year at the 2024 Broadcast Digital Awards.

Molly Dennis 

Molly is a documentary filmmaker specialising in observational and specialist factual documentaries for broadcast television. After earning an MA in Film Production, they began working in camera for scripted projects and gained experience in high-end animation production. However, they found their true passion in unscripted filmmaking and have since worked on primetime projects for the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Channel 5, Sky Docs, and Netflix.

Molly often works with sensitive access and strict compliance, collaborating with a diverse range of subjects, including talent, children, athletes, first responders, trauma medics, and surgeons. Their work explores topics such as men's mental health, new mothers' mental health, physical disability, neurodivergence, victims of crime and domestic abuse, grief, the police, and sex workers, always aiming to give underrepresented people a voice and explore societal nuances.

Molly is a member of BAFTA Connect, DDPTV, and is enrolled in the NFTS Diploma for Unscripted Development. They have also developed and fundraised their own short documentaries in the UK and abroad, which have been screened at multiple film festivals and secured official distribution.

Stephanie Symington

In 2016, Stephanie graduated with a first-class degree in Media and Communications from Glasgow Caledonian University. She began working freelance in the TV industry in 2017 and became an Unscripted Assistant Producer in 2023. She has worked on a wide range of projects, from Dragons' Den to Food Unwrapped, home makeover shows, and digital projects. Stephanie adores the opportunity to work on such a variety of projects in the industry.

Stephanie has been self-shooting for two years and loves being on location. She has recently started filming with a drone and is eager to explore new ways to incorporate it into her work. Additionally, she has been training to be a Producer in Virtual Production.

Outside of work, Stephanie shares custody of two dogs with her mum and spends a lot of time at the gym. She loves running and dancing and is keen to see as much of the world as possible.

Richard Walker

Richard Walker is an experienced DV Director based in Manchester. He is skilled in self-shooting for various programmes, including BBC's Dr Xand's Con or Cure, the BAFTA-nominated series Make It At Market, BBC Education's Supermovers, and ITV's Tonight Programme.

Richard's ambition is to work as a Shooting Producer/Director (PD) across documentary, factual, fact-ent, and children's programming. They are thrilled to be part of ITV's Fresh Cuts and are eager to make films that champion diversity both in front of and behind the camera.

About Gold Wala

Gold Wala is a diverse-led production company based in London and Bristol. We build brilliant creative teams to tell thoughtful, compelling and fun stories, working across Factual, Entertainment and Children's programming.

Credits include 'GARMS' – Black Culture's Influence On British Fashion (BET UK, Paramount), Sounds Like The 80s (Channel 4), My Mate's A Muslim (BBC Three) and What's In Your Bag? (Cbeebies).

About Postcard Productions

Postcard is an award-winning production company that makes character-driven content with big stories, heart and impact. From broadcast to digital to feature films, our work reflects diverse voices on and off camera with a commitment to making content that is thoughtful and thought-provoking. 

Credits include The Stranger on the Bridge, The Man Who Fell from the Sky and The Secret World of Fight Clubs.