We are thrilled to announce the 2026 finalists for the Channel 4 First Cut Pitch!
Meet the five new directors who will pitch to a panel of industry experts for the chance to win a commission for their first 60-minute film on Channel 4, before a live audience at this year’s DocFest.
The winner will walk away with a commission for their first 60-minute film, one month of fully paid development and one week’s NFTS training (plus wages for that week) paid for by Channel 4, which supports new talent and creative diversity.
Meet the finalists:
Callum McCulloch-Nowlan
Callum is a Producer, Director, and trained journalist with over 50 hours of programming for Netflix, Apple TV, BBC and Channel 4, including credits on BAFTA and RTS award-nominated films. His recent credits include Twisted Yoga, a three-part documentary series for Apple TV, directed by Rowan Deacon.
He has extensive experience in access-driven observational and retrospective documentaries, specialising in researching complex cases and finding extraordinary characters and untold stories.
Callum also develops, produces and directs independent films; his debut short documentary will have its World Premiere at a major festival in August 2026.
Malaka Senanayake
Mal is a North East-based self-shooting director and producer with credits across BBC, Channel 4, Netflix and Amazon Prime. He specialises in character-driven access documentaries with extensive experience working within large institutions.
His credits include Forensics: The Real CSI (BBC Two), We Are Newcastle United (Amazon Prime) and Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams (BBC One).
Flora Stewart
Flora is a BAFTA Scotland-winning producer and story producer with a seven-year track record of making complex, often sensitive, documentaries with care and creativity. Her journalism has uncovered stories that became national news and seeded debates in the House of Lords, and her script-shaping and interviewing has brought to light overlooked perspectives, covering subjects such as domestic abuse, institutional medical harm, queer histories and eco threats.
Flora is best known for producing The Secret of Me (Film 4 | Channel 4), Lover, Liar, Predator (BBC), Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution (BBC | PBS) with a new feature documentary in the works and set for theatrical release in late 2026.
Tamara Lois Ansah
Tamara Lois Ansah is a producer with a deep interest in thought-provoking stories rooted in complex characters and contemporary issues.
Experienced across true crime, music, observational, current affairs and retrospective documentaries, Tamara’s credits include the BAFTA-winning Three Mothers, Two Babies & a Scandal (Prime Video) and, more recently, Diddy: In Plain Sight (Channel 4).
In 2024, Tamara was selected as one of twelve writers for the Philip Shelley led 4Screenwriting Course, with her subsequent pilot now optioned by Warp Films. She is passionate about combining her writing with her factual storytelling practice to create layered, emotionally resonant narratives.
Kiran Sira
Kiran Sira is a documentarian that likes to shine light on the people and stories that tend to get overlooked. With over a decade of experience working for broadcasters including Channel 4, BBC, Netflix, and Sky, she's drawn to stories that are messy, human, and worth telling.
Getting it right matters to her, both editorially and ethically - the process and the final product are equally important. She brings the same sensitivity to a difficult contributor conversation as she does to navigating complex legal terrain.
Her credits include The School That Tried To End Racism (Channel 4), Mental Health: Young Lives in Crisis (BBC One Panorama), and The Salt Path Scandal (Sky), and her work has been recognised with a BAFTA and a Grierson Award.
