We are thrilled to announce the finalists for the Climate Spring Digital-first Pitch at Sheffield DocFest 2026.
Join us on 11th June for an entertaining live pitching session, which will see our four finalists pitch their digital-first unscripted ideas focused on climate solutions, system change and the power of community.
In front of an audience, the finalists will pitch their ideas to creators, commissioners and funders, with the winner receiving £10,000 in production funding to bring their project to life, with expert narrative support from Climate Spring.
Plus - we are also excited to announce this year’s final confirmed judge is Ameenah Taher (Digital Commissioning Executive, Channel 4).
Session information here: https://www.sheffdocfest.com/composition/climate-spring-digital-first-pitch
Meet the finalists:
Darshan Gajjar
Darshan is a Sheffield-based documentary filmmaker focused on stories of migration, identity, and social justice. His work explores the lived experiences of immigrant communities, often centring themes of belonging, discrimination, and intergenerational memory. Through intimate, character-driven storytelling, he aims to challenge stereotypes and amplify voices that are often overlooked.
Glen Fulthorpe
Glen is a British documentary filmmaker and self-shooting director from Slough. A graduate of the National Film and Television School, he draws on lived
experiences, exploring family, place, and personal growth through raw, emotionally resonant storytelling. Alongside his documentary work, he has directed and developed digital-first content for artists, creators and community-led platforms. His documentary Hooked won the Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance 2025 and was nominated for Best Student Documentary at the Grierson Awards. His latest film, No Two Ways, which explores land, inheritance and the green legacy left by an Iraqi scientist in Britain, won the Special Jury Award for Documentary Short at Flickerfest 2026.
Luke Hollands
Luke Hollands is the director of development for Captive Minds, where he creates bold and inventive formats for broadcasters and digital platforms.
With two decades’ experience in development and production, Luke brings a strong track record of delivering standout ideas. Recent projects include We Saved a Train (Discovery), Gino and Fred’s Emission Impossible (ITV), Naked Education (Channel 4) and Wheeler Dealers: World Tour (Discovery).
Prior to joining Captive Minds, Luke was Head of Development at Naked, and before that held the same role at Objective Media Group, where he helped shape the company’s creative output. In production, he has worked on some of Britain’s best-loved series, including the BAFTA-nominated Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, Paul O'Grady's Animal Orphans and Deadly 60. Luke is also a published author and former journalist, having written for national newspapers, television and radio.
Rosie & Ruben (Pitching Together)
Ruben Reuter
Ruben Reuter is an actor, broadcast journalist, and presenter from Yorkshire. A regular face on Channel 4 News, he reports on stories around climate, disability, and social affairs, with a knack for making complex issues feel accessible. Known for his down-to-earth humour and warm interviewing style, Ruben combines sharp journalism with an ability to put people at ease, whether speaking to members of the public or pressing ministers on the questions they would rather avoid.
Alongside actor Ruth Madeley, Ruben co-presented the critically acclaimed documentary Disability & Abortion: The Hardest Choice (Channel 4), which explored one of the most difficult and deeply personal decisions families can face.
Ruben’s broadcast journalism has earned industry recognition, including nominations for New Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards, Emerging Young Talent of the Year at the RTS Television Journalism Awards, and he won the 2023 Journalism of the Year Award from SENSE.
Rosie Baldwin
Rosie is a documentary filmmaker whose work spans broadcast, branded and independent storytelling, including films for the BBC, Channel 4, Vice and ITV Exposure. She is drawn to character-led stories that uncover the realities shaping how we live and understand the world around us. In 2021, her broadcast directorial debut received a BAFTA-nomination, marking her as an emerging voice in British documentary.
Her award-winning films have screened in cinemas across the UK and at Oscar-qualifying festivals, including SXSW and Sheffield Doc Fest. She has also produced and directed branded digital series for Channel 4, WaterBear and the BBC, bringing the same documentary sensibility to digital storytelling.
Rosie’s work often explores climate narratives and neurodiversity, focusing on the intersections of environmental change, identity and lived experience. Recent work includes the BFI Doc Society funded Where the Sun Always Shines, an intimate portrait of a seaside town confronting rising sea levels and shifting collective identity.
Moderator:
David Leach Head of Unscripted, Climate Spring
Judges:
Alice Aedy, Filmmaker, Nat Geo Explorer, CoFounder Earthrise
️Ben Zand, Founder and CEO of Zandland
️Sam Pearson, Executive Producer, Heart Canvas
Ameenah Taher, Digital Commissioning Executive at Channel 4
