30-Minute Documentary

S4C is seeking a single documentary film of up to 30 minutes in duration, with a strong creative voice, exceptional characters, and the ambition to travel beyond our own platforms.

The content will be YouTube-first and will sit across S4C's digital platforms, targeting an audience aged 25–44.

Work that has a clear sense of authorship. Vision. Style. A film that can be intimate, beautiful, surprising, funny, challenging, or emotional, but always feels shaped by deliberate creative choices in how the story is told.

We are looking for stand-alone stories from Wales and beyond, driven by people you simply cannot take your eyes off.

Our ambition is to create a film that can stand on its own as a distinctive and compelling piece of content, while also having the potential for a life on the film and documentary festival circuit in Wales, across the UK, and internationally.

The film Barcud is a useful reference point when considering the level of ambition we have for this call.

We are inviting producers and filmmakers to pitch ideas that offer greater creative freedom and authorship.

We want to give filmmakers the space to bring their own eye, voice, and way of seeing the world to the screen.

The film may be observational. It may be personal. It may be cinematic or raw. It may use humour, silence, music, or form in unexpected ways.

But at its heart, it must tell a compelling story.

We're looking for specific stories, not broad topics.

Please don't start with “a film about mental health”, “a film about identity”, or “a film about young people in rural communities”.

• What is happening in their life right now?
• What do they want?
• What obstacles stand in their way?
• What is about to change?
• What do they stand to gain, or lose?
• What will we be able to see unfolding, rather than having someone explain it to us?

The story needs momentum. It needs a beginning, a development, and some kind of destination, even if we don't know exactly how it will end.

We're interested in stories that are rooted in Wales, but we don't want to place boundaries around our ambition.

Our main character may take us beyond Wales.

This brief is an opportunity to be creatively ambitious.

We want to know not only what the story is, but also how you intend to tell it on screen.

• What is the visual language?
• How close is the camera?
• How does the world sound?
• Does the location or environment play a role in the film?
• We are looking for films that demonstrate a clear creative perspective and a distinctive approach to storytelling.
• How will music, sound, light, rhythm and editing help us get closer to the character?

We're looking for proposals where the form grows naturally out of the story, rather than having a style imposed upon it.

That doesn't have to mean a large or expensive production. A simple idea, filmed with confidence and purpose, can be far more powerful.

We want the proposal to make us want to watch the film.

Please tell us:

• The film in one sentence: What is the story?
• The main character: Who are they, and why will we want to spend 30 minutes with them?
• What’s happening now: Why is this the right moment to tell their story?
• The journey: Where does the story begin, and where might it take us?
• Access: What are you able to film, and what relationship do you already have with the character?
• The creative vision: How should the film look, sound, and feel?
• The filmmaker: Who is behind the film, and what is their connection to the story?
• The Welsh language: How does Welsh belong naturally within the film?
• The potential: Why could this story work both for audiences and on the festival circuit?

If you already have filmed material, a clip of the main character, a short reel, or any other evidence that demonstrates their screen presence, we would be keen to see it.

Ultimately, we're looking for a film that makes us feel something.

Before submitting, ask yourself:

• Is the main character compelling enough to carry the film?
• Will we care about what happens to them?
• Is there a story unfolding right now?
• Can we get genuinely close to it?
• Does the filmmaker have a clear vision?
• Is there something here that feels truly unique, something we couldn't get from any other film?

We're looking for a story, a voice, and a film with a distinctive identity of its own.

A film that begins with an extraordinary person and leaves us seeing their world a little differently.

Up to £40,000.

At this stage, there is no requirement to submit a detailed Schedule 36 budget.

All pitches should be submitted in the form of a slide deck and should include:

• A strong, clear title
• A one-line strapline
• A clear explanation of:
  • Why YouTube?
  • Why now?
  • Who is the target audience?
  • Why is the idea relevant to that audience?
• Suggested thumbnails
• A 360° content package
• Information about the key creative team

If you are interested, please send your idea to syniad@s4c.cymru by 12:00pm on Thursday, 14 January 2027.

Applications should be submitted as a PDF, no longer than five pages.

We will acknowledge receipt of your proposal by email.

S4C’s production website, contains useful information, including technical, contractual and delivery guidance, should you have any questions about production processes.

It is the intention of Guto Rhun, Digital Commissioner, and Llinos Wynne, Head of Documentaries and Specialist Factual, to make a decision in the New Year. We reserve the right to amend the timetable and will communicate any changes by email. If your proposal is successful, the idea will need to be entered into Cwmwl, S4C’s commissioning system. Please do not do this until you have been formally invited to do so.

Call Out for Ideas: S4C Factual YouTube Channel (PDF)