A documentary following an Isle of Wight fossil hunter’s efforts to connect with his young daughter through a shared passion has been selected for backing by the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund.
The film, titled Luke Finds Fossils, is one of just 5 projects chosen from thousands of applications across the UK and Ireland as part of the fourth year of Netflix’s talent development initiative.
Created by filmmakers Christine Saab and Rose Palmer, the short documentary centres on 35-year-old autistic father Luke, who is transforming his garage into a DIY dinosaur museum while pursuing his lifelong fascination with fossil hunting on the Isle of Wight.
According to Netflix, the film explores how Luke hopes to turn his passion into a way of building a closer relationship with his young daughter.
The project was selected following a pitch process judged by a panel of industry experts. This year’s applicants were challenged to create documentary ideas inspired by the theme of change.
Each successful team will receive £30,000 in funding to produce an 8 to 12-minute documentary and will take part in specialist training and workshops delivered by Netflix.
The completed films are set to be screened at the Sheffield DocFest festival in summer 2027.
Netflix said this year’s successful projects showcase stories from across the UK and Ireland, including an LGBTQ+ retirement community, a traditional Irish matchmaking festival, a Yorkshire village thrust into the spotlight and a family-run textile factory in the Black Country.
Kate Townsend, from Netflix Original Documentaries, has said:
“We are incredibly proud of the films and creative talent we have seen over the years through the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund.
“The inspiring and entertaining stories we heard on pitch day are testament to the level of talent across the UK and Ireland, and made our jobs of whittling down to five films an incredibly tough one.
“We look forward to collaborating with these filmmakers over the next year, watching their finished films in Sheffield next summer, and seeing their careers progress in the future.”
The Netflix Documentary Talent Fund was launched to support emerging documentary filmmakers and has already helped produce 21 short films, several of which have gone on to receive major industry recognition and award nominations.
Now, an Isle of Wight story about fossils, family and fatherhood will be among the next projects brought to life through the scheme.
