Filmmakers are being offered grants of up to £3,500 to help kick-start their short film projects.

Wandsworth Council has this month begun accepting applications to the Shorts Film Fund 2012.

The funding scheme is run in partnership with Kensington and Chelsea council with support from Film London and Skillset.

It is open to directors, writers or producers living, working or studying in one of the two boroughs – and applicants must have had no more than two films professionally distributed or exhibited.

The deadline for applications is 12pm, on Wednesday December 5. Completed films could be shortlisted for Film London’s Best of Borough Film Awards.

Two short films that won funding from the film fund for 2011 were selected to be screened during this year’s London Film Festival in September.

Santa's Blotto, written and directed by Wandsworth resident Patrick Myles and starring Brian Blessed, and I-Spy, directed by borough resident Luke Rodgers, had their world premiere screenings during the festival.

For more information contact Wandsworth’s film office on 020 8871 7119.

Application forms and guidelines are available by visiting www.filmlondon.org.uk/boroughfilmfunds.