BBC3 orders trio of disability docs for Fresh strand

True North’s The Butterfly And The Tornado (w/t) tells the story of Sam, a young stormchaser who suffers from a rare condition called epidermolysis bullosa, which makes her skin “fragile like a butterfly’s wings”. First-time director Danny Beck documents her road trip across the midwest of America to an area known as Tornado Alley.

Ashley - Impulsive Behaviour (w/t), from BBC Vision Productions, tracks young ADHD sufferer Ashley as he trains to compete in judo at the London Olympics. Director Xavier Alford captures the daily grind of training as Ashley moves in with a tough new coach.

Finally, Century Films is producing Deaf Teen, Hearing World (w/t), in which director Claire Braden seeks to challenge pre-conceived ideas of deaf people by tracing teens as they go to university, confronting the hearing world for the first time.

The first two films are scheduled to air this autumn, while Deaf Teen is expected to TX early next year.

Bennett said Fresh was “vital to BBC3’s factual offering”, and offered aspiring film-makers the opportunity “to tell compelling and often inspiring stories about young people in extraordinary circumstances”.

Moore added that the strand was important for new talent, given how difficult it can be to get a first primetime commission.

The strand, which has been running since 2008, recently featured critically acclaimed films such as My Brother The Islamist and Autistic Me.