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WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR & CEO
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Liz Tucker | WFTV Chair
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Katie Bailiff | WFTV CEO
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Good afternoon everyone and welcome to this week's newsletter with a round up from our Senior Awards and Event Producer, Claudia Merhej.
Here at WFTV, we love opportunities to promote and celebrate the inspiring women who make up our membership. So with that in mind, we’d like to pass on our congratulations to four of our members who have made the Edinburgh Television Festival’s Ones to Watch list.
2021 WFTV Mentee Gina Lyons is a freelance Comedy Producer who has worked across scripted comedy for 18 years. Gina has produced several shorts and produced both pilots for the critically acclaimed In My Skin (BBC3) and Dreaming Whilst Black for Big Deal Films (BBC3).
WFTV Member Sian Harries is a Writer and Performer who co-wrote Greg Davies's Man Down on Channel 4 and BBC Wales's Tourist Trap in which she starred alongside Sally Phillips. She co-wrote and performed in the SONY Award-winning Here Be Dragons radio sketch show and her comedy short NeckFace was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru Award.
Freelance Director Avril Evans is a multi-award-winning Director and Writer of film, TV and commercials. She has been commissioned by BBC, ITV, EASTENDERS:E20, Film London, Arte/ZDF and The Arts Council and screened at London and Berlinale International Film Festivals.
And lastly, Script Editor Molly Rees started her TV career as a Development Executive at Unstoppable Film & Television. Molly went on to build a scripted TV slate from scratch, having projects green-lit and in development with many of the UK’s major broadcasters. She script edited Channel 5 drama The Drowning and is now a freelance Script Editor, currently working on Good Omens 2.
If you have any career news you’d like us to celebrate please do drop us a line at ad...@wftv.org.uk.
Just a reminder that every week we host an online member’s meet up where members from across the membership join our host Becky Kempson and get to meet each other to discuss a whole host of topics - from script writing to short film funding, job sharing to finding a crew – it’s great to connect with women in the industry and share knowledge and experience – we know of several fruitful creative relationships that have been borne out of our member’s meet–up! Join us on Wednesday 4 August here.
Have a good week ahead,
Katie and Liz
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Our Online Events Programme Sponsors
On behalf of all of us at WFTV, we would like to say a huge thanks to all our online events sponsors: Argonon, BBC, Company 3, Eikon, Envy, Eon, IMDb, ITV, MBSE, Netflix and ScreenSkills. They will continue to support our WFTV Awards too. Their very generous support at this difficult time has made it possible for WFTV to continue with our weekly online events programme, for which we are incredibly grateful.
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WFTV Forgotten Freelancers Campaign
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Tuesday 3 August | 17:00 – 19:00
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Wednesday 04 August | 14:00 – 15:00
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Tuesday 10 August | 17:00 – 19:00
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Thursday 12 August | 10:00 – 12:00
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Wednesday 18 August | 18:00 – 19:00
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Thursday 19 August | 18:00 – 19:00
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Monday 23 August | 18:00 – 19:00
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Wednesday 08 September | 10:30 – 11:00
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Hello everyone,
Welcome to August with WFTV! This month we’re focusing on networking, with lots of opportunities for members to connect and share experiences.
For Directors and Producers, there’s an opportunity to take part two evenings of online Speed Networking. We’ll focus on members working in drama and scripted film and TV on 3 August, and for those working in factual on 10 August.
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Using virtual breakout rooms, we’ll matchmake you with other members for some focused one to one meetings.
To help keep all WFTV members connected and thriving, we’ll be hosting regular online meet-up sessions throughout August so that members can meet one another and support each other digitally. From the comfort of your home, join WFTV members for an early afternoon chat on 4 August, 11 August and 26 August. If you’ve recently joined WFTV and would like to find out more, our New Members Meet-up on 18 August is the one for you! Hosted by WFTV’s CEO Katie Bailiff, this informal session will be a space to meet other new members and explore what the membership offers.
Looking ahead, on 18 August we’re looking forward to welcoming Prano Bailey-Bond, Director and Co-Writer of the new film Censor, in conversation with Journalist, Moderator and Film Festival Consultant Wendy Mitchell around her debut feature, psychological horror Censor. On 19 August, you can sign up for the rescheduled Actors’ Group session How to Get into an Accent Fast. This session is a great opportunity for actors to upskill and learn techniques on how to get into an accent to prepare for an audition, role or move into character when on set.
Missed an event or can’t make it? Don’t forget that you can watch it back on the Catch Up Hub, exclusive to WFTV Members.
See you online,
Claudia
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RESOURCES HUB & USEFUL LINKS
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At WFTV, we’ve pulled together useful links including podcasts, videos, books, articles, films & TV series and tools for both adults and children covering anti-racism, Covid-19 and disability. And if you're looking for useful links around industry schemes, funding, training and more - then you find this all in place.
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Congratulations to WFTV Member Alice D. Cooper who's latest short Odds will receive its world premiere at the Portland Horror Film Festival in Oregon today, Monday 2 August.
Alice's other 2021 short Put Away is also an official selection for the WRPN Women’s Film Festival in the USA and has progressed to the next round of judging before the event in December. Cast by WFTV Member Mandy Steele, Put Away reveals a hidden piece of women’s history. It is also selected for the hybrid Exit 6 Film Festival in the UK. Alice was Writer, Producer and Director on both projects through Hurcheon Films.
Also released today on Towton Audio is Alice’s wry historical audio play What did you do in the war, Mama? - which is produced and directed by WFTV Member Laurel Parker. This 48-minute drama features a largely female cast and you can find more information here.
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WFTV Member Jeda Cacioli, a Screenwriter and award-winning Filmmaker, is looking to start a writer's group in Swansea/Cardiff.
Jeda is looking to connect with three to four screenwriters to discuss ideas and help each other progress in their careers. The sessions will start out online. All ideas, genres and styles welcome. If you are interested, please email Jeda with a short bio and why you would like to be involved at jedac...@hotmail.com.
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Digital Orchard is recruiting for a Post Producer to join their team. You can find more details about the role on the WFTV Member Noticeboard here.
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Sadly, WFTV Member Maria Manton passed away last year. Maria was an Animation Producer and Director who always looked to provide opportunities to young women in the industry.
On Maria's wishes, her sister Denise Sturges-Allard has organised her collection of vintage clothes and bags to be sold to raise money for Pancreatic Cancer and Centrepoint. This campaign has already raised over £20k.
To add to this contribution, Denise is hosting a pop-up event at the Truman Brewery on 3-5 September where some of the vintage collections will be sold - you can find all details and tickets here.
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FVU's 2021 edition of the Michael O’Pray Prize, an initiative for early-career writers based in the UK is now live.
Applicants are invited to send a proposal or pitch for a new text on artists’ film or moving-image, alongside an example of previous writing. Three of the applicants will be selected to realise the proposed text and awarded a prize of £500 for the winner, and £250 for two runners up. All three texts will be published by Art Monthly and Film and Video Umbrella - find all details here.
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Curtis Brown Creative has launched a new screenwriting scholarship Breakthrough Scholarship for TV Screenwriters to provide full funding for one talented writer of colour. The scheme will allow the recipient to join Curtis Brown Creative’s eighteen-week online Writing an Original TV Drama Serial course running from 13 September to 31 January 2022.
The deadline for applications is Sunday 29 August here.
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The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), in partnership with Procam Take 2's Short Film Pitch is open for entries from both emerging talent and experienced filmmakers.
The competition will close on EIFF Opening Night Wednesday 18 August and the winner will receive a £5,000 equipment hire voucher to use at Procam Take 2’s Scotland branches. Find all details on how to apply here.
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STV is seeking candidates for their Production Assistant (12month Fixed Term Contract) and Senior Strategic Development Executive vacancies.
You can find more details about the roles on the STV careers page. The closing date for these roles is Tuesday 10 August.
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Jenny Wan, Director of London film production company Antelope Films is working on a short film project: Smoked Fish.
The film tells a story about a Chinese family in the UK trying to understand and recover from a racially motivated hate crime that left Grandma Yu with physical and emotional trauma. All three lead characters in the film are female, and alongside the Director, Producer and Production Designer they intend to recruit more female crew.
Jenny has launched a Kickstarter page to help raise funds to make this film. To support this project, you can find all details about the production here.
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BFI is offering WFTV Members two for one tickets to their Bette Davis: Hollywood Rebel showcase at the BFI Southbank during 1- 31 August. You can find the promotional discount code on the WFTV Discount and Offers Board here.
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Plimsoll Productions is looking for a Researcher based in Wales to work across a brand new, presenter-led history series for a UK broadcaster. Filming across the UK with interviews and archive featuring the stories and history of the local area, people, coastline and wildlife. See the Member Notice Board for the full job description.
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Entries for the Best British Short Film Award at BIFA 2021 is open - filmmakers can enter their films for free until the first entry deadline this Friday 6 August. You can find more details on their rules and eligibility page here.
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The LGBTQ+ film festival FilmPride will be taking place online from today 02 - 31 August and it's completely free to watch. The festival will feature more than 70 short films, docs, animations and features from all over the world. Find all details here.
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The new Unscripted TV Skills Council has launched a survey to identify skills gaps and job shortages in UK unscripted TV. If you're involved in crewing up, have your say in how the Unscripted TV Skills Fund prioritises investment across a range of genres in unscripted. Find the survey here.
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NFTS Scotland and The Glasgow School of Art are offering free masterclasses including next week's Journey Into XR with Deepa Mann-kler tomorrow, Tuesday 3 August, 17:00 BST.
In this masterclass you will develop an understanding of how creatives are using virtual and augmented realities to explore and push the boundaries of this technology. Award-winning visual artist Deepa Mann-kler will share her practice not only as an artist, but also as Chief Executive of Neon, a company using immersive technologies to enhance health and wellbeing. You can find all details here.
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