Applications are now open for Back in the Frame, a new six-month talent development programme from Reclaim The Frame supporting women and people of all marginalised genders returning to screen industries following a career break or other significant period away from professional progression.
Delivered with support from Sony Pictures Television's Creative Diversity Fund, the programme combines industry insight, mentoring, networking opportunities and peer support to help experienced directors and producers reconnect with the sector, navigate industry change and build sustainable momentum for the next stage of their careers.
Returning to the industry often means stepping back into a landscape that has shifted: new commissioning structures, new technologies, different ways of working, disrupted professional networks and reduced visibility. Back in the Frame is designed to respond to that reality directly, supporting participants to reconnect, rebuild confidence, refresh knowledge and re-enter the industry with clarity and support.
The programme is free to apply for and free to participate in.
Who is the programme for?
Back in the Frame is for experienced film directors and producers seeking to reconnect with, re-enter or build renewed momentum within the screen industries.
Applicants must:
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Identify as women, non-binary or otherwise marginalised by gender
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Be based in the UK
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Work in fiction and/or documentary film
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Have established professional experience in the screen industries
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Be returning, or preparing to return, following a career break or significant period away from work
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Be actively developing at least one feature-length fiction or documentary project as a director and/or producer, at any stage of development
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Have left full-time education more than five years ago
We particularly encourage applications from parents, guardians and carers; disabled filmmakers; Global Majority filmmakers; LGBTQIA+ filmmakers; filmmakers from lower-income backgrounds; and filmmakers based outside London and the South East.
We welcome applicants who have stepped away due to caregiving, disability or health-related interruption, burnout or exhaustion, loss of confidence, or structural barriers within the industry.
What does the programme include?
Running from September 2026 to March 2027, the programme will support twelve participants through a combination of in-person and online activity.
Participants will receive:
📍 Three two-day in-person Labs in Central London
💻 Two online cohort sessions
💬 Structured group coaching and facilitated peer exchange
🤝 Cohort learning and professional development
🌟 A bespoke one-to-one mentoring session
🎬 Industry networking and reconnection opportunities
The programme combines:
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Industry refreshers across financing, commissioning, legal frameworks, sales, distribution, marketing and audience strategy
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Employability, rights and good working practice
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AI and changing production workflows
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Confidence-building and professional positioning
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Sustainable working, wellbeing and burnout prevention
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Practical tools for balancing creative work, care and long-term sustainability
Participants will engage with contributors from across development, commissioning, production, sales, distribution, legal, HR, wellbeing, AI and audience strategy, gaining practical insight into the current industry landscape and sustainable career development.
While participants' feature projects will act as an anchor throughout the programme, Back in the Frame is first and foremost a return-to-work programme focused on professional re-entry, industry reconnection and long-term career sustainability.
The programme supports a cohort of twelve participants, allowing for meaningful peer connection, tailored support, direct access to industry contributors and space to respond to participants' individual experiences and goals.
Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the contemporary screen landscape, stronger professional networks, practical next steps and an individual plan for continuing their return-to-work journey. Beyond the programme itself, participants will join Reclaim The Frame's wider filmmaker community, with opportunities for ongoing peer connection, industry engagement and participation in future Reclaim The Frame activity.
Access, Inclusion and Support
Access and participation support is embedded throughout the programme.
We will work with participants in advance to understand access requirements, caring responsibilities and any adjustments needed to support participation.
Support includes:
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Travel and accommodation support for participants outside London and the South East
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Childcare and caring support bursaries
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Access support and reasonable adjustments
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Ongoing pastoral and cohort support
We aim to make participation realistic and sustainable for returners balancing multiple responsibilities.
Programme Leads
Melanie Iredale
Melanie Iredale is Director of Reclaim The Frame and has spent more than twenty years working across film festivals, talent development, audience engagement and industry strategy. She has led multiple editions of Filmonomics, Reclaim The Frame's flagship professional development programme supporting writers, directors and producers from underrepresented backgrounds, and regularly works internationally as a consultant, mentor and industry advisor.
Camilla Wren
Producer Camilla Wren’s experience spans 20 years across film and TV drama. She was a producer on the Netflix adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel ONE DAY. In feature film, Camilla held positions as a BFI Executive, as well as development executive for BAFTA winning director David Yates where she developed the Warner Brothers Studio blockbusters: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, and the first two films FANTASTIC BEASTS films before founding Frolic Films to champion emerging talent.
Key Dates
Applications open: 3 June 2026
Application deadline: 6 July 2026 (10am)
Interviews: End July 2026
Notification of outcomes: Early - mid August 2026
Lab 1 (London): 16 - 17 September 2026
Online Session 1: Late October / Early November 2026 (tbc)
Lab 2 (London): 7 - 8 December 2026
Online Session 2: Late January / Early February 2027 (tbc)
Lab 3 (London): 9 - 10 March 2027
Participants are expected to attend all core programme sessions.
Why Back in the Frame?
Across the UK screen industries, many experienced filmmakers step away from their careers due to caring responsibilities, health issues, financial pressures or burnout. While opportunities for emerging talent have expanded in recent years, structured pathways for experienced professionals returning to the industry remain limited.
Research from Carers UK, BECTU and Raising Films highlights the scale of the issue:
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There are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, around 60% of whom are women (Carers UK, 2021)
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More than 80% of screen industry work is secured through personal networks, creating barriers for those who have been out of circulation (BECTU, Who Gets In, Who Gets On?, 2022)
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Only 5% of workers report being asked about parenting or caring responsibilities during hiring processes (BECTU Workforce Survey, 2025)
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37% of carers conceal caring responsibilities when applying for work (BECTU Workforce Survey, 2025)
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More than half of screen workers have recently experienced periods out of work (BECTU Workforce Survey, 2025)
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Between 59% and 82% of carers report negative impacts on their careers (Raising Films, How We Work Now, 2021)
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63% of carers are considering leaving the industry due to poor mental health (Raising Films, How We Work Now, 2021)
Back in the Frame has been developed to help address these challenges by providing practical support, professional development, industry connections and a supportive peer network for filmmakers returning to professional practice.
Why Reclaim The Frame?
For over twenty years, Reclaim The Frame has championed women and marginalised gender filmmakers and worked across the screen sector to create more equitable pathways through cinema culture. Founded as Birds' Eye View Film Festival, Reclaim The Frame now works across audience development, talent development and industry advocacy, building a more inclusive and sustainable film culture in the UK.
Alongside a nationwide cinema network and year-round public programme, Reclaim The Frame delivers professional development, mentoring and industry initiatives for filmmakers at all career stages. Its flagship professional development programme, Filmonomics, has supported more than 180 filmmakers since 2014. Alumni have gone on to premiere work at major international festivals including Sundance, Berlinale and Toronto International Film Festival, receive BAFTA and BIFA recognition, and build sustained careers across directing and producing.
Apply Now
To apply, complete the short online application form below.
You will be asked about:
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professional background and experience
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current return-to-work context
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feature project
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what you hope to gain from the programme
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access and support requirements
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equal opportunities monitoring information
The programme is free to apply for and free to participate in.
The deadline for applications: 6 July 2026 (10am)
Questions? For questions about the programme or access requirements, please contact: mail@reclaimtheframe.org