A recent dip in female-led theatrical releases in the UK - back to 2018 levels of 26% reminds us that our work is far from over; that we cannot be complacent.
Below you can read about the research we conduct into gender representation in film and the wider industry, tracking the release landscape to present an accurate picture of investment in films by filmmakers of marginalised genders.
Here you can also find out about news and opportunities at Reclaim The Frame, along with curated film recommendations, filmmaker interviews, and creative responses.
We are delighted to announce Melanie Iredale as our new Director of Birds’ Eye View Film. In this role Melanie will lead the team, continuing to advocate for gender equality and diversity in all film spaces and lead on their #ReclaimTheFrame project to bring ever greater audiences to films by women.
Melanie comes to Birds’ Eye View from Sheffield DocFest where she has served as Deputy Director for seven years, and as a programmer on its international film programme. She will take up the position in September, and will be based between London and Sheffield.
Says Melanie: “It is a privilege and a joy to be invited to join Birds Eye View in its campaign for gender equality in film, and to lead on the curation and championing of works by women and non-binary filmmakers. Together with the team, I look forward to building on BEV’s important and incredible work in programming and promoting a wider perspective in cinema here in the UK, and through that a more inclusive, internationalist and intersectional lens on the world in which we live. In collaboration with partners and allies, we will seize this unique moment in ‘herstory’ to resist the ‘new normal’ and instead agitate for a diversified and decolonized film industry that is a fair, safe, and compassionate space for everyone.”
Mia Bays, who is leaving the position as Birds Eye View’s Director-at-Large in October to become the new Director of BFI Film Fund, says: “Melanie’s personal ideals and integrity provide an excellent fit with Birds’ Eye View’s mission and plans. We have collaborated several times over the past few years and she has been a regular attendee at our ‘Reclaim The Frame’ Sheffield events and a member of our Pandemic Response Programme. She has a passion and vision for the celebration of cinema and film in all its forms but particularly that from new and diverse perspectives and has a proven track record in its promotion and dissemination to broader audiences – which makes her a great fit for us. Welcome Melanie!”
Jill Tandy, Chair of Birds Eye View says: “I and the rest of the Board are absolutely delighted to welcome Melanie as the new Director. She is an experienced leader with a passion for diversity and a deep knowledge of film curation. She will bring a fresh and exciting perspective and build on the great work Mia has done as BEV has grown from strength to strength. We wish Mia all the best on the next phase of her career at the BFI.”
Melanie continues: “I bring with me seven years’ experience as Deputy Director at Sheffield DocFest and owe a huge thanks to the artists and filmmakers involved for their trust, to the networks I built for their support, and to such a dedicated team for their collaboration over the years. I leave the charity proud of what we achieved together and grateful for everything I learnt along the way – all of which will come with me on this next chapter.
For this new opportunity at Birds Eye View, I want to thank the Trustees, team and outgoing Director for their trust in me, and to start now as I mean to go on: in offering my eyes and ears, commitment and solidarity to our film community.”
Directed by
Maya Da-Rin
Manaus is an industrial city surrounded by the Amazon rainforest. Justino, 45 and a native Desana, works as a security guard at the cargo port. Since the death of his wife, his main company is his youngest daughter with whom he lives in a modest house on the outskirts of town. A nurse at a health clinic, Vanessa is accepted to study medicine in Brasilia and will need to be leaving soon.
Confronted with the oppression of the city, where he never quite fits in, and the distance of his native village from which he left twenty years ago, Justino finds himself condemned to an existence without place. As the days go by, he is overcome by a strong fever. During the night, a mysterious creature follows his footsteps. During the day, he fights to stay awake at work. But soon the tedious routine of the harbour is broken by the arrival of a new guard. Meanwhile, on television, the news talks about a wild animal lurking in the neighbourhood.
Best Actor and Fipresci Prize at Locarno 2019
TIFF 2019
The Fever, Da-Rin’s first fiction feature, was selected by La Cinéfondation in Cannes The Fever gained a Script and Project Development grant from the Hubert Bals Fund.
Brazilian filmmaker and visual artist Maya Da-Rin studied Design and Philosophy of Art at the Pontifical Catholic University. In 2010 she enrolled in the Cinema and Visual Arts programme at Le Fresnoy. By then she had already garnered attention for her documentaries Margem/Margin (2007) and Terras/Lands (2009), both shot in the Amazon region. In 2016 she obtained a master’s degree in Cinema and Art History at Sorbonne Nouvelle. Her films and video installations have been shown and awarded at film festivals and art institutions such as Locarno, DOK Leipzig and MoMA.
In cinemas and on demand
at
ICA, London (from 6 August)
Curzon Bloomsbury, London (from 6 August)
Watershed, Bristol (from 6 August)
Showroom, Sheffield (from 6 August)
HOME, Manchester (from 6 August)
Filmhouse, Edinburgh (from 6 August)
Chapter, Cardiff (from 6 August)
Broadway, Nottingham (from 23 August)
Cine Lumiere, London (from 25 August)
MAC Birmingham (from 28 August)
Firstsite, Colchester (1 September for one day only)
The Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford (from 3 September)
Glasgow Film Theatre (from 21 August)
On demand:
94 Minutes
BBFC Cert: 12A mins
In Portuguese with English subtitles
Cats have been our companions for at least 9,500 years, and are currently the most popular pet in the world. Cats are a beloved member of many households around the world.
But a cat is so much more than a companion animal. Studies show that interactions with cats may improve health and reduce physical responses to stress. Having a cat in the household may also improve psychological health by providing emotional support to people suffering from depression, anxiety and loneliness.
What greater gift than the love of a cat? — Charles Dickens
This ability to provide companionship and friendship is one of the reasons why we celebrate our feline friends.
Directed by Ceyda Torun.
Hundreds of thousands of cats have roamed the metropolis of Istanbul freely for thousands of years, wandering in and out of people’s lives, impacting them in ways only an animal who lives between the worlds of the wild and the tamed can. Cats and their kittens bring joy and purpose to those they choose, giving people an opportunity to reflect on life and their place in it. In Istanbul, cats are the mirrors to ourselves.
CLICK HERE FOR WHERE TO WATCH KEDI
This year we invite you to #BeCatCurious and learn something new. Check out the full line of events here https://bit.ly/3eyr3Qg #InternationalCatDay
