With one day to go to apply to take part, we’re excited to reveal the first of our fantastic line-up of speakers, coaches and mentors for Filmonomics.
Running for its 8th edition, and backed by ScreenSkills Film Skills Fund, Filmonomics is open to first time feature film writers, directors and producers based across the UK. Projects can be fiction, documentary, or hybrid, and currently in development, production or post.
The course runs December 2023 to March 2024 - involving a mix of industry panels, roundtables, group coaching and networking with the aim of bridging the gap between development and distribution.
Joining us to lead on group coaching and discussions on vital topics such as financing, optioning, sales and distribution, and reaching audiences is...
Top Row L-R
Annette Corbett Leadership Coach / Kate Leys Script & Story Editor / Hannah Bush Bailey Film & Production Executive at BFI Doc Society / Rachel Ramsay (Dir) Copa 71 / Delphine Lievens - Distribution Consultant, Box Office Analyst / Paul Sng (Co-Dir) Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, Tish.
2nd Row L-R
Lisa White - Business Development and Finance Executive / Lucy Jones Executive Director at Comscore Movies / Ama Ampadu - Senior production and Development Exec at Film Fund BFI / Mia Bays Director of BFI Film Fund / Sara Putt - MD/Agent at Sara Putt Associates / Chair of BAFTA / Ana Santos - Head of Legal at Bankside.
3rd Row L-R
Vicki Brown - Senior Executive for Sales and Distribution at BFI / Stephen Follows Film Industry Analyst / Alison Thompson Co-President at Cornerstone Films / Suzanne Alizart - Business Affairs Exec at Doc Society / Cate Kane Co-Director of Global Acquisitions at MUBI / Droo Padhiar Head of Marketing at Dogwoof.
Bottom Row L-R
Julia Short Trainer/Consultant / Alice Whittemore Development & Production Executive at Film4 / Amy O’Hara - Development & Production Executive at Film4 / Tejinder Jouhal Director of Marketing & Distribution at Hanway Films / Sophie Doherty - Head of Theatrical Film at Signature Entertainment / Allison Gardner - CEO at Glasgow Film.
Applications close on Tuesday 7 November, 10am
To find out more HERE
SHORT BIOS
Annette Corbett - Leadership Coach
Annette is a qualified coach and cultural professional with almost 15 years’ experience in the creative industries across fundraising, producing, arts management and policy research. She founded Rough Information in response to the seismic shifts of 2020, to focus on her practice as a coach, facilitator and strategist. Rough Information is a creative consultancy that unites professionalism and playfulness to establish open, supportive environments where individuals, groups and organisations can explore what it means to ‘work well’. We work closely with clients to develop bespoke programmes that are responsive to their needs, aspiring towards building collaborative cultures rooted in equity, humanity and compassion.
Kate Leys - Script and Story Editor
Kate has worked for many years on feature films, short films, and TV series all over the world. She also works on documentaries, animation, podcasts and theatre. In one day in 2021 she worked with filmmakers in Vienna, Beirut, Tblisi and Maputo; and she has worked with indigenous filmmakers from all the countries in the Arctic Circle for several years. Recent completed films include MILLIE LIES LOW (Berlin and SXSW 2022); BABY DONE (a NZ film that Jacinda Ardern said was her favourite last year); BENJAMIN by Simon Amstell; NUDE TUESDAY by Armagan Ballantyne; HOW TO FAKE A WAR by Rudolph Herzog; AMERICAN ANIMALS by Bart Layton; PIN CUSHION by Deborah Haywood; KINGDOM OF US by Lucy Cohen. She has been Head of Development at several companies including Film4 in the UK, where she was based for 5 years and where she was part of the small team commissioning and developing some of the UK’s most successful feature films including FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and TRAINSPOTTING. Kate mentors film talent and speaks at festivals and industry events all over the world, including The Edinburgh Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival, Helsinki Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Bafta, the BFI, the UK’s National Film School, Norway National Film School; and many more.
Hannah Bush Bailey - Film and Production Executive at BFI Doc Society
Hannah Bush Bailey works across the slate of films supported through the BFI Doc Society Fund. She supports filmmakers both in production and editorially. The national fund aims to develop storytellers from all parts of the UK, backing feature & short creative documentaries with bold cultural and social ambitions. She has sat on juries for other non-fiction funds, film festival competitions and takes part in forums, markets, and pitches across the UK. Prior to this role she worked as an independent short form and her experience also spans a number of feature docs and high-end television series. Hannah has previously been involved in BFI Network X BAFTA Crew, BAFTA Guru Pro training scheme and Film London's Microwave Feature Film Development Scheme. Hannah execs across the Made of Truth short film fund and a handful of features. She works closely with film teams across all stages of their production reviewing budgets and schedules and offering support to the film team and execs.
Rachel Ramsay - Documentary Filmmaker
Rachel is a documentary filmmaker (COPA ‘71) with a background in news journalism and factual TV. Her work is driven by character-led storytelling, a cross-cultural approach and an ambition to uncover repressed and forgotten stories, writing their protagonists back into history.
Delphine Lievens - Freelance Distribution Consultant and Box Office Analyst.
Previously Head of Distribution at Bohemia Media, a UK based distribution company that focuses their output on diverse stories and uplifting marginalised voices. Before that she held roles at Gower Street Analytics as a Senior Box Office Analyst, and at Altitude Films as a Theatrical Sales Executive. She enjoys discussing current trends in the global screen industries and the urgent need for more diversity both on and off screen in film.
Paul Sng - Documentary Filmmaker
Paul Sng is a bi-racial British Chinese filmmaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland whose work focuses on people who challenge the status quo. His work has been broadcast on television and screened internationally, and his feature film credits include DISPOSSESSION and POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE (winner of BIFA 2021 Best Documentary, BIFA 2021 Raindance Discovery Award and nominated for several Best Documentary awards including BAFTA and Grierson). He is a BAFTA Breakthrough Artist 2022/23.
Lisa White - Commercial Finance and Business Development Executive
Business development and finance executive with over 15 years of international experience in the filmed entertainment industry. Experience running business planning and strategic initiatives across diverse business models. Knowledge of both studio and independent business models having worked in both environments. Former VP Commercial Finance & Business Development at STX Entertainment, Commercial Finance Director at Focus Features, and FP&A Director at Universal Pictures International.
Lucy Jones - Executive Director at Comscore Movies
After completing a degree in Economics at Lancaster University, Lucy started her career in market research at BMRB and Millward Brown. She joined the Comscore Movies team in 2005 as Director of Client Services, managing the UK & Ireland. Since then, she has overseen the addition of Italy, Africa and the Middle East within the London office team. Lucy completed an MA in Film Studies in 2009, studying at the University of Westminster; her dissertation topic was the impact of digitisation of film distribution; projection on exhibitors in the UK & Ireland.
Ama Ampadu - Senior Production and Development Exec at Film Fund BFI
Ama has worked as an independent producer across U.K. and international projects for over 12 years and produced Yared Zeleke's “Lamb” (2015), the first Ethiopian film selected at Cannes. Ama’s portfolio focuses on debuts, as well as working closely with BFI NETWORK to ensure there is an effective crossover for new and emerging talent. Alongside the rest of the team, Ama looks after the fund’s sizeable slate with projects at various stages of production, supporting filmmakers at each stage of the filmmaking process and beyond, as well as developing outreach strategies to engage filmmakers with the BFI.
Mia Bays - Director of BFI Film Fund
Mia celebrates 32 years in film this year. She’s worked on over 150 films as a producer, sales agent and distributor, of both documentary and fiction. She has produced an Oscar winner and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Debut for her work on cult music film Scott Walker – 30 Century Man. She is a renowned champion of new/emerging talent (working on the early films of Riz Ahmed, Arinzé Kene, Hong Khaou and Deborah Haywood, Gavin Hood and Lucy Walker), a cultural activist and equality agitator (through Birds’ Eye View and Reclaim the Frame.) As of October 2021, she is the Director of the BFI Film Fund. At £30 million a year, it is the largest public fund in the UK for film.
Sara Putt - MD/Agent at Sara Putt Associates
Sara established Sara Putt Associates in 1989 and has worked here as MD and Agent ever since. In 2021 The Partnership Group was formed between Sara Putt Associates, Sayle Screen and The Artists Partnership to maximise opportunities Sessiofor all of their clients. Sara is Chair of BAFTA where she has been a Trustee since 2014. Sara is also a Trustee of the Film and TV Charity and sits on the Advisory Board of the British Film Commission. She was previously Deputy Chair of Women in Film and Television where she served on the Board for 8 years. Sara has also produced a number of short films including the BAFTA nominated “Tattoo”.
Ana Santos - Head of Legal and Business Affairs at Bankside
Ana is an experienced entertainment professional with a career of over 17 years in the film industry across production, international sales, distribution and exhibition. As well as extensive commercial knowledge of the industry, Ana possesses legal training and a solid understanding of copyright, intellectual property law, expertise in rights matters and up-to-date knowledge of best practices and regulations relevant to Entertainment Law.
After 8 years leading the acquisitions and programming of the specialist content department for Curzon Cinemas and Artificial Eye group (CAE), she stepped down in 2016, stepping back into a more legal role as Head of Legal and Business Affairs at Bankside Films. Originally a barrister from a civil law jurisdiction, Ana has a Masters in Arts in World Cinemas from the University of Leeds and has a Masters in Law in Entertainment Law at University of Westminster, focusing on US and UK law.
Vicki Brown - Senior Executive for Sales and Distribution at BFI
Vicki ensures features awarded BFI National Lottery production funding are successfully delivered to the marketplace and to UK and international audiences. She is also responsible for aligning her work supporting Filmmaking Fund titles with the UK Global Screen Fund, the BFI’s National Lottery International Fund and the organisation’s wider international strategy, as well as working in tandem with other key stakeholders such as BBC Film, Film4, and other national, regional and commercial funders.
Stephen Follows - Film Industry Analyst
Stephen is a leading film industry analyst, advising celebrities, studios, investors, academics and filmmakers, and his research has been cited in most major news outlets
Alison Thompson - Co-President at Cornerstone Films
Alison is Co-Founder of UK and LA based international production, sales and finance outfit, Cornerstone Films. The Company focuses on feature films of enduring quality and distinctive story-telling. During her career, she has worked with many of the world’s leading filmmakers on films that have garnered commercial and critical success. Alison started her career at Channel 4, following which she joined The Sales Company where, during the 1990’s, she rose through the ranks to become Chief Executive. In 2000 she joined Pathe International followed by an 8-year tenure at the helm of Focus Features International, before setting up Cornerstone in 2015. Alison is a Trustee of BEV and is on the BAFTA Film Committee.
Suzanne Alizart - Head of Business Affairs at Doc Society
Suzanne started working in film last century, after training at Intermedia Film and Video, in Nottingham. Having delivered some short films and a baby, she moved into film and creative industries policy development and funding. She contributed to the establishment of regional film Lottery distributor EM Media where she worked for a decade, eventually leading on business affairs across the slate. She then spent some time at Ffilm Cymru and re-trained as a solicitor, before working at the University of Leicester for five years on academic research contracts, alongside supporting SMEs to understand and manage their intellectual property assets. She also enjoyed continuing to provide business affairs advice to independent documentary film producers during that time.
Cate Kane - Co-Director of Global Acquisitions at MUBI
As co-Director of Global Acquisitions for MUBI since Sept 2020, Cate is responsible for picking up new titles for distribution. Recent and upcoming releases include THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD, PETITE MAMAN and TITANE. Prior to this she was Head of Acquisitions at Curzon, acquiring titles such as PARASITE during her 9-year tenure. She has also worked at talent agency Casarotto Ramsay, BBC Film and sales agency ContentFilm. She is a graduate of Inside Pictures, Committee member of BIFA and a BAFTA member.
Droo Padhiar - Head of Marketing at Dogwoof
Droo has worked in film distribution across studio, British independent, documentary and world cinema for over ten years in both marketing and publicity. She currently heads up marketing for Dogwoof across production, international sales and U.K. distribution, and has previously held roles within theatrical marketing at STUDIOCANAL and Peccadillo Pictures. Marketing campaigns include Apollo 11, The Alpinist, Stray, The Mole Agent, Oscar-nominated Collective and the international sales marketing campaigns for Hillary, I Am Greta and Mark Cousins’ The Story of Film: A New Generation.
Julia Short - Trainer/Consultant
Julia joined Rank Film Distributors in the early 1990’s. After moving to PolyGram she became responsible for running the theatrical marketing and publicity department in the UK, releasing such films as TRAINSPOTTING, FARGO, TWELVE MONKEYS and PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT. After PolyGram closed in 1999, Julia moved to Redbus (now Lionsgate) and Film Four Distribution. In 2003 Julia set up VERVE PICTURES with Colin Burch, which focussed on films by first time filmmakers such as Andrea Arnold, Clio Barnard, Yorgos Lathimos, and Saul Dibb. She is actively involved in delivering several high-profile training courses for both Screen Ireland, Creative England, FDA, International Screen Institute as well as exec producing.
Alice Whittemore - Development and Production Executive at Film4
Alice joined Film4 as Development and Production Executive in autumn 2021, supporting the slate editorially and collaborating with both debut and established talent including Molly Manning Walker (HOW TO HAVE SEX), Yorgos Lanthimos (POOR THINGS) and Steve McQueen (OCCUPIED CITY). Previously, she spent eight years working in talent development for BFI-funded agencies across the UK in London, Wales and Scotland, supporting early career filmmakers through training schemes, script development and short film production funding (including Film London’s Microwave and London Calling). Alice also has an interest in non-fiction, working across Film4’s documentary slate in partnership with Channel 4 Factual and previously producing two short documentaries, one commissioned by the Uncertain Kingdom fund and one on homelessness that featured on The Guardian.
Amy O’Hara - Development and Production Executive at Film4
Amy O’Hara joined Film4 in October 2021 as a Development and Production Executive. Previous to that she was the BFI NETWORK Talent Executive at Film Hub North, working closely with new and emerging writers, directors and producers across a slate of short films and features. She has also worked at International Distribution company STX as a Marketing Executive across UK Productions.
Tejinder Jouhal - Director of Marketing and Distribution at Hanway Films
Tejinder has worked across independent exhibition, distribution and international sales for 20 years. She is currently Director of Marketing & Distribution at HanWay Films; a leading international sales company based in London. Representing a live slate of 20+ features a year, including Paul Schrader's THE CARD COUNTER, Ruth Paxton's A BANQUET, Tony Stone's TED K, Viggo Mortensen's FALLING, Julien Temple's CROCK OF GOLD: A Few Rounds with Shane Macgowan and Matteo Garrone's PINOCCHIO. She works closely with Producers, Directors, Cast, Unit and international publicists in ensuring that films have all the right assets and access in place to secure the best possible coverage from the point the film is announced and sold, through to its world premiere and international roll out. Previously she worked at Altitude and Protagonist Pictures and the London Indian Film Festival. Prior to this Tejinder was at the ICA Cinema in London where she managed the cinema and distribution operations.
Sophie Doherty - Head of Theatrical Film at Signature Entertainment
Theatrical film distribution & exhibition programming specialist in the UK & Ireland, now Heading of Theatrical Film for Signature Entertainment. Co-led the Walt Disney Company’s first official Pride group supporting staff and promoting diversity & inclusion in the public space. Alumni of the inaugural Filmonomics Future Leaders in Distribution and Inside Pictures 2017.
Allison Gardner - CEO at Glasgow Film
Allison joined Glasgow Film in 1993 as a Duty Manager and then began to work in the programme team eventually becoming Programme Director and Co-director of Glasgow Film Festival. She became the CEO in April 2021. Additionally, Allison is a director of CinéFile a distribution company that releases widely different titles ranging from classic thriller, costume drama, youthful escapism, family comedy, to documentary films.
ALUMNI
The impact of the Filmonomics programme is tangible - a small selection of alumni include: Cassandra Sigsgaard and Joy Wilkinson, among the first of our alumnae, have just completed 7 KEYS. Joy also wrote, THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF NICK NICKLEBY, and DOCTOR WHO episode THE WITCHFINDERS. Rachel Ramsay’s COPA ‘71 was the Opening Documentary Selection for Toronto International Film Festival 2023. Producer, Martin Gentles, was on our Filmonomics Plus programme for producers. He went on to produce HIS HOUSE, which won a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. Thembisa Cochrane and Georgina Paget met on the programme and went on to form Caspian Films production company and make THE COLOUR ROOM for Sky, which was on the programme. Camilla Wren and Shirine Best also met on the programme and were 2021-22 BFI Vision Awardees with their new company, Other Productions. Shirine produced WESTWOOD: PUNK ICON, ACTIVIST. Rubika Shah's critically acclaimed documentary WHITE RIOT won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary at the 2019 BFI London Film Festival, and a Special Mention at the 2020 Berlinale. Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor was on the programme in 2018 and went onto produce Ami Ameen’s BOXING DAY following the success of Rapman’s BLUE STORY, backed by the BFI and Paramount. Blue Story went on to become the highest grossing film of its genre in 2019, landing Joy with a 2019 BIFA Breakthrough Producer nomination, 2020 BFI Vision Award and a BAFTA Breakthrough. Helen Jones (producer) Naomi Wright’s (executive producer) debut feature film CENSOR premiered at Sundance and Berlin 2021 and subsequently went on general release in the US and the UK. Paul Sng developed BIFA winning POLY STYRENE I AM A CLICHÉ on the programme. He was BAFTA Breakthrough Artist 2022/23. His latest documentary, TISH, is coming to selected cinemas on 17 November. Roger Williams backed by Film Cymru and BFI went onto produce THE FEAST. Christiana Ebohon-Green and Darcia Martin are two directors blazing a trail in TV who have directed CALL THE MIDWIFE, A WINDRUSH CHRONICLE, SOON GONE, VERA, OUTLANDER, and Sir Lenny Henry’s drama THREE LITTLE BIRDS, to name a few.
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