Happy International Women’s Day! Do you want to support women who work in the UK Film and TV industry? Here is a list of useful links for this International Women’s Day and beyond:

Listen

• Girls on Film is a film review podcast from a female perspective, hosted by critic and broadcaster Anna Smith. She has just started a 365 day campaign with daily recommendations of female-directed movies. Find out more here.

• This Universi-tea podcast from the University of Southampton features Dr Shelley Cobb who campaigns for equality in the film industry. Listen to Shelley on ‘The Feminist Film Fanatic‘  here.

Learn

• The Conversation, while examining television drama, points out that there has been an unfortunate decrease in the contributions from women in senior roles. Read the full article here which features Channel 4 commissioning editor Fozia Khan speaking about hiring biases she faced.

• A report on gender imbalance across theatre, film and TV industries have revealed ‘disgraceful’ gender inequality in the arts. The Women in Theatre Forum Report UK‘s findings range from the unfair burden of care falling on female workers to the lack of female presence in film, where only 16% of working film-makers are female, and 14% of prime-time TV is written by women. Read more here.

• Shades of Noir‘s article point out that while women are underrepresented in key creative and decision making roles, such as screenwriting, directing and technical roles across the film and television workforce, black women and women from minority ethnicities are even less represented. You can hear their take here.

• Read this impassioned Huffington Post article from Tiffany Kozio on why the UK Needs more Black Female Film Directors. In it, she cites research from Directors UK concluding that gender inequality in the UK is due to unconscious bias in the industry and that large scale, industry wide intervention is required to tackle this issue. Read it here.

Join

• Women in Film and TV is the leading membership organisation for women working in creative media in the UK. They host a variety of events throughout the year, present a prestigious annual awards ceremony, run a mid-career mentoring programme for women, run bursary initiatives, collaborate on research projects and lobby for women’s interests. Find out more about them and join here.

• Birds Eye View is a women-led organisation which champions women-led films through their movement “Reclaim The Frame”. They regularly host screenings throughout the UK and virtually. Join them here.

DEMON, a Birmingham film being described as a “millennial noir film” is set to hit the film festival circuit this month.

Filmed in the Midlands and London, it is directed by George Bartlett and stars Ryan Walker-Edwards, both from Birmingham. The two self-produced a neo-noir psychological drama with a DIY approach, which you can read more about here. DEMON is set to premiere in competition this year at Cinequest Virtual Festival (titled “Cinejoy” and occurring March 1-14) and the live Cinequest Film Festival (August 16-30 in Silicon Valley).

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About the Films

Source: www.expressandstar.com

As well as Dudley-born Sir Lenry, the film also stars former Dr Who Christopher Eccleston and Black Mirror’s Malachi Kirby. The 90-minute drama is an adaptation of the novel of Kit de Waal’s novel of the same name.

It is set in Birmingham in the 19080s and tells the story of nine-year-old Leon, a mixed race boy who hopes to reunite his family after being taken into care and separated from from his blond and blue eyed baby brother. Viewers will follow Leon’s relationship with his foster carer as the production explores issues of identity and belonging.

Sir Lenny, aged 62, who will be the executive producer, said: “I discovered the book while performing the audio book and was so moved on the first day’s work I rang my office at lunchtime and said, ‘We’ve got to try and do this’. Thankfully, after five years, we’ve pulled it together with a great writer (Shola Amoo), director (Lynette Linton), cast and crew. I can’t wait to see the results.”

My Name is Leon will air on BBC One at a future date.

Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk

A new £18m TV and film production creative hub – designed for media innovation – will bring technological solutions to Birmingham, as the city’s creatives explore new platforms.

A planning application has been submitted for Fazeley Street, Digbeth, which would see five existing and derelict heritage buildings changed for independent TV production and content developers to use for a creative hub. Producers will work with broadcasters at the new area for film, TV, games and virtual production. The facility – costing £18m – will resident in a 50,000 sq ft space after cash injections from Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).

Anita Bhalla, GBSLEP Board Director for Creative and Culture said: “GBSLEP’s investment of £3m reflects our commitment to the creative industries which we see as a priority sector that stimulates inclusive economic growth and a catalyst for job creation. The Creative Content Hub will be an exciting addition to the media landscape and at the heart of innovative production in the region. It’s also an exciting step towards creating a TV, film and multimedia cluster in the heart of Birmingham’s Creative Quarter, in Digbeth.

“As a LEP we work with our public, private and academic partners to identify opportunities of growth in our region and the Creative Content Hub is an example of how we have come together to create a cohesive offering for businesses in the creative industries. Crucially, GBSLEP’s investment means the funding gap for this project has been filled and it can now be moved to the next stage of development.’’

Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk

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Contemporary arts education provider BIMM group is opening two new colleges in Birmingham this year to meet demand for industry-ready graduates in the creative sector.

Screen and Film School Birmingham and Performers College Birmingham will offer BA (Hons) level courses from its new campus in Digbeth this September.

The Department for Culture Media and Sports estimates that the creative industries were the fastest growing sector of the past decade. By 2019, they contributed £115.9bn gross value added to the UK economy, second only to the digital industry and more than the aerospace, automotive and life sciences sectors combined.

A planned film studio expansion – led by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight – will be located a short distance from BIMM’s two new colleges. They will sit alongside the established BIMM Birmingham, which opened in September 2017. All three BIMM colleges are building outreach initiatives with local schools and FE colleges and have formed relationships with industry organisations such as Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Film Festival, Optomen, North One, ACE Dance and Music, and Nicholson Studios.

CEO and head of institution for the BIMM Group, Adam Carswell said: “I am exceptionally proud of the success we have seen in our music colleges in our UK and European cities. With nearly four decades of experience, we’re recognised as being at the forefront of UK music education and we are excited to bring our unique approach to both the performing arts and filmmaking sectors. Finding a path to building a successful career in the creative industries can feel daunting to many young people, which is why we work in partnership with the industries we serve to ensure our students have everything they need to hit the ground running when they graduate.

“While the recent pandemic has brought many challenges, it has also demonstrated the agility and resilience of the creative industries. With the ever growing opportunities in the sector, there’s never been a better time to be a student or practitioner in today’s diverse, creative and world-leading industry.”

Source: www.thebusinessdesk.com

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Actor Adil Hussain has opened up on his recent shoot in Birmingham amid Covid protocol post lockdown, for the British-Indian film Footprints On Water. The film tells the story of an illegal immigrant in the UK who is frantically searching for his missing daughter while evading the police. A directorial venture of Nathalia Syam, starring Adil Hussain, the story is by Neetha Syam.

“Keeping the backdrop of the story aside, the emotion of a father and his responsibility towards his daughter are universal. Here, in the film, the predicament is such that this father cannot go to the police to seek help because he is an illegal migrant. He is helpless and cannot take legal support. It is interesting how his emotion plays out and how desperate he feels,” Adil told IANS.

“Nathalia is a delight to work with. She has a clear vision and a close connection with the story of the film. She is well-versed with reality. On one hand, while the actors were given the freedom to bring their own interpretation, Nathalia has a careful eye on maintaining the emotional graph and texture of the story so that we maintain the sense of authenticity of the story and characters. It was quite an interesting process to indulge in,” Adil said.

Apart from Adil Hussain, Lena Kumar portrays the missing girl’s stepmother while Nimisha Sajayan plays the girl. Nimisha, incidentally, was the leader of the 2019 Venice Film Festival title, Shadow Of Water.

The team finished their England schedule recently.

“We shot it in Birmingham, and we got support from British Film Institute (BFI) and the local film council. We had to stay in a bubble during the entire schedule. It is new normal and we are getting used to it, wherever we go. Yes, initially it was strange but we human beings naturally get used to these things,” said Adil Hussain, about the shoot.

The makers are looking for a theatrical release for the film, according to film’s London-based producer Mohaan Nadaar. “We want to take the film to festivals and premiere it along with the best in the world; we have a three-day schedule in Kerala in February and will be fully ready by April-end. We plan a release theatrically,” he said.

Source: www.koimoi.com

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Foresnsics experts from West Midlands Police are the focus of a new fly-on-the-wall BBC Two documentary series which started Tuesday February 9 at 9pm.

A TV camera crew were granted a rare opportunity to follow serious crime investigations in real time for Forensics: The Real CSI. In the first episode, crime scene coordinator Jo Ward leads the search for evidence and motive following a double murder in Birmingham.

The force’s assistant director for forensic services, Michelle Painter, said: “The role of forensics is crucial in some of the most serious crimes the force investigates. It can be the finest of details which provides the critical evidence which enables detectives to catch whoever is responsible and bring them to justice. This documentary gives an insight into real-life policing and expertise of our much valued teams. There are fascinating and challenging roles within forensics and it could be you decide a future in forensics is just for you. We’re in the process of recruiting so please keep looking at our jobs page.”

Over the coming weeks the force will be publishing more about those featured in the episode including their careers, route into their job and the range of emotions they experience  on @wmpolice on Twitter and West Midlands Police Facebook page.

A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “As a force we never underestimate the impact of serious crime on our communities – and  especially the loss of a loved one in tragic and violent circumstances. We’ve worked with producers so those who’ve been affected by the cases covered are aware of this documentary.

“Our intention has never been to sensationalise, but to show the realities of what our staff are faced with and their commitment to help solve serious crimes.”

Source: coventryobserver.co.uk

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