Below is a statement issued by CEO of the British Film Commission, Adrian Wootton OBE, on further UK Government COVID-19 restrictions:

Yesterday’s announcements from the UK Prime Minister and Scotland’s First Minister make clear that, while there are new restrictions relating to COVID-19, COVID-secure work-places will remain operational. This includes workplace production activity, such as film and TV studios and locations, operating under the rigorous British Film Commission or broadcasters’ COVID-19 Production guidance.

 The British Film Commission’s COVID-19 Production guidance, welcomed by UK Government, Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive, was designed to be rigorous, with thorough, comprehensive recommendations around social distancing and personal hygiene. We know UK productions have been following it when restarting production. Studios and streamers also have their own extremely rigorous protocols which sit alongside the BFC guidance, as well as production-specific risk assessments. These are all points we are clear to make in our conversations with Government.  

 And so, while COVID-19 restrictions vary from nation to nation within the UK, for film and high-end TV production in all four UK nations – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – operating within appropriate industry guidelines in COVID-secure settings is permitted.

RTS Midlands TV Career Fair – Monday 12 October to Thursday 15 October 2020 sponsored by NFTS

In the most ambitious Careers Fair yet, the RTS four day event from Monday 12 October to Thursday 15 October will bring together people from across the world of TV for SIX hours of live-streamed sessions, masterclasses and workshops each day.

Alongside Q&A panel sessions with the people who work on the biggest shows and brands, there will be some incredible practical workshops and masterclasses including help with your CV, an animation workshop, sessions on digital effects, working on location, podcasting, TV News and post production.

People confirmed to do sessions include: Barbara Slater, OBE, Director BBC Sport; Fiona Campbell, Controller, BBC Three; Isa Guha (BBC cricket presenter and commentator); Chris Stark (The Peter Crouch Podcast); Poppy Jay and Rubina Pabani (Brown Girls Do It Too podcast); Jacqui Oatley (sports broadcaster/journalist/presenter); Mark Cole, MD, Whisper TV;  Martin Dougan (Newsround) and Louis Cryer (Comedy Central).

In a first, we will also visit the set of BBC One’s award-winning Doctors in Birmingham to see how and where they film this brilliant drama. We’ll find out who does what, how they do it and more and do a Q&A with cast and crew live from the drama village.

This event is unmissable if you have ever thought about working in TV.

Monday 12th October

10:00-10:45  – Get Ready for your first job in TV with Jude Winstanley – BOOK NOW

11:15 – 12:00  – Thinking about the future of the entertainment business in a converging world:

                          consumer price, choice, regulation, and discoverability. – BOOK NOW

12:30 – 1:15  – How to kick off a career in TV Sport – BOOK NOW

1.45-2.30  – Is TV somewhere you can work if you have a disability? – BOOK NOW

3.00 -4.00  – ITV – CV Workshop – BOOK NOW

Tuesday 13th October

10:00-10:45 – How to make a brilliant podcast– BOOK NOW

12:30 – 1:15 – Working in the Locations Department with Film Birmingham – BOOK NOW

1.45-2.30 –Top tips for a career in Digital Effects– BOOK NOW

3:00- 4:00 – Ask us Anything – BOOK NOW

Wednesday 14th October

10:00 – 10:45 – Ask Us Anything – Join some awesome people from the world

                         of Entertainment and Factual TV and ask them anything! – BOOK NOW

11:15- 12:00 – Behind the Scenes:  Live from the set of BBC One’s Birmingham based soap Doctors – BOOK NOW

12:30-1:15 – Fiona Campbell, BBC Three – Baird Lecture – BOOK NOW

3:00 – 4:00 – CV Masterclass with BBC Experts BOOK NOW

Thursday 15th October

10:00-10:45 –  Post production – is this where the magic of TV really happens…find out from our super

                       panel of experts – BOOK NOW

11:15-12:00 – Working in News- is it the toughest gig in TV? – BOOK NOW

12:30 – 1:15 – In conversation.. with one of the country’s most high profile TV writers – BOOK NOW

1:45 – 2:30 – Animation Workshop – the world of animation is brought to life by our experts – BOOK NOW

Register your interest here.

Source: rts.org.uk/

For more industry information, visit our news page.

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The Film and TV Charity have opened a new fund, taking the form of “BAME community grants”.

The grants offer between £300 up to a maximum of £3,500 for projects that focus on bringing people together to:

• Share experiences
• Break down barriers and amplify underrepresented voices
• Support access and career development
• Provide education around issues such as discrimination and mental health
• Promote industry engagement with work created by Black, Asian or ethnic minority talent

The activity must take place between September – December 2020.

If you’re interested in discussing these, email Lucy Powell at lucy.powell@filmtvcharity.org.uk.

The Film and TV Charity also provides mental wellbeing services, which are free to everyone in the industry.

You can find more information and apply at www.filmtvcharity.org.uk/bame-community-grants. The deadline is 5pm 28th August 2020.

Source: Film and TV Charity

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Birmingham City University has announced a new five-year partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI). Formally beginning in September 2020, the collaboration will provide placement and secondment opportunities for BA and MA film students based within the University’s Department of Games, Film and Animation. All film students and staff within the department will also get access to the BFI Player as a key learning resource.

The partnership will also see the development of new BFI and Birmingham City University branded short courses for local communities and mid-career film professionals. Future plans include a new documentary film project that will draw on existing curriculum and research strengths that the university has in this area.

“Having used the BFI’s policy agenda to develop BCU’s Film Futures framework back in 2017, we’re delighted to now be working with the organisation to enrich the student experience and to highlight the importance of film education, mentoring and research in the region,” said Professor Xavier Mendik, who led the development of the partnership on behalf of Birmingham City University. “We now have official BFI University partner status, providing students with invaluable experiences of working in industry, exploring their interests and helping them to develop key transferable skills required in the workplace and when working with film. As we already have a track record of University staff and students collaborating on award winning documentary research projects, we are also excited to see how the BFI partnership can inform the future documentary teaching and research we undertake.”

The partners also plan on hosting an annual series of film industry talks at the university, as well as exploring the development of new postgraduate film courses in the future. Mark Prescott, head of business development at the BFI, said: “Partnering with Birmingham City University will provide fantastic opportunities, engaging students directly with the cultural and practical aspects of filmmaking.

“Students will gain access to content curated by the BFI and will be supported in their studies in various ways, including secondments, workshops and guest lectures. The relationship with the BFI will help support students directly but will also, create a legacy effect in the region as part of our desire to encourage and stimulate film in the West Midlands.

Source: www.expressandstar.com

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See and book West Midlands’ studios and build spaces here.

Source: www.broadcastnow.co.uk

For more industry information, visit our news page.

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UK community cinemas No Planet B (London), Caribbean Pop Up Cinema (Birmingham) and Sea/Film (Scarborough) are delighted to announce their collaboration on a special online screening event taking place in August 2020: WAVES

A wave is a form of affection and greeting, a valuable gesture in our current times. But waves are also what define and shape the movement of the sea. This project aims to bring people together, to think about and celebrate the sea, and how it both separates and joins us.

About the Project

Waves is a new collaborative environmental film event devised by No Planet B, London, Sea/Film, Scarborough and Caribbean Pop-Up Cinema, Birmingham. It is a special online event comprising of three parts; an online screening event of short films and presentations, a digital zine and a community-made film, all celebrating and exploring the theme of waves and how the sea connects us.

​Martha Cattell of sea/film says: ‘Waves offers a great opportunity to create new partnerships with other community film organisations, and bring together new audiences and ideas in the process.’

Denyce Blackman of Caribbean Pop-Up Cinema says: “The Caribbean has a special relationship with the sea. The blue of the waves feature on island flags and form a vital part of Caribbean livelihoods, and West Indians of the Windrush generation traveled by sea to begin new lives in the UK. We invite everyone in the Caribbean diaspora to join this project which celebrates this significant part of our story.

Julia Brow of No Planet B says: ‘The oceans are integral to our life on Earth. Nearly half the global population depends on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. We are looking forward to engaging with audiences with this new creative project that explores both our interconnectedness with the sea and with each other.’

​How to Get Involved

Zine Contributions: You can contribute to the community zine via submitting your work around the theme of waves, from poetry, art, photography, writing, histories here.

WAVES will be publishing the Zine as a free PDF and every contributor will receive a copy of their published work. Rules for contributions: Writing 550 words or less, the deadline for submissions is August 9th.

Video Contributions: Have you taken a clip of the sea whilst on holiday, or do you live by water? WAVES are creating a unified and continuous wave, so need your help via short clips of waves, 30 sec or less which will be edited together. Submit your video clips here. 

Attend the Screening: Details of the screening will be announced once confirmed, on the groups’ social media pages and newsletters (see social media links below).

​

Zine Call Out: WAVES

Images and Artwork: submissions of photos, a drawing/painting of waves and an image or set of imges, with maybe a small piece of text accompanying it, explaining the view depicted/your thoughts on the view. The description can be in the poetry or prose and may even just be a caption. Image or set of images + suggested word count: 250.

Creative Writing: Writing and poetry on waves, interpret how you like! Suggested word count: 500.

Non-Fiction Writing: Is there some waves from a film, a memory or history that have interested you or even the science behind oceans/rivers? Text word count: 500.

​This zine will form part of a collective project on the theme of waves; it will explore different ways of looking and depicting the same topic. WAVES want this project to be as accessible and inclusive as possible, so please email us with any questions or suggestions.  They will be producing an online version of the zine, which will be free to download and sent to all participants.

Film Call Out: WAVES

30 second or less clips of waves, maybe you live by the sea, from a past holiday, a clip someone sent you, or even a brief animation!

Video and Zine Submissions

Anyone can contribute to the zine or with video. Submissions are welcome from contributors of different ages and geographical locations.

Submit your work using this form: shorturl.at/apyAR 

Deadline for submissions is August 9th.

Email any questions to wavesfilmproject@gmail.com

WAVES want this project to be as accessible and inclusive as possible, so please email them with any questions or suggestions.

Stay Connected

No Planet B: @noplanetbfilm on Instagram and Facebook, sign up to newsletter here.

Sea/Film: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or visit our website.

Caribbean Pop-Up Cinema: Twitter,  Facebook and Instagram

The project is kindly supported by Cinema for All and BFI

Source: www.seafilmscarborough.com

For more industry information, visit Film Birmingham’s news page, or add us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.