The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has revealed the names of 15 female directors it will be supporting through BAFTA Elevate, a new bespoke annual programme that aims to elevate individuals from under-represented groups to the next stage of their career. The participants were welcomed at a reception of Wednesday evening (17 May), attended by leading film and television executives.
The 2017 BAFTA Elevate programme addresses the low numbers of female directors being employed in the industry – between 2004 and 2014, just 13.6% of working directors were female (Directors UK, 2016) – and will support the participants to progress in high-end television and feature films.
This carefully selected group of 15 exciting female directors was chosen from almost 250 applicants, highlighting the range and number of talented working female directors.
BAFTA Elevate has been developed through a period of consultation with commissioners, high-end television executives and producers, agents and directors themselves, led by BAFTA, in association with Pia Pressure, and in consultation with producer Ivana MacKinnon and director Debs Paterson. The year-long initiative will include tailored panel discussions, masterclasses and workshops that will build peer support relationships, address cutting edge technical advances, and promote the directors to the wider industry.
The female directors network was initially conceived by director Debs Paterson as an opportunity to highlight the number of experienced female directors ready to work, and to build a peer-to-peer community based on support and shared knowledge.
The 15 selected directors’ portfolios span a range of work, including festival-recognised features, award-winning shorts, continuing television drama and children’s programmes. Among the participants are a number of BAFTA-recognised talent, including four BAFTA-nominees, one BAFTA Scotland nominee and a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit.
Mariayah Kaderbhai, BAFTA’s Film Programme Manager, said: “The 2017 BAFTA Elevate programme attracted an overwhelming number of talented and experienced applicants, and we are thrilled to be supporting our incredible fifteen selected participants across the next 12 months. Through BAFTA Elevate, we hope to provide these talented individuals with the platform they need to reach the next stage of their careers by helping them build relationships and allow them to benefit from BAFTA’s network of industry experts.”
Pippa Harris, Chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee, said: “The women identified through BAFTA Elevate demonstrates just how much female directing talent there is in the film and television industries – and how important it is to support these women and ensure that their talents are being recognised. We are delighted to have the generous support of Pia Pressure, a film and television production company that champions new, emerging and under-represented talent, in this initiative.”
The BAFTA Elevate female directors programme is delivered in association with Pia Pressure, a production company that champions under-represented filmmakers.
The ‘BAFTA Elevate 2017: Female Directors’ programme participants are:
- Alicia Duffy
- Amanda Blue
- Cathy Brady
- Christiana Ebohon-Green
- Dawn Shadforth
- Delyth Thomas
- Emma Sullivan
- Kate Saxon
- Lindy Heymann
- Lisa Clarke
- Rebecca Johnson
- Sally El Hosaini
- Sarah Walker
- Tina Gharavi
- Vanessa Caswill
For more information about BAFTA Elevate 2017, visit here
For the full biographies of all the participants, visit here
Note to Editors:
BAFTA Elevate has been informed by the findings of a research report, commissioned by BAFTA in partnership with Creative Skillset and the BFI, that examined the career success factors of film, television and games practitioners from under-represented groups. To read the report, published in February 2017, visit http://bit.ly/BAFTACareersReport2017.
For further information on BAFTA Elevate, or for interviews with any of the participants, please contact:
Eleanor Pickering at BAFTA
T: +44 (0)20 7292 5863
E: [email protected]
Niyi Akeju at BAFTA
T: +44 (0)20 7292 5865
E: [email protected]
