Birds Eye View Film Launch Second Year of Future Leaders In Distribution Executive Programme in association with the FDA

A bespoke course promoting greater inclusion for women at the top of UK Film Distribution

Funded by Creative Skillset and Birds Eye View Film and endorsed by Film Distributor’s Association (FDA), Birds Eye View Film launch a second round of bespoke leadership programme for female distribution executives with 7+ years experience, to run alongside the filmmaker training programme, Filmonomics.

FILMONOMICS FUTURE LEADERS is a 7-month leadership programme that seeks to open more doors to female leaders (per the Creative Skillset 2012 film workforce census, only 20% of CEOs and directors in UK film distribution are female, compared to 47% of the workforce).

FUTURE LEADERS IN DISTRIBUTION is for 8-10 participants and is structured in order to fit in with busy schedules, allowing time for work shadowing, tailored mentoring and coaching for each individual.

This programme is supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, with BFI’s Film Forever National Lottery Funds.

Birds Eye View’s highly rated filmmaker programme Filmonomics will return in November 2016 for its 4th consecutive year, with a balanced portfolio of inward and outward focus, with sessions on developing confidence in your professional style with trained psychologists, interrogating rejection with professional coaches specialising in female entrepreneur training and current box office and sales analysis plus future trend-forecasting.

Alongside the Filmmaker Programme, we run the FUTURE LEADERS IN DISTRIBUTION training programme. Supported by both Creative Skillset and Film Distributors’ Association, the programme serves as a leadership training for women with 7+ years of film distribution experience and who have the ambition to run / own a distribution business or operate at a higher executive level.

Filmonomics FUTURE LEADERS will run concurrently with Filmonomics Filmmakers to encourage the future distribution leaders to meet the future filmmakers and enjoy the interpersonal skills sessions together. FUTURE LEADERS will endeavor to arm and inspire the 8-10 participants in 2016/17 in order that the next film workforce census figures on female management in film distribution climb beyond 30%.

Programme bursaries are available. The programme also has funds available for travel and childcare expenses for participants who require such. Applications are welcomed from distribution executives working in a distribution company or freelancers who work within the UK distribution space.

FUTURE LEADERS IN DISTRIBUTION 2016 had an excellent line-up of talent: Pritica Aneja, Associate Finance Director, EMEA, Twentieth Century Fox; Lia Devlin Head of Marketing, Altitude UK; Sophie Doherty, Theatrical Sales Manager, Disney UK; Sophie Glover Head of Publicity at Pathé UK; Lucy Hill, Theatrical Sales Manager, Warner Bros UK; Lorna Mann, SVP of Publicity, Lionsgate UK; Christina De Rienzo Head of Theatrical Marketing, Curzon Artificial Eye; Kristin Ryan Head of UK Home Entertainment and Digital, Studio Canal; Louisa Mitchell, Marketing Director - Home Entertainment and Faith Taylor, Senior Marketing Manager, both of eOne.

We are thrilled to have the support of high level industry mentors such as Kezia Williams of eOne, Sue Bruce Smith of FilmFour, Robert Walak Head of Focus Features International and Anna Godas of Dogwoof to name but a few.

PROGRAMME LEADERS

Mia Bays
Mia Bays is an Oscar winning, twice BAFTA nominated producer, on documentary and fiction, who has worked on over 50 features in various capacities, with producer credits on 12 features and 4 shorts, on films such as SCOTT WALKER – 30 CENTURY MAN exec produced by David Bowie, and SIX SHOOTER by Martin McDonagh which won Best Live Action Short Academy Award 20006.

Mia acted as Creative Producer on Film London and the BBC’s acclaimed Microwave scheme, overseeing from production to release on film such as SHIFTY by Eran Creevy and LILTING starring Ben Whishaw (both of which were nominated for Best Debut BAFTA, which she was also nominated for in 2008). Mia is passionate about raising the volume of the female voice across the film value chain and has taken over the Birds Eye View platform since 2015 to further the work and create a legacy project from the acclaimed film festival run under their aegis 2002-14. She began her career in the film industry in distribution, working for Romaine Hart, a successful female distributor and exhibitor in the early 1990s, and her first role model.

Julia Short
Julia Short has years of film marketing and distribution experience on huge campaigns such as FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, LOCK STOCK AND 2 SMOKING BARRELS, before setting up her own company Verve, releasing films such as DOGTOOTH, THE ARBOUR, RED ROAD and SCOTT WALKER – 30 CENTURY MAN (which Mia produced) before selling to her partner a few years ago. She is now running a number of high profile courses in film including Inside Pictures and consults on any issue relating to distribution.

PROGRAMME LEADERS’ STATEMENT
“When we started in distribution in the 1990s, there was a woman running a studio, and three of the major distribution companies (Electric, Mainline and Artificial Eye) were owned and run by women. Now there are only two companies owned by women and only a handful operating at senior levels either in the studio or independent sphere as the census attests. We are committed to changing this.

We are delighted that Creative Skillset have backed this programme for a second year, as we learnt significantly from Year One that this course has immense value to the attendees and to the industry as a whole. We are committed to continuing to run a high profile course, that, with support of Film Distributors Association and their membership, and with some of the best female leadership coaches and psychologists around, will go some way to redressing the balance and ensuring that, within the next decade, the figures have significantly improved.

We believe a mixture of internal and external focus is vital to train up the future leaders in distribution. By creating a program that balances hard business with the personal - that looks deep inside and outside of film for good and bad practice, and takes into consideration the bigger picture of societal context and work from other sectors on addressing gender inequality in leadership roles.”

Applications for the 2016 programme are now open. The deadline for applications is Wednesday 14th September 6pm GMT. Full terms & conditions, and details on how to apply, can be found on the Birds Eye View website.

About Creative Skillset
Creative Skillset empowers the Creative Industries to develop skills and talent; we do this by influencing and shaping policy, ensuring quality and by securing the vital investment for individuals to become the best in their field and for businesses to grow. As the industry skills body for the Creative Industries, we work across film, television, radio, animation, visual effects, games, fashion, textiles, advertising, marketing communications and publishing,

About the Film Skills Fund
Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund invests in the skills and training of the UK film industry to secure its growth and sustainability ensuring UK film remains world-class. The Film Skills Fund is backed by the British Film Institute (BFI) with the National Lottery funds.

Film Distributors' Association (FDA)
Film Distributors' Association Ltd. (FDA) is the trade body for theatrical film distributors in the UK - the companies that release films for UK cinema audiences. Originally established in London in 1915, FDA liaises and works with many individuals, companies and organisations. FDA's Council, or board, comprising a senior representative of each member company, normally meets six times a year and considers only matters of generic interest to film distributors. FDA represents a distribution stance in regular representations to and consultations with the BFI, the government and other bodies. We are also a passionate advocate of distributors' pivotal role in the well-being of the whole film economy.

Birds Eye View Film
Birds Eye View is a charity founded by Rachel Millward in 2002 which ran an annual film festival showing films by women at key venues such as the BFI Southbank in London, and through touring programmes, events and training and worked tirelessly to promote the work of women internationally for more than 12 years.

The last festivals took place in 2013 and 2014 under the expert eye of distribution and marketing expert Kate Gerova, who also founded the Filmonomics programme for female filmmakers. Since coming on board in the final year to run initially their flagship filmmaker training programme, Mia Bays, the Oscar winning twice BAFTA nominated producer has worked to build on that legacy, taking the charity in a new direction under her aegis, building a portfolio of programmes and events that focus on better representation and inclusion of women across the film sector.

They have recently raised funds and are launching 3 programmes for women in film in 2017 – FUTURE LEADERS IN DISTRIBUTION 2, FILMONOMICS FILMMAKERS IV and new programme FILMONOMICS PLUS for emerging producers.

Find out more on Facebook and Twitter: @birdseyeviewfilmff