Dionne is a Development Executive for BBC Films. Prior to joining BBC Films in 2018, Dionne started out as a runner in factual production, before moving over into scripted development, working for companies such as the BFI and Unigram.

Jason Wood is Artistic Director at Film at HOME, Manchester, a centre for art, theatre and film. He is Professor of Film at both Manchester School of Art and the University of Salford, and an author of books on cinema. He is co-director of Always (crashing).

Kit is a leading innovator in screen-based art and interactive media. He directed the visually experimental feature Macbeth and co-directed The Knife That Killed Me. He is also co-founder of KMA – specialising in environmental installations.

Max is a Development Editor at Film4, Channel 4 Television’s feature film division. Max works with both new and established filmmakers. The company’s slate includes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Ex Machina and Slumdog Millionaire.

With 27 years in the film business, Mia Bays has produced an Oscar winner, received BAFTA nominations, including for the prestigious Carl Foreman award, and has worked across the globe as a creative producer and distribution expert.

Noé is an experienced director and producer on the international scene, working on numerous documentaries. In 2003 she set up the Scottish Documentary Institute, and over the years has devised several award-winning talent schemes.

Shelley Jones is Video Commissioner at NOWNESS – a global video channel screening the best in culture. As part of the commissioning team, she develops new series and commissions original work across a range of subjects – searching out talent.

Simon Nelson is the Development Executive for BBC Writersroom. He leads the development of new writers and writing for BBC drama, comedy and children’s drama, covering television, radio and online content. He has also worked for BBC and ITV.

Tracy Granger is a film editor. She started as an apprentice editor at MGM and Burbank Studio before working her way up through the studio system as lead editor on films such as ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ and Richard Billingham’s ‘Ray & Liz’.

Aisha Jan is the Administrator for the Young Audiences Content Fund, tasked with ensuring all applications meet the Fund’s eligibility criteria. Aisha previously held a place on the ICO’s FEDs scheme with a placement at Sheffield Doc/Fest.

Alex is a freelance film journalist and programmer. He writes for publications such as Sight & Sound, The Telegraph and Time Out. He also curates for Short of the Week, a platform promoting the new wave of emerging filmmakers.

Alex Seery is one of the co-founders of Hijack. As Head Colourist, his vast knowledge of digital workflows and cinema delivery has allowed Hijack to provide a range of finishing services for films such as “The Party”, “Gholam” and “The Pass”.

Alex is a lecturer at the University of East London and is currently programme leader for the new Media Production degree. He was previously a Senior Lecturer at UEL. Alex is also a multi-award-winning film director and screenwriter.

Alexzandra joined BFI NETWORK from Phoenix Cinema and Art Centre where she produced their learning and talent development programme, working across production and exhibition between 2009 and 2018. She is an advocate for accessible cinema.

Alia Sheikh is a director, producer, research scientist and a broadcast research engineer. Her work is focused on ensuring that the world’s oldest national broadcasting organisation understands the narrative potential of future immersive formats.

Alice recently joined Ffilm Cymru Wales as BFI Welsh Network Manager, having spent six years in London working primarily in film exhibition and talent development. Prior to Ffilm Cymru, Alice was part of the Production team at Film London.

Amy O’Hara is a BFI NETWORK Talent Executive with experience in film marketing, distribution and production. Amy has worked in the industry for over five years, most recently with the UK Marketing team at the new studio STX Entertainment.

Ana is the Course Leader of the VR Master’s Programme at London College of Communication, where she also teaches VR content creation and immersive storytelling. She has a PhD in Human Computer Interaction for VR content design.

Andy has over 10 years’ experience working in film exhibition. He was the Cinema Administrator at the Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds, and has worked as a freelance programmer for Leeds International Film Festival and Harvard Film Archive.

Andy Sandham is Subject Leader in Game Design at the School of Art, Design & Computer Science at York St John University and is involved in a number of commercial and research based AR/VR and 360 film projects. He is also a Game Developer.

Anna is a Development Executive at Studiocanal UK. As the premier European Studio, Studiocanal works with new and established talent, focusing on local British feature films as well as exciting projects with European DNA for a global audience.

Anna ensures that the LFA remains innovative, inspiring and cutting edge. She deals with the Academy’s day-to-day running, business development and the distribution of films made by LFA students, graduates and partners, growing and developing new talent.

Bec Evans is Head of Video Development at Dazed; she works across Dazed Media’s publications to direct, produce, programme and  commission in conjunction with editorial and commercial teams. Bec’s productions champion diversity.

Ben Luxford is Head of UK Audiences for the British Film Institute. He is responsible for a range of funds and strategies designed to bring great films to audiences across the UK. Ben has worked in the UK Independent distribution sector for over 10 years.

Ben Mallaby is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Arts and Creative Industries. He specialises in filmmaking with an emphasis on the development of scripts, professional development and post-production. Ben is a freelance comedy filmmaker.

Caragh works across BFI NETWORK’s UK-wide activity with a focus on designing their flagship talent development programmes. Her mission is to burst the industry bubble and throw the doors open to new filmmakers from all walks of life.

Hailing from Brazil, Carlos is the founder and Managing Director of Rampage Studio. Since forming the company he has been involved in the creation of over 60 hours of factual television and hundreds short form videos for online use.

Carol Salter is an award winning documentary director with a fine art and editing background. Her debut feature documentary Almost Heaven won Best Documentary at last year’s Aesthetica Film Festival and at the British Independent Film Awards.

Catriona McAvoy is a Post Producer at Hijack. She looks after clients and ensures that projects run smoothly. Alongside her work at Hijack, Catriona writes about films and directors and has contributed chapters to books like “Stanley Kubrick: New Perspectives”.

Chandan is the Coordinator of the BFI Young Audiences Content Fund which involves managing all application processes, as well as coordinating external stakeholder meetings. She has previously worked at a talent agency and in the charity sector.

Charles Cecil MBE has been a key figure in the interactive entertainment industry for 40 years. Founder of Revolution Software, today one of the world’s leading adventure game companies, Charles has created numerous narrative-driven games.

Make It York was established in 2015 with the coming together of the marketing and promotion, economic development, and tourism functions in the city. Charles Storr is Economy and Enterprise Manager, supporting businesses across the City of York.

Charlie Phillips is the Head of Video at The Guardian, commissioning and acquiring new documentaries from all around the world for the Guardian documentaries strand, and managing all moving image for the Guardian’s platforms, including news and culture.

Charlotte Corchète is a researcher at EHESS, École des Hautes Études en Science Sociales (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) in Paris. She currently heads the short film committee of the Locarno Film Festival’s selection committee.

Chris Birks is a BAFTA award-winning visual effects artist, animator and motion designer with more than 25 years of experience in animation and GFX. He runs the VFX department at One Bright Dot, Yorkshire’s leading post production facility.

Chris Brearley is the company director in the control seat of One Bright Dot. With more than 10 years experience in the industry, Chris is an extremely talented colourist & VFX artist, skilled in After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere and Cinema 4D.

Chris Shepherd is a multi-award-winning director, writer and producer. From his award winning directorial debut for Channel 4 in 1997 with The Broken Jaw, Chris has worked on many renowned TV Shows and commercials including Nathan Barley.

Chris Toumazou is an Executive Producer and founding partner at COMPULSORY in London. Having helped established the company’s distinctive new talent, he has helped music video directors expand further into the narrative film space.

Chris Wyatt has worked with a mix of acclaimed British film directors from Peter Greenaway to Shane Meadows. Spanning a career of more than 40 years, his credits include The Pillow Book, This is England, Calibre and God’s Own Country.

5A Studios’ Managing Director Cristina Aragon has worked at Twickenham Film Studios and Abbey Road Studios. With clients including BBC, ITV, The Guardian, 20th Century Fox and National Geographic, the company has over 20 years’ experience.

Christine works across all BFI Network and Northern Ireland Screen short film activity in fiction, factual and animation areas. She designs and manages workshops and seminars for new and emerging talent in animation, factual and fiction sectors.

Christoph Matiss has been a programmer and press officer at cellu l’art since 2004. He was Festival Director for 3 years, before stepping down in 2014. Christoph also works as a Content Manager for Bauerfeind, a health care equipment company.

Colin has worked as a producer and mentor in the UK film and TV industry for over 30 years, often with first time directors and producers. Colin has produced and executive produced a wide-ranging slate of independent short and feature projects.

Cornelius is a director and screenwriter and was the subject of the Oscar-Nominated documentary Black Sheep. He has worked with clients such as Google, William & Grant and HSBC as well as developing his feature film and TV projects.

Craig is Director of Creative Projects at the Beggars Group of Labels. He joined Beggars in 1995 and has worked with artists including Adele, Dizzee Rascal, Jack White, British Sea Power, Interpol, Stornoway, Glass Animals, Daughter and The xx.

Dan started his career with Kodak Motion Picture, in various commercial roles spanning production, post-production and distribution. He has since worked in Commercial and Client Relations positions and now manages the Eclair UK teams.

Dave Garratt is the Film Programmer and Inclusive Cinema Co-ordinator at Square Chapel Arts Centre. He is also the founder of the Up North Film & Television Festival, which celebrates Northern Voices on screen and behind the camera.

David Chapman is programme leader of MA Filmmaking and teaches on BA Film. He is a documentary filmmaker, media artist and researcher with a particular interest in sound and image interaction. His work uses themes of historical and cultural issues.

David Nixon is Programme and Communications Manager at Forum Cinema Hexham. Earlier this year he launched the inaugural Tyne Valley Film Festival, a community programmed film festival running 26 events across 12 unique venues.

Dick Pope began his career as a documentary film cameraman, working for companies such as the BBC. In 1990 Pope began a longstanding collaboration with Mike Leigh on films such as Mr Turner. He is a BAFTA and Oscar-nominated.

Ed Perkins is an Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker whose films have won numerous international awards. Ed has directed films for Netflix, the BBC, The Guardian, National Geographic and Channel 4 and is a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit.

Elaine is a Programme Advisor for BFI London Film Festival and previews for Sheffield Doc/Fest and Underwire. She co-founded VR Distribution company Other Set in 2017, and currently works at the National Centre for Immersive Storytelling: StoryFutures Academy.

Elouise Carden is Managing Director of Rapid Pictures. The company has over 20 years’ experience providing post-production to all major broadcasters, production companies and multi-platform content providers including BBC Four, ITV, Channel 4 and More4.

Emmanuel is the director of the British Urban Film Festival. BUFF has been a sturdy platform for BAME filmmakers to showcase their work since its launch in 2005. Emmanuel also presents a radio show on Colourful Radio called Meet The Critics.

Based in Newcastle and London, Fiona is Doc Society’s Events Producer. She is part of the Good Pitch production family and works alongside the BFI Doc Society Fund team in supporting and networking British non-fiction talent.

Gareth Blake is Head of Production and Member Services at Production Guild, the UK’s leading membership organisation for those working in production. Bringing Film and TV drama professionals together, Gareth delivers a wide range of services.

Giedre Bumbulyte is the Festival Manager at ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival and Producer at Zs2 Media Group based in Paris. Her production experience includes work for companies such as BBC and National Geographic.

Gill is the Project Manager for the Young Audiences Content Fund. She is responsible for assessing the finance, schedule and budgets of applications to the production and development funds. Her recent experience lies in Children’s broadcasting.

Giorgia works in the realm of creative production, art direction, digital strategy and photography. She is currently Digital Content Lead for Jil Sander, a fashion house founded in 1968 that has modernised traditional concepts of luxury and elegance.

Helen is the Assistant Curator in the Media Sales and Licensing team, providing access to the IWM Film collection. Since joining the Film Archive in 2014, Helen has worked on projects with academics, artists, cultural and heritage organisations.

Hesham handles all legal and business affairs matters relating to the Young Audiences Content Fund. Before joining the BFI, he worked at the BBC as an in-house lawyer in the BBC Children’s commercial, rights and business affairs team.

Ian is the Submissions Coordinator for Festival Formula, handling the festival submissions for the company’s huge slate of films. He is also active in delivering talks on festival strategy at festivals across the UK, helping filmmakers realise their potential.

Ian Fenton is the Creative Director of Learning and Participation at Tyneside Cinema, where he leads on work with new talent. He recently produced 72 short films for Channel 4’s Random Acts strand and the documentary feature The Dream Palace.

Jacqueline Edenbrow is a film and television producer. She is currently Executive Producer in documentaries at the Guardian. She was previously an Executive Producer at VICE, working across documentaries and features.

James manages BFI NETWORK projects and partners, working with the Talent Executives across the UK. He’s been at the BFI Film Fund for four years, and has focused on their producer funding through the Vision Awards.

Jan Harlan was Executive Producer on many Stanley Kubrick films, from Barry Lyndon to Eyes Wide Shut. He has worked with Steven Spielberg and Warner Brothers across narrative and documentary. Jan was an key figure in forming the Kubrick Archive.

Jane Saunders works for ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen industries. She manages the Mentoring Network, which aims to match mentoring pairs to enable new and established professionals to support each other.

Jane and Louise Wilson, RA Elect, have been working as an artist duo in collaboration for over two decades since their joint postgraduate degree from Goldsmiths College in 1992. Jane and Louise have gained both national and international reputation.

Jayne Dunphy is Studio Manager at One Bright Dot’s busy production office. With 20 years experience in television and film production, she responsible for projects running smoothly and delivered to the highest standard.

Jen Corcoran is Project Manager of Tees Valley Screen, Northern Film & Media’s new development programme, supporting talent, ambition and growth across the region. Jen is also a creative producer focusing on new female voices.

Dr Jessica Bugg is Dean of the School of Media and Communication, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London and was awarded a PhD from the same institution in 2006. Jessica’s work has been screened in venues including the ICA.

Jo Nolan is Managing Director at Screen South, a cultural development organisation with digital creativity at its heart. Bringing hidden stories and ideas to the public, it works with a range of new talent from around the world, championing new voices.

Jo has 20 years experience in the television industry, she has developed BAFTA winning dramas, & worked as script editor on shows such as Coronation Street & Emmerdale. She is passionate about supporting & developing people.

Joanna Rowan worked in production before a career in post-production on shows such as Top Gear. Joanna has been with Envy for four years, collaborating on Gogglebox, The Voice, Louis Theroux, Surgeons and a variety of advertising campaigns.

Jonny Tull has collaborated on the releases of several independent films since starting his business in 2017. works with cinemas and arts venues to develop their businesses and audiences, including Rich Mix, London, and Warwick Arts Centre.

Jude manages programmes for emerging UK film talent, including low budget feature development lab iFeatures and the short film initiative shortFLIX with BBC Films, BFI and Sky Arts. Jude has also worked for Encounters Film Festival.

Julian Foddy is VFX Supervisor for Industrial Light & Magic – a visual effects and animation studio founded in 1975 by George Lucas. Julian’s personal credits include blockbusters Avengers, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Ready Player One.

Kate Rolfe is Marketing Director of Digital Orchard, delivering their events and managing their marketing and communications. Kate leads on the company’s annual campaigns, including overseeing The Digital Orchard New Talent Fund.

Kate works on the ScreenSkills Mentoring Network, which is supported by the BFI with funds from the National Lottery under the BFI’s Future Film Skills Strategy. Kate has worked as Development and Production Manager at Merlin Films.

Kate’s academic background shows a strong focus on all areas of the industry. Kate is also Festival Formula’s Strategy Officer where she provides support and feedback for Strategy clients as they head on to the circuit with our advice.

Kathryn is Head of Screen Operation at National Science and Media Museum. She runs a three screen cinema operation including Europe’s first IMAX, and is the Director of the Widescreen Weekend film festival and Yorkshire Games Festival.

Katie McCullough is the founder of Festival Formula Ltd, a consultancy company focusing on filmmakers covering festival strategy. Katie has hosted a wide range of workshops at BFI, Glasgow Short Film Festival and Encounters Film Festival.

Kit Caless is Communications and Marketing Manager at Learning on Screen. A specialist in the use of moving image and sound in education, the organisation has been making film more accessible for over 70 years – from BBC TV to streaming.

Krissi is Managing Director at Mad Dog 2020, which has been casting and coordinating Supporting Artists for over 20 years. Well-known and award-winning projects include Dunkirk and The Favourite and TV shows such as Peaky Blinders and Doctor Who.

Laura works at LISFE where she co-curates the film program as well as supervising the graphic identity of the festival. Laura cultivates her passion for visual communication and believes in the power of social change through these means.

Jane and Louise Wilson, RA Elect, have been working as an artist duo in collaboration for over two decades since their joint postgraduate degree from Goldsmiths College in 1992. Jane and Louise have gained both national and international reputation.

Lucy is Training and Events Manager at Learning on Screen, organising annual awards and events. Prior to working at Learning on Screen, Lucy worked at Film Education, working with film distributors to produce educational resources.

Luke’s first credit as producer was the first music promo to be shot in HD – the Sneaker Pimps’ “Sick” in 2001. Since then he has specialised in branded content and TV commercials for the likes of Saatchi & Saatchi, M&C Saatchi, Sky and ITV.

Starting out in production for feature film, commercials and museum projects, Lynn has worked across exhibition and distribution for BFI London Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, the British Film Institute and the Independent Cinema Office.

Macaulay worked in the insurance industry for over 5 years before joining Performance in April 2018. Macaulay has always had a keen interest in the film and media. Ending up at Performance has meant he’s able to put that interest to good use.

Screen International Star of Tomorrow Manjinder Virk is an accomplished actress, writer and director, having worked in theatre, TV, film and radio. Her film Out of Darkness, starring Tom Hiddleston, premiered at the 57th BFI London Film festival.

MarBelle is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of independent film curation and interview site Directors Notes. He has previously worked as Editor of Shooting People’s Filmmakers Bulletin and has provided film programmes and served on juries.

Maria Caruana Galizia is a producer based in Newcastle upon Tyne. In 2013 she set up Candle & Bell to work with regional and BAME filmmakers. The organisation was named one of the top 50 Emerging Creative Companies by Creative England.

Marian is the Head of Interactive Media in the Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media at University of York. He is also the Research & Development Co-Director of XR Stories and Co-Director of the Digital Creativity Labs.

Marion is a film studio executive who joined the UK division of Studiocanal in 2009, and Sky Drama in 2019. At Studiocanal, Marion worked on a variety of internationally acclaimed titles such as the BAFTA-winning Warp’s ’71, MacBeth and Yardie.

Meghan Cruz is the Development Executive at Babycow (Gavin and Stacey, The Mighty Boosh). With experience in scouting emerging talent and diverse voices, she works with international writers for global audiences to bring ideas to life.

Melissa is the director of Leiden International Short Film Experience and takes part in the curation of film programs. She previously worked in a cultural centre in Guatemala where she curated her first exhibition in collaboration with local young talents.

Michael is Head of Division at Performance Film & Media and has a huge passion for supporting emerging filmmakers & creatives across the UK. He has worked in the Insurance Industry for over 12 years, working within Film & Media for 7 of these.

Mikey is an award-winning filmmaker and was the recipient of the Scottish BAFTA award for Best First Time Writer in 2007. He has previously programmed for Slamdance and is the director of the Indie-Lincs International Film Festival.

Milo Taylor is an artist, musician, producer and researcher, and is Course Leader for the BA Sound Arts and Design course at London College of Communication. He has taught Sound Art and Design for many years from a range of perspectives.

Minnie Carver’s role at British Vogue involves commissioning, producing and often directing filmed content for the magazine’s video platforms. Her work bridges the gap between print and digital, responding to printed and photographic features.

Monika works for Cinema Nation, a research and development agency that supports, encourages and champions all forms of film exhibition. She co-ordinates the Liverpool branch of Scalarama, an annual festival of DIY cinema and film clubs.

Natasha is the Arts Programmer for Deer Shed Festival. She has spent over five years living and performing in Bradford and Leeds. Natasha is a trained physical performer and works freelance as a street theatre performer.

Nicci has been a professional casting director for almost 20 years across film, TV, commercials and music promos for global brands such as Nike. Her feature film work includes work on several features, including the award winning Northern Soul.

Niccolò is a curator and publicist, focusing on fashion film. One of the Co-founders of the Berlin Fashion Film and The Commissioners, he is an authority on Fashion and the moving image, collaborating with various platforms and filmmakers.

Nick Sadler is a Producer of Marketing and Distribution at Goldfinch Studios and founder of distribution consultancy Film Label. Goldfinch Studios to provide first-time directors with the opportunity to create financially successful feature films.

Nina White supports talent, ambition and growth across the Tees Valley screen industries. She is also completing her PhD at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art and coordinates events for Middlesbrough Art Weekender and The Auxiliary.

Oliver Jones is a director of Deer Shed Festival, a family friendly music, arts and science festival held annually in Baldersby Park near Thirsk. Deer Shed is widely considered to be the best family festival in the North with an weekend audience of 10,000.

Olivia is the first point of call for Screen Yorkshire’s Film Office. She advises on filming enquiries, including locations and facilities. She maintains Screen Yorkshire’s film locations database, and was previously a freelance Production Coordinator.

Paul is an Oscar nominated, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning producer. In a career spanning 40 years, he has made over 100 films including the commercially and critically successful The English Patient, Atonement and Pride and Prejudice.

Phoebe looks after The Artangel Collection, a body of moving image works commissioned by Artangel. She collaborates with the likes of Tate and with curatorial colleagues across the UK to exhibit these innovative pieces in new contexts.

Rankin is a British photographer, publisher and film director. He has shot The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Kate Moss and The Queen and co-founded Dazed & Confused. Through Rankin Film, he has shot campaigns and music videos for major clients.

Raoul is an award-winning sound designer and re-recording mixer. He has worked on many highly acclaimed independent films – such as the BAFTA-winning drama, I am Not A Witch and the BIFA and ASFF-winning feature documentary, Almost Heaven.

Before becoming Head of Film at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Ray worked at the RCS as a lecturer in Cinematography. Most recently he has overseen the transition and validation of RCS’s new BA Filmmaking course now on offer.

Dr Rebekah Louisa Smith began her film industry career in 2008, working as a producer on Wales’ most successful national horror film festival, the Abertoir Horror Festival. A decade ago, she created her company The Film Festival Doctor.

Rich Simpson is one of the co-founders of Hijack. As Head of Audio, he has helped expand Hijack’s DIT department and has provided Digital workflow supervision for a wide variety of features and TV series including Amazon’s “Good Omens”.

Richard Billingham is an award-winning artist, photographer and film maker. His work is based on observations of everyday life, and is part of the Tate and V&A collections. He recently wrote and directed the BAFTA-winning Ray and Liz.

Richard has produced, directed and commissioned a wealth of programmes for both British and International broadcasters, including the BAFTA-nominated Cold War. He is the Executive Producer and Managing Director for Spring Films.

Richard Nockles has been at the cutting edge of VR innovation for the last eight years. Currently working as Creative Director at Sky VR, Richard has helped shape and accelerate the broadcaster’s output across sports, documentary and drama.

Robert Beeson ran a university film society and then started in film distribution at Artificial Eye in 1977, releasing nearly 400 + titles over the years. He started New Wave Films in 2008 to carry on this work, and has released around 100 films.

Roger Morris is the Managing Director of Elstree Studios and Chairman and co-founder of the Elstree University Technical College, a successful college dedicated to vocational education specialising in Film, Theatre and TV and crafting renowned productions.

Roxy McKenna is one of two BFI NETWORK Talent Executives working across the North of England to fund and develop early career writers, directors and producers. Roxy joined Film Hub North after working at Northern Film and Media.

Ruairidh is a modeller for Framestore, a BAFTA and Oscar-award winning creative studio with credits including Blade Runner 2049 and Avengers: Endgame. MacNeill specialises in hard surface for film whilst helping new talent break into the industry.

Ruth has worked for a number of film related organisations, from small scale not for profits to the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and educational institutions Screen Academy Scotland and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Sadhbh Murphy has 16 years experience in TV distribution and has been Sales and Acquisitions Manager at Network Ireland Television since 2007. Network Ireland Television is the foremost Irish-based TV and film distribution company.

Sadie Clayton is designer exploring the creative boundaries between art, technology and fashion. Fascinated by innovation, Sadie has presented work at the Royal Academy of the Arts, Tate and V&A, and created content with Adobe films.

Sam manages the Beyond Brontës Programme, that has been established to address the lack of diversity in the screen industries by supporting young people in the Bradford District and Leeds City Region to develop their skills.

Sam Margaritis has been Managing Director of Digital Orchard for over 6 years, overseeing the company growing from a DIT and Video Op agency to a full film and digital dailies and post facility. Her background is 10 years in production management.

Sam’s credits include being the screenwriter for a Virtual Reality Experience for Ridley Scott Associates / The Viking Planet. Before screenwriting, he was a journalist for over a decade – writing for The Guardian and The Telegraph.

Shaun Harrison is the BFI NETWORK Talent Coordinator at Film Hub North, supporting writers, directors and producers. Shaun has worked with Toronto International Film Festival, Stand Comedy Club and DOXA Documentary Film Festival.

Sheyma Buali joined BBC Arabic Festival in its first edition in 2014, and became Director in 2015. With a focus on media, film and arts from the Arab world, she is also active in publishing as Commissioning Editor for Ibraaz and Creative Time Reports.

Simon Chinn is a double Oscar-winning producer who is responsible for some of the most successful feature documentaries of recent years, including Man on Wire, Searching for Sugar Man and Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie.

Simon Richings is Executive Creative Director at AnalogFolk London. With 22 years of experience, he has worked with companies including Marmite, PG Tips and Sainsbury’s on successful campaigns. The company was part of the FT 1000 in 2018.

Stefania is a filmmaker and has worked in film education for many years. She is currently a Lecturer and Editing Pathway Leader on the BA film practice and MA Editing and Post Production at London South Bank University.

Stephen is a specialist in the NASA film archive. His latest project, the critically acclaimed documentary APOLLO 11, premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Special Jury Award for Editing, and was released in US cinemas and IMAX.

Steve Jelley is an award-winning producer and creative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in content production, distribution and technology innovation. He is co-founder and joint managing director of Hammerhead VR.

Since 2017, Sven Pötting has been the programmer and coordinator of FILMFEST DRESDEN – International Short Film Festival. Previously, he worked as for a film distribution company, as a film critic and lecturer at universities in Germany.

Sydney Neter runs SND Films, a boutique sales agency founded in 1994, based in Amsterdam selling shorts, feature and hour docs. SND Films have an extensive catalogue of animators like Bill Plympton, Michael Dudok de Wit and Torill Kove.

Nice Shirt is a multi-award-winning London based production company, representing a diverse group of talented filmmakers. Tareq Kubaisi is Director, working on wide range of projects with BBC, Capital One, Pepe Jeans, Jaeger, the FA Cup and more.

Tim is an experienced post production and distribution executive with nearly 30 years of experience. He has produced VFX & title sequences for Hollywood blockbusters and independent productions of all sizes. Tim oversees new business at Eclair.

Tom Bird is Executive Director at York Theatre Royal. He previously spent 11 years at Shakespeare’s Globe, starting as a Theatre and Music Assistant before acting as Executive Producer. Tom was Director of the Globe to Globe Festival for the 2012 Festival.

Tom co-founded Blue Zoo in 2000 and continues to be a driving force in the animation production company. He is executive creative within commercials and games, whilst managing Blue Zoo’s AnimDojo. Tom also runs the studio’s short film programme.

As i-D’s in-house video director, Tom pushes the boundaries of moving-image, and has documented a number of youth culture scenes around the world, including underground ravers in Kiev and alternative LGBTQ+ nightlife in NY.

Torquil is a DoP, Camera and Steadicam Operator. He recently shot Ed Sheeran’s music video ‘Nothing on You’. He has worked with DoP’s such as John De Boreman, Seamus Deasey and Fabio Chianchetti. His portfolio covers Features, Drama and Commercials.

Will Becher is a Director and Creative at Aardman Animations in Bristol. He has since worked on series, commercials and feature films such as Shaun the Sheep Movie, Early Man and the BAFTA and Oscar-winning Curse of the Were-Rabbit.

Will Byles has been an actor, producer, designer, animator and director in game, film, TV. He was Creative Director at Aardman Animation, External Producer with EA and has worked on the BAFTA winning Until Dawn at Supermassive Games.

Yesim Guzelpinar is Festival Director at Balik Arts, a charity working with disadvantaged children and young people to improve access to the arts. Filmmaking, film screenings and festivals are at the core of the charity, enriching the community.