As a programmer for the Birds Eye View Film Festival (emerging women filmmakers), I’m going to begin this space with the insider view on the festival. I’m also going to be reporting back from my escapades to festivals and film events near and far, highlighting women directors and providing a mishmash of general industry news, views and profiles with a specific focus on women.
FESTIVAL KICK OFF!
Last week saw the biggest and most prolific Birds Eye View Film Festival yet, with over half of our 45 events sold out. For the first time we ran training and networking sessions, guzzled tea and cake with filmmakers and curated Sound and Silent events with top guest musicians.
During these five hectic days, I mainly dashed around with a clipboard introducing screenings, ear wigging on audiences and hosting Q&A’s. On a busy but wonderful opening night, our sell-out gala at the NFT, I thought I might collapse into a bedraggled heap before the festival kick off! – but a bit of greenroom banter and a swig of Cobra beer soon brought me back into focus.
OPENING NIGHT PICTURE
The festival is in its third fruitful year and I’ve personally been blown away with the talent, inspiration and stories presented to us by women directors from Columbia to Canada, India, Germany and Poland, many of whom made the trip to the UK to attend the festival. Our hospitality coordinator, the wonderful Helen pulled out all the smiles and kept our lovely filmmakers happy despite our limited funds.
Mostly it is volunteers alone who keep the BEV flame alive and appearances are deceiving, despite the glamorous offerings of the festival! Festival HQ is actually a small box room in North London where we busy away with invites, film copies and general management. Ensuring that everything runs smoothly is project manager extraordinaire Rosie Strang – our queen of calm.
WHY BIRDS EYE?
Birds Eye View began as a positive response to the unbelievable underrepresentation of women in directorial roles – only 7% of directors, in fact, are women. Only three women have ever been
nominated for Best Film at the Oscars (none of whom have won) and out of 250 top US box office hits from last year, not one was female directed…
SHAPING UP SHORTS
My job as a programmer also extends to the amazing short film submissions that arrived this year. Over the six months preceding the festival, I joined festival director, Rachel Millward and BEV man Chris Harris to take on over 300 entries from all over the world in our festival screening room (better know as ‘Rachel’s living room’). From Malaysian ‘office space’ dramas to enthralling Serbian animations. Programming shorts is always a pleasure.
After a bit of cabin fever, lost weekends and thousands of cups of tea… three short film programmes were born, and, according to filmmaker in attendance Dictynna Hood, “it was such a pleasure to be part of an incredible and wonderful mix” – mission accomplished!
FILMMAKER FOCUS
In a recent Observer article, 5 UK female directors were interviewed – Gurinder Chadha (who made commercial hit Bend it Like Beckham) compares the difference between directing in the UK and the US, “It’s less sexist, the primary judgement is not whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s whether you’re going to turn this script around and make money”.
Perhaps that’s why two of our strongest features this year, both hugely accomplished films Stephanie Daley and Sherrybaby (starring Golden Globe nominated Maggie Gyllenhaal) are from US directors, Laurie Collyer and Hilary Brougher – who both also wrote the screenplay for their films.
Talking of Hilary Brougher – her presence was one of our festival highlights this year. She inspired audiences at her scriptwriting masterclass, offering her expertise and experience as someone who developed an award winning script, secured interest from top actress Tilda Swinton and steam rollered her film forward at the same time as raising four year-old twins! That’s what we like to see!
It’s hugely important to provide role models like Hilary for women – to encourage self-confidence, resourcefulness and marketing skills.
At the festival we also ran a pitching workshop to provide an insight to those who have difficulty with the prospect of ‘working the room’, who need a few glasses of wine before discussing their creative visions and in frankness, those who feel pressured by the opinions or commanding nature of production executives.
PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS
CLOSING NIGHT PICTURE
Following a magnificent closing night party at the ICA – we were back in the office nursing hangovers, dealing with print transport and making room for a bunch of free nail varnish that came too late for the party bags. All this on acute hangovers! That’s passion for you!
Next month, i’ll be reporting from the Creteil International Women’s Film Festival in France – one of the largest and most high profile celebrations of women directors in Europe. I’ll also be visiting Britspotting in Berlin, a cool vibe fest that promotes UK and Irish titles to German audience and industry.
Fiona’s top women directed films from 2006:
After the Wedding – Susanne Bier, Denmark
Old Joy – Kelly Reichardt, US
Away From Her – Sarah Polley, Canada
Stephanie Daley – Hilary Brougher, US
Sehnsucht (Longing) – Valeska Grisebach, Germany
Shut Up and Sing – Barbara Kopple and Cecelia Peck, US
Water – Deepa Mehta, India/Canada
Red Road – Andrea Arnold, UK
