Best Girl Grip

Episode 011: Jude Lister

This week I have a very special bonus minisode to share with you. Applications for the 2019 edition of iFeatures are currently open until 9am on Friday 29 March 2019, so Jude Lister, Creative England’s Film Project Manager came on the podcast to talk about the evolution of iFeatures and what they look for in an application.

If you’re looking to apply to the scheme, which has incubated and invested in films such as Apostasy, Lady Macbeth, God’s Own Country, The Levelling, The Goob, Adult Life Skills and Pin Cushion then I definitely recommend you give this a listen.

Episode 010: Loran Dunn

I’ve got a wonderful guest this week in the form of Loran Dunn. Loran is a BFI Vision Award winning producer with a background in production on BBC Dramas, independent features and major music promos and is also an Associate Lecturer in Filmmaking at Manchester Metropolitan University. 

I really loved our conversation because we got into the nitty gritty of producing, like how you create a budget, what pitching your project is like, the public funding landscape and how Loran actually makes a living. We also talked about grander concepts like revolutionising and diversifying the industry, as well as empowering young people to make their own work and just being yourself.

Episode 009: Jordan McGarry

This week I sit down with Film London's Head of Talent Development & Production, Jordan McGarry. Film London works to sustain, promote and develop London as a global content production hub, support the development of the city’s new filmmaking talent and invest in a diverse and rich film culture.

Before Film London, Jordan spent five years as Director of Curation at Vimeo, leading the team that programmed the site’s illustrious Staff Picks channel and also paid her dues as a journalist, working in festival programming, video commissioning and as an executive producer at Partizan London.

Jordan was a supremely interesting person to chat to and I could've grilled her for hours about music videos and the changing face of the film and music industries, but like me, you'll have to settle for 40 minutes. 

Episode 008: Beccy Ashdown

This week I’ve got another glorious guest in the form of Beccy Ashdown. Beccy is Campaign Director at Together Films, a marketing and distribution agency that offer bespoke solutions and strategies for films looking to outreach to spark conversation and effect change. I first came across Beccy and the work that she does at Together Films at the Open City Documentary Festival in 2017. I knew then that she occupied a very unique position in the industry, as someone that straddles the world of film but also politics and non for profits and as someone that can speak to changing models or approaches to distribution. So I was absolutely thrilled when Beccy agreed to come on the pod - I think she’s testament to the idea that just because you don’t start out in the field you have an interest in, or can even identify that field doesn’t mean you can’t navigate and learn your way into a fulfilling career.

 

Episode 007: Emma Duffy

My guest this week is Emma Duffy. Emma has produced commercials, music videos and shorts, including Oysters which was commissioned as part of London Calling Plus in 2016 and last year the first feature that she's produced - Mari (directed by Georgia Parris) - premiered at the London Film Festival. She also has exec producer credits on Sarah Gavron’s next film Rocks and Craig Robert’s sophomore feature Eternal Beauty through her work at the Wellcome Trust.

We talk about the lots of different things, from lamenting the fall of IdeasTap to the changing face of distribution, the mantras she uses to keep things in perspective and knowing your own worth. I hope you enjoy episode 7 of the Best Girl Grip podcast!

Episode 006: Caragh Davison

For this bonus mini-sode, I had a chinwag with BFI NETWORK's Caragh Davison about their new talent funding schemes, working her way up as an assistant and being a sponge, to her awesome programming role at the Forever Young Film Club. It's abundantly clear that Caragh is one cool cat and I think she has a lot of valuable things to say about making the most of every opportunity and why we shouldn't hate on coming-of-age films. 

Episode 005: Delphine Lievens

This week things get analytical as I crunch the numbers with box office analyst Delphine Lievens. An alumni of the Independent Cinema Office's FEDS scheme, Delphine since went on to enjoy a stint as a Theatrical Sales Executive in film distribution before turning to her hand to data. Delphine really knows her stuff and it was fun to get her take on cinematic trends, why some films struggle to find an audience and why solo cinema trips are her self-care. 

Episode 004: Maya Maffioli

This week I spoke to film editor Maya Maffioli. Maya completed an MA in editing at NFTS. It was there she met Michael Pearce and went on to edit his BAFTA-winning debut feature film Beast. We discussed how Maya even knew that editing was a career path, why there are still so few female editors, how she got an agent and who she counts as editorial influences.

Episode 003: Helen Simmons

Helen Simmons - a producer, writer and Screen Star of Tomorrow 2018, joins me on the podcast to talk about producing partnerships, making a micro-budget feature film, when she finds the time to write and why you shouldn't force yourself to be a morning person. It's a blinder of an episode in my opinion. 

Episode 002: Grace Barber-Plentie

For episode two of Best Girl Grip I chatted to Grace Barber-Plentie - a fellow BFI-bod and millennial multi-hyphenate - about topical things like burnout, imposter syndrome, side hustles, how to market a film to teenage girls and the ever brilliant Moonlight.