Kelly Valentine Hendry CDG, CSA  is lead casting director at KVH Casting. Based in London they cast for Film and Television worldwide. Recent credits include RIVALS (Disney+ ) KAOS, BRIDGERTON (Netflix) MARY & GEORGE, TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, GANGS OF LONDON (SKY). Other shows of note are BROADCHURCH (ITV), FLEABAG (BBC) and THE WHEEL OF TIME.(Amazon). Originally from Elgin in the north east of Scotland , Kelly started out as as an assistant with Hubbard Casting and Gail Stevens after several years as a stage manager.She has an MA (Hons) English degree from the University of St Andrews and a Diploma in Stage Management and Technical Theatre from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

As we step into 2025, there's a sense of fresh possibility in the air. It’s a time to reflect on the lessons learned, the challenges overcome, and the achievements earned in the past year. The new year invites us to set intentions, to dream big, and to build upon what we’ve started.

For many, 2025 is a year of growth, both personally and professionally. It offers a blank canvas to paint new stories, start new chapters, and push past any boundaries that might have held us back in the past. Whether it’s a creative project, a career milestone, or a personal development goal, this year presents an opportunity to take that first step toward something greater.

This year could be the one where innovation thrives, where new partnerships are formed, and where we embrace the changes that come our way with open arms. Challenges may arise, but with each challenge, there is an opportunity to learn, adapt, and evolve.

So, here’s to 2025: a year to embrace the unknown, chase your dreams, and create memories that will last a lifetime. What are you hoping to achieve this year?

SISTER WIVES, directed and written by Louisa Connolly-Burnham, tells the poignant story of two women finding love in a restrictive polygamous society. Kaidence (Connolly-Burnham) and Galilee (Mia McKenna-Bruce) are sister wives who develop unexpected feelings for each other. The short film, acquired by Film4 and streaming on Channel 4, has won Best British Film and Best Actress at the Iris Prize and is Oscar® and BAFTA-qualified for 2025. A feature adaptation, set to film next summer, will see McKenna-Bruce reprise her role.

Connolly-Burnham, founder of Thimble Films, is an award-winning filmmaker whose shorts, including THE CALL CENTRE (2M+ views on Omeleto), have earned BIFA and festival accolades. Producer Augusta Woods, of Track Films, has produced multiple award-winning shorts such as RAMBLER MAN and FLEETING.

Mia McKenna-Bruce, known for HOW TO HAVE SEX (BIFA winner, BAFTA Rising Star), will also lead Netflix’s THE SEVEN DIALS MYSTERY in 2025 alongside Helena Bonham-Carter and Martin Freeman.

America's leading lifestyle medicine doctor, Dr. Stacie Stephenson, is a pioneer of functional and integrative medicine who has dedicated her life’s work to helping people create vibrant health from within to prevent chronic disease and increase health. Currently, she is a board member of The American Nutrition Association, serves as the Vice Chair for Gateway for Cancer Research, works tirelessly as a philanthropist, and is an advocate for children's health worldwide. She was a practicing physician for 15 years, the

Seher KhanWellness Consultant
My connection to healing began early, influenced by my grandfather's work on healing herbs and my mother's use of natural remedies. For over 30 years, I've traveled the world, learning from masters in yoga, meditation, and traditional healing practices, including Tibetan medicine with the Dalai Lama and Peruvianshamanism.As a wellness consultant, I now consult for major TV production companies, have 10 years experience in addiction rehabilitation centres and run a private practice. My holistic approach is tailored to each client's unique needs, using intuition to create personalised wellness plans. I am a Counsellor, addiction therapist, hypnotherapist, Reiki Master, and auricular acupuncturist.

Faraz trained at the acclaimed Nottingham TV Workshop, which has produced some of the UK’s finest acting talent including Samantha Morton, Jack O’Connell and Vicky McClure.He is a series regular in the Channel 4 drama SCREW playing ‘Ali’, created by Rob Williams and directed by Tom Vaughan. Described by The Guardian as a “warm, witty welcome to hell…an impeccably observed show,” the darkly comic drama follows the lives of a group of prison officers and shows us what life is like on the wing.Faraz also takes the lead role of ‘Adam’ in the upcoming BFI/Film4 feature SKY PEALS. Coming to terms with the death of his estranged father and experiencing strange and unexplainable black outs, Adam tries to piece together the complicated and secret life his father led while trying to discover who he really is.Other work includes new Apple show SUSPICION, playing ‘Ajay Kapoor’, and the feature film WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? for Working Title Films. Faraz was a participant in the BAFTA Elevate scheme 2020. Other recent credits include: THE CAPTURE (BBC), GIRI/HAJI (BBC2), BODYGUARD (BBC/Netflix) and season three of Channel 4 drama ACKLEY BRIDGE.In theatre, he has appeared in The Old Vic and Underbelly’s Edinburgh Fringe production of ONE HOUR ONLY, THE GREAT EXTENSION (Theatre Royal Stratford East) and CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET (Nottingham Playhouse)

Nathalie is a new rising star of TV drama, and is set to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Nicola Walker, Suranne Jones and Vicky McClure. She portrays Leila Hassoun-Kenny, a rigorous CPS lawyer leading the case against the accused. She stars alongside Adeel Akhtar (Sherwood), Joe Dempise (Game of Thrones) and Michael Socha (The Gallows Pole). The story will once again centre around a hotly contested criminal trial that divides the nation and takes place in the full glare of the media spotlight. 

Made by World Productions (Vigil, Line of Duty, Save Me) for the BBC and written by Ben Richards, the fictional five-part drama will focus on the high-profile case of ‘Officer X’ - a policeman accused of murdering a climate change activist. 

Nathalie Armin, a Central School of Speech and Drama-trained actor, has made her mark across stage, film, and television. Currently gracing the Almeida stage in ALMA MATTER, she previously starred alongside James Norton in the award-winning A LITTLE LIFE in London’s West End. Her theatrical repertoire includes powerful performances in FORCE MAJEURE (Donmar Warehouse), BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS (National Theatre), and OTHELLO (RSC). She has also impressed audiences in THE DOCTOR (Almeida), ANNA (National Theatre), and RALEGH: THE TREASON TRIAL (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse: Shakespeare’s Globe).  On the small screen, Nathalie has left her mark with BBC Three comedy JUICE, and alongside Lesley Manville in MAGPIE MURDERS. Other projects include popular ITV drama’s TOO CLOSE, MARCELLA, VERA and UNFORGOTTEN. Additionally, she graced the silver screen in films such as action-thriller ANNA, THE BATMAN, FINAL SCORE.

Tamsen Fadal is an award-winning journalist, menopause advocate, and social media’s ‘midlife mentor.’ After more than three decades as a news anchor, Tamsen made the bold decision to pivot her career towards women’s health advocacy. She’s the best friend helping to guide women through midlife and beyond, acting as a one-stop resource for everything they need to know to live their best lives. A gifted storyteller and seasoned reporter, Tamsen provides actionable tools from dozens of world-renowned experts on everything from wellness to fashion, which she shares daily, centering the stories of women. Her candor and relatability have established her as a leading voice in the menopause space with a passionate, loyal, social media audience of 3+million. Her regular appearances in media outlets include Oprah Daily, “The Today Show,” The New York Times, and The Harvard Business Review.  Tamsen is the producer and executive producer of the PBS documentary The M Factor, Shredding the Silence on Menopause. From the boardroom to the stage at SXSW to Capitol Hill, she advocates for policies that eliminate the stigma of menopause and foster a work environment where women feel comfortable discussing and managing their midlife health journey.  Equally passionate about health, Tamsen holds a certificate in holistic health coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, serves on the national board of Let’s Talk Menopause and is a strong voice in the fight against breast cancer after losing her mother to the disease in 1990.

About Women in the Room Productions  

About Take Flight Productions 

Catherine Joy White is an award-winning author, actor, filmmaker, gender advisor and CEO of Kusini Productions, a multi-award winning company established to champion the voices of Black women. She has been honoured as a member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2022, longlisted for AllBright’s ‘Innovative Trailblazer Award’ and heralded as one of 'Five Activists To Watch' by the Trouble Club (previous speakers including Gloria Steneim and Margaret Atwood). She can be seen in Amazon Prime’s Ten Percent, Channel 4's Threesome and Netflix’s Dracula. She recently joined the Royal Shakespeare Company on Gregory Doran’s swansong production of Cymbeline.Her debut film, Fifty-Four Days, which she wrote, directed, produced and starred in alongside iconic British actress Celia Imrie CBE was selected for over fifty film festivals worldwide, garnering nominations and awards at BAFTA, Oscar and BIFA qualifying festivals as well as the African Academy Awards. It is currently available to watch on all American Airlines flights.Her debut book This Thread of Gold, named by the New Statesman as an essential book for 2023, as the i's non-fiction book of the month and "extraordinary" by bestseller Afua Hirsch, was published in the UK in June 2023 by Dialogue Books and in the US in 2024 from Penguin Random House. She was selected by Meta for their illustrious Author Programme. She recently announced that she has adapted the final chapter of This Thread of Gold for screen and will direct it as a short film starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw. She is a proud ambassador for PAPYRUS, the UK's national charity for the prevention of young suicide and a proud mentor on The Page One Project.

Kahleen Crawford started working in casting in 2000, setting up Kahleen Crawford Casting in 2006. She has been casting Ken Loach’s films since 2003, including The Old Oak, Sorry We Missed You and I, Daniel Blake. Kahleen’s other recent feature film credits include All of us Strangers directed by Andrew Haigh, for which she received a nomination for Best Casting at the 2024 BAFTA Film awards, The Outrun (dir: Nora Fingscheidt) starring Saoirse Ronan, Living directed by Oliver Hermanus, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, and Harry Wootliff’s first and second features Only You and True Things About Me. Recent television includes BBC/Showtime series The Woman In The Wall, two series of The Buccaneers for Apple Television, two series of Kudos/BBC’s SAS: Rogue Heroes, two series of Screw (C4), two series of World Productions’ thriller Vigil (BBC), Andrew Haigh’s The North Water (BBC/AMC), two series of Sky Atlantic drama I Hate Suzie created by Billie Piper and Lucy Prebble, and all three series of BBC/HBO series His Dark Materials. Kahleen has recently completed casting on feature film Pillion for director Harry Lighton, Queen At Sea for director Lance Hammer, with Tom Courtenay, Juliette Binoche, and Anna Calder-Marshall, and All of You directed by William Bridges, starring Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots.

Photo is by Yellowbelly (if it’s possible to credit).