BeYou Festival 2025 by Soho Media Club

Funny Truths – In Conversation with Nabil Abdulrashid

Nabil Abdulrashid, Award-Winning Comedian & Writer

Cimran Shah, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4

Recorded live at the BeYou Festival on the 6th October 2025 Music provided by The Nerve Media Group​

Lightning talks from 4 brilliant professionals with different paths into the industry – from colourist to producer, filmmaker to journalist.

We go under the hood to discover how to get into the notoriously difficult fields of TV and films.

Learn what skills are sought after and how to work your way up to that dream job (even if you don’t know what it is yet!)

This is an opportunity for anyone, from industry veterans to new and rising talent, to hear industry experts share their personal career stories and then ask the panel for invaluable advice on navigating the industry, overcoming obstacles and making it.

Melanie Leach, CEO, South Shore

Poppy Jay, Investigative Journalist and Producer

Theo Johnson, BBC1Xtra presenter, Actor, Writer and Filmmaker

Nigel Tadyanehondo, Owner & Senior Colourist, Over&Out Studio

Moderated by:

Muki Kulhan, Chief Innovation Officer; Executive XR/MetaTech Immersive Producer & Creative/5G Technologist

Recorded live at the BeYou Festival on the 6th October 2025

Music provided by The Nerve Media Group

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Let’s talk about class.

It’s the industry taboo that shapes who gets in, who gets heard, and who gets to tell stories on screen.

From commissioning to hiring, TV and film often reward who you know, not what you know. Add class into the mix, and the hurdles can feel impossible.

This panel rips open the conversation: how do we tackle the role class plays in access, opportunity and progression and do it with authenticity, nuance and maybe even a little joy?

Chanise Evans, Senior Advisor, BBC Internal Communications/ Freelance Presenter

Athena Witter, Founder, Engine Pop

Sonny Hanley, Director ITV Academy, ITV

Moderated by:

Annika Allen-Gray, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity, All3Media

Recorded live at the BeYou Festival on the 6th October 2025, Music provided by The Nerve Media Group

Let’s be real: the old funding playbook doesn’t cut it anymore. So where is the money, and how do you actually get your project off the ground?

This session pulls back the curtain with producers, commissioners, distributors, and digital-first disruptors who are rewriting the rules. Expect straight talk on:

What’s getting greenlit (and what’s not).

How to balance creative risk with commercial reality.

What is the funding model going forwards?

Meet the experts who can help you navigate the many emerging avenues for content.​

Forget the jargon – this is about survival, innovation, and the hustle of getting your content made in 2025 and beyond.

Derren Lawford, Founder and CEO, DARE Pictures

Soleta Rogan, Managing Director, Rogan Productions & Rogan Scotland

Holly Cowdery, Head of Sales, BossaNova

Moderated by:

Omar Oakes, Consultant & Journalist & Founder, oomph

Music provided by The Nerve Media Group

TV isn’t what it used to be – and neither are we. On-demand, digital-first audiences are reshaping the rules of television: what they watch, how they watch it, and even how it’s made. This session brings together leaders from across the content ecosystem to unpack where the industry goes next.

Expect an honest debate on how traditional players, new studios and creators can respond to changing audience expectations and whether the TV industry is bold enough to reinvent itself before someone else does.

Camilla Lewis, CEO, Curve Media

Trent Williams-Jones, Executive Producer, After Party Studios

Kaio Grizzelle, Digital Commissioning Executive, Channel 4

Martin Trickey, Managing Director, Zoo 55, ITV Studios

Moderated by:

Ros Atkins, Analysis Editor, BBC News

Recorded live at the BeYou Festival on the 6th October 2025

https://www.sohomediaclub.com/post/the-future-of-content-taking-tv-somewhere-new

'Music provided by The Nerve Media Group ( SHINING BRIGHT

Robin Clarke PRS )