Fiona Love talks to Director, Louise Wadley - Part Two of Hebden Bridge Film Festival interview.

Fiona Love Interviews, Director Louise Wadley, ahead of the Hebden Bridge Film Festival 2026, happening in March 20 - 22.

Louise is the Festival Director, and set up Hebden Bridge Film Festival in 2019. Louise was a long time board member of the MardiGras Film Festival, and has served as a jurist for a number of film festivals, including Women in Film and Television (Australia). Louise graduated from the National Film and Television School in the UK and was a semi-finalist in The Academy Nicholl’s Scriptwriting competition and shortlisted for the Sundance Script Lab. Her debut feature All About E was released in 2016. Frustrated by the lack of roles for women she formed Girls’ Own Pictures with her partner Jay Rutovitz to develop and produce original stories with distinctive and exciting female lead characters. 

What is it about stories? The need for them is powerful, even primal. We seek them out, again and again. They touch us, disturb us, move us, sometimes soothe us, but whatever - they make us feel. 
With HBFF we aim to do just that. We have over 500 years of non-conformist history in the valley so it seems fitting that we champion the stories of those who exist in the margins, sit outside the mainstream or just plain don’t fit in. With the advent of the all too timely #metoo movement, it will not surprise many of you to know that statistics for women in film remain shockingly low. According to the BFI, in Britain in 2024 only only 12% of all films produced were directed by a woman. The figures for LGBTQ, working-class and BME filmmakers and filmmakers with disabilities also remain very low. 
HBFF is proud to be an F-Rated film festival. The F Rating is given to any film written by a woman, directed by a woman or featuring women in significant on-screen roles. Any film that meets all three criteria is awarded a Triple F Rating.
We are committed to BFI diversity standards and to delivering a programme of excellence, featuring international and homegrown films and unique events with industry professionals, as well as supporting and fostering local talent. And while we can't be the biggest, most glitzy festival out there, we can bring filmmakers and film lovers together in the wonderful community spirit that Hebden Bridge is famous for.