What does it mean to be a Black content producer in Scotland?

For this Zoom event, Carmen Thompson was in conversation with Vanessa Kanbi and Stewart Kyasimire as we heard about their experiences and consider what can be done to increase opportunities for Black filmmakers.

Vanessa Kanbi is a Scottish Ghanaian filmmaker, podcaster and presenter who has a passion to shine a light on untold stories. Vanessa has grown her YouTube channel to 40,000+ subscribers and over 4.5 million views. Vanessa has appeared in the likes of BBC Scotland’s documentary Black and Scottish and The Peoples News in 2019. She has created content for CNN and the BBC. Vanessa is often a contributor on several BBC Radio shows and also has a successful podcast called Magnificent Mothers in which she interviews mums about their life story’s and experiences.

Stewart Kyasimire is an experienced BAME-led director who recently directed the BBC Black and Scottish documentary and a Lloyds Banking Group film. He also advises the Scottish Government on better ways of working with the BAME community and in the process of setting up a Scottish BAME talent agency.

As part of the event we’ll discuss our New Voices mentoring programme for women and non-binary filmmakers, and the next Bridging the Gap programme for emerging filmmakers.

We’re committed to diversity within both of these programmes and welcome and strongly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and non binary filmmakers.

Watch the video of the event: https://www.scottishdocinstitute.com/masterclasses/black-voices-in-documentary/

This event expanded on DocSociety’s New COVID-19 Risk Assessment for Independent Filmmakers, focusing on the challenges of producing documentary films during and after lockdown, the ethics of working with people in vulnerable situations and the responsibility towards the crew, the protagonists and the audience.

Elhum Shakerifar is a BAFTA nominated producer, winner of the 2017 Women in Film & TV’s BBC Factual Award, and one of Screen International’s 2018 #Brit50 Producers on the Rise.

For this episode we’re bringing you a recording of an event we hosted in 2020 with Anthea Harvey.

Anthea is an experienced freelance documentary and drama editor who works in TV and film and specialises in narrative, characters and long form.

The discussion should be of interest to other film editors or anyone thinking about editing as a career, plus anyone who might find themselves collaborating with an editor.

Anthea discussed some of the challenges of working from home and what it’s like collaborating remotely, as well as some of the technical and physical aspects of film editing. She also offered some organisational and communication tips.

Anthea was in discussion with SDI’s director, Noe Mendelle.

This is the third and final episode focusing on our series of films developed for broadcast on BBC Scotland in association with Screen Scotland as part of the Right Here initiative.

Right Here explores the rich diversity of Scottish identity through character-driven stories and beautiful imagery, and this episode we’re discussing Lindsay Brown’s 30 minute film, Time to Fly, which is available now on BBC iPlayer.

Time to Fly is an emotional documentary about a mother, Sami, navigating through care options for her autistic daughter, April, as she leaves residential school and transitions to adult accommodation.

We met up with Sami and Lindsay earlier this year, following a screening of the Right Here films at Glasgow Film Festival. We discussed the development of Time to Fly and how it’s a follow up to Lindsay’s 2016 short, Swan, a film that will be available to watch on our website from the start of July.

This is the second episode focusing on our series of films developed for broadcast on BBC Scotland in association with Screen Scotland as part of the Right Here initiative.

Right Here explores the rich diversity of Scottish identity through character-driven stories and beautiful imagery, and this episode we’re discussing Zoe Hunter Gordon and Kieran Hennigan’s 30 minute film, Our Fathers, which is available now on BBC iPlayer.

While there, you can also watch the other two films in the series, Long Live Livi and Time to Fly.

Our Fathers introduces viewers to Father Max and Father James, who have been sent on a mission to Scotland by the Bishop of Aba, Nigeria due to a shortage of priests in the Scottish Highlands. Will their humour and songs keep these remote communities alive?

In this interview recorded on Zoom, Zoe and Kieran discuss the process of bringing their idea to TV screens and collaborating as co-directors. You can also watch a video of the discussion on our website at scottishdocinstitute.com/masterclasses.

This is the first episode focusing on our series of films developed for broadcast on BBC Scotland in association with Screen Scotland as part of the Right Here initiative.

Right Here explores the rich diversity of Scottish identity through character-driven stories and beautiful imagery, and this episode we’re discussing Parisa Urquhart and Ling Lee’s 30 minute film, Long Live Livi, which is available now on BBC iPlayer.

While there, you can also watch the other two films in the series, Our Fathers and Time to Fly.

Long Live Live tells of three ambitious skate girls known as “The Snagglerats”, who formed the group to inspire more girls to skate. They’re on a mission to save Livingston skatepark.

In this interview recorded on Zoom, co-directors Parisa and Ling discuss the process of bringing their idea to TV screens and what might be next for the Snagglerats.

You can also watch a video of the discussion on our website at scottishdocinstitute.com/masterclasses.

First up you’ll hear the Director of the Scottish Documentary Institute, Noe Mendelle, discussing Right Here.

Photo credit: Hannah Bailey

For this Zoom Coffee Morning we were joined by freelance editorial and programming consultant, Lynn Nwokorie, who offered advice on applying for film grants.

Starting out in production for feature film, commercials and museum projects in both the US and UK, Lynn has since worked across exhibition and distribution for various national festivals and organisations including the BFI London Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, the British Film Institute and the Independent Cinema Office.

For three years at Doc Society, Lynn focused on cultivating socially impactful documentary filmmaking at the London and New York-based Doc Society Foundation. Formerly Fund Officer for the BFI Doc Society Fund – the UK’s national fund documentary filmmaking – Lynn now focuses on developing and supporting filmmakers and content creators globally (Doc Society, London Film Festival, Sundance and IFP to name a few) as well as continuing programming for festivals and special events.

Ryley’s documentary The Shore Break (2014) follows a long-running standoff between corrupt pro-mining forces and the Pondo South African coastal community. Featuring arresting cinematography, beautiful original music, and breathtaking sand animation, it delivers both a visually and emotionally exciting fight to the end.

The Shore Break has won multiple international awards, including the Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award at Durban International Film Festival (2015). Ryley has also worked as a cinematographer and camera operator on the award winning science-ficton film District 9 (2009) and feature documentary drama The Dawn of a New Day (2011).

In this Masterclass, Ryley will discuss The Shore Break, her wider career to date, and what motivates her as a filmmaker.

George Amponsah and Dionne Walker, director and producer of acclaimed British film The Hard Stop take us through their process when making this cinematic hybrid documentary.

The Hard Stop explores the complicated intersections of race and class that underpin the still-unresolved killing of Mark Duggan in 2011. The pair won a BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer (2017), and the Screen Nation Award for Achievement in Film Production (2016).

We were delighted to host a Masterclass with the Managing Editor of All 4, Charlie Palmer.

Charlie Palmer oversees All 4’s content budget, covering original commissions, acquisitions and TV program extras and extensions. Charlie is responsible for adapting All 4’s editorial proposition across different platforms – and create cross-platform promotion and joined up commissioning opportunities.

In this Masterclass, Charlie focuses on film branding and marketing, and tells us how to prepare a film for online distribution.