This important discussion, which took place online in December 2024, was centred on the findings of the report by Dr. Susan Liddy and Dr. Fergal Rhatigan, commissioned by Women in Film and Television Ireland and funded by the Screen Ireland Stakeholders Funding Scheme. The research sheds light on the experiences of industry professionals, highlighting the challenges faced and the urgent need for change.

The podcast features insights from:

Dr. Susan Liddy & Dr. Fergal Rhatigan (Researchers)

Producer Fiona Kinsella, Director Hannah Quinn & Actor/Writer Jade Jordan (WFT Ireland Board Members)

Filmmaker Maríssa Aroy, webinar moderator (WFT Ireland Member)

This podcast offers an in-depth exploration of ‘harmful behaviours’ in the film and television industry, and sparks a critical conversation about how we can foster safer, more inclusive workplaces in this sector.

https://wft.ie/

WFT Ireland is back with an episode from a series of in-depth conversations with international changemakers. In this oral history collection, we speak with a range of women who have shaped WIFTI and the media landscape over the last few decades.

WFT Ireland Chair and WIFT International President, Dr. Susan Liddy, is in conversation with Kate Kinninmont MBE– former CEO of WFTV UK, and member of the WIFTI Advisory Board.

Kate’s career as a producer and director with the BBC was followed by over a decade at the helm of WFTV UK. In this podcast episode, she reflects on her long and varied career as an industry practitioner and a respected advocate for gender equality. She talks us through her tenure as CEO of WFTUK and the changes she orchestrated and witnessed over a decade.

Special thanks to our international colleagues at WIFTI for their unwavering support.

This podcast has been made possible with the support of Coimisiún na Meán.

To learn more about the work being done at WFT Ireland and to become a member, visit WFT.ie.

June is pride month and to honour the LGBTQ+ community, we sat down with film and television editor, Theo Lindberg, vice-president of WIFT+ Sweden and founder of WIFT Trans. Theo discusses his work in the film industry and his journey in becoming a trans male.

https://wft.ie/

This February Netflix, supported by WFT Ireland and Screen Ireland, hosted an exclusive screening of five short films produced via The Netflix Documentary Talent Fund. The event took place at The Stella Cinema Rathmines and featured a Q&A with WFT members and filmmakers Anna Rodgers and Zlata Filipovic, whose emotional documentary Two Mothers was a recipient of the scheme.

Two Mothers is an incredibly emotional story about maternal struggles, the impact of war, as well as how friendship can transcend borders.

The fund was created in 2020 to break down barriers of access for emerging filmmakers. The initiative provides filmmakers with a foundation of knowledge as well as hands on training in all aspects of the industry to allow them to grow their careers.

https://wft.ie/

This February at Berlinale, our sister chapter WIFT Germany held a powerful series of talks titled "Between Escapism, Activism and Documentation – Filmmaking in Trembling Times". These examined the world today, where there seem to be new crises emerging daily – war, climate change, flight and displacement, and the resurgence of the far-right. All too often, women are the ones who suffer the most.

In this podcast, WFT Ireland Member Gemma Creagh speaks with WIFT Germany Board Member and actor Mara Luka who talks about their vast chapter, the film industry in Germany, and WIFT's close ties to the Berlinale Festival.

Then in a live recording from the event, outgoing Berlinale Executive Director Mariëtte Rissenbeek talks about WIFT's relationship to the festival while Producer Zhang Fan from Bridging the Dragon discusses the film landscape in China.

This recording and podcast was made possible with the support of Coimisiún na Meán, WIFT Germany and Berlinale.

Keep an eye out for part two, where we'll hear from our chair and WFT International President Dr Susan Liddy, from Ukrainian Filmmaker Julia Sinkevych and about an important study about Gender-Based Violence on German Television.

https://wft.ie/

https://wiftg.de/

https://www.berlinale.de/en/home.html

Last December marked another excellent event for our annual Changemakers Series. In the wonderful venue of Windmill Lane, WFT Chair and President of WIFT International, Dr. Susan Liddy spoke with writer and producer Sally Abbott. Sally shared her experiences, challenges, and goals with our members, as well as the insights she's learned during her impressive career working across the UK's top shows.

Supported by Coimisiún na Meán and hosted by Windmill Lane, the WFT Changemakers Series gives continuity and profile to women who have been instrumental in working towards the visibility of other women, supporting women filmmakers, and advocating for cultural change and equal opportunities, both nationally and internationally.

In the fourth installment of our Cannes Conversation Series, we look at the importance of sustainability. The future of the screen industry depends on consciously changing how we approach filming as well as telling stories that look at the world in a new way. At the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Gemma Creagh caught up with Ecoprod's Alissa Aubenque, a producer and Green Film Production Expert about changes in production that can be made that make a real difference.

Following this, in a conversation that was recorded last week, filmmaker and WFT member Maeve Stone walks with producer and activist Helene Granqvist about the ins and outs of developing sustainable narratives and the intersectionality of activism and art.

This podcast has been made possible with the support of the Screen Ireland Stakeholder Fund.

https://wft.ie/

In this WFT Ireland Podcast, Project Manager Gemma Creagh spoke with one of our talented members, Actor and AD Rachel Morgan. Rachel wore multiple hats on top titles such as Disenchanted and The Pope’s Exorcist, and you might recognise her from her role on RTE's The Gone, which is returning soon for a second Series. In this discussion, we spoke with Rachel about her experience in the industry on both sides of the camera and what it's like working on sets big and small. Listen back here.

This event has been made possible by the Screen Ireland Stakeholders fund.

https://wft.ie

In the third of our Cannes Conversation Series, we look at working on long-form projects from a different viewpoint. At the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Gemma Creagh caught up with anthropologist Rikke Flodin, a Senior Consultant working across AI in film audiences. Could this be a new way of developing your next film?

Following this, recorded at a live webinar, WFT Board Member and DOP Jaro Waldeck was in conversation with Film Still Photographer Chiabella James (Dreamgirls, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) discussing everything from career to composition.

This podcast has been made possible with the support of the Screen Ireland Stakeholder Fund.

https://wft.ie/

In this episode of the WFT Ireland Podcast Board Member and Producer Fiona Kinsella chats with two of our members who have produced feature films screening at this year's Dublin International Film Festival. Ruth Carther's Twig and Sinéad O'Riordan's Swing Bout will both be premiering at the festival.

This podcast was made possible by Coimisiún na Meán.

https://diff.ie/

https://wft.ie/