Women in Film and TV Podcast

At Catalyst International Film Festival last April, WFT held a very special panel discussion, Amplifying Traveller Voices. How can filmmaking and music offer a platform to ethnic minorities like the Travelling community to share perspectives and aspects of their culture?

This panel featured Alice McDowell, David McDonagh, Dr. Sindy Joyce and Wilzee and was moderated by Martina Durac.

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

WFT Writers Room – Well-being and Resilience with Johanna Thea

For writers, it can be tough to strike the right work/life balance. In our latest podcast, WFT Project Manager Gemma Creagh spoke with the accomplished speaker, creative and fellow WFT Member Johanna Thea. The second in the WFT Writers Room series, they discussed not only Johanna's impressive and varied career to date but also about the importance of looking after our mental health as creatives in a highly competitive industry.

About Johanna Thea

Johanna is a polyethnic, Irish actress, writer, model and speaker on neurodiversity (dyslexia and dyspraxia) and wellbeing. Upon completing her Honours BSc in Psychology she published her autobiography in short stories “If Only You Knew”. She also began writing articles, and recognised her love of Positive Psychology, with her final year research project being entitled “What Does it Mean to be Happy”. The next 5 years were spent acting, modelling and being commissioned for wellbeing articles in London and Los Angeles. She also gained a qualification in Reiki levels 1 and 2, and discovered herself as part of the LGBTQIA+ community. During covid, she completed her Honours MSc in Affective Disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience. Her final year project focused on Depression and how it relates to perceptual biases. She was also hired by the IOPPN as a speaker for new students while being student representative. Since the pandemic, she has been working as an actress, model and resilience speaker in Ireland and London. She is most passionate about acting and speaking with intent to contribute to developing resilience, given her own self-recovery from traumas and subsequently thriving as a result of them! She is excited to be moving into Intuitive Resilience Coaching this year, due to demand.

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

WFT Ireland and the Writers Guild of Ireland (WGI) returned to the Galway Film Fleadh last July for this in-person panel discussion. Our special guests Raising Films Ireland (RFI) ensured that we explored the realities of parenting and caring in the screen industries and asked how we could we make things better? Led by moderator WFT Chair Dr. Susan Liddy, the panelists were Ailish Bracken, Chair Raising Films Ireland; Clare Monnelly, Actor; Diarmuid Goggins, Director; Hannah Quinn, Director & WFT Ireland Board Member.

This event was made possible with the support of the Broadcast Authority of Ireland.

When it comes to realising the visual concept of a film, the Production Designer is key. They use a unique set of skills to develop the design style for the sets, locations, graphics, props, lighting and costumes. In this podcast, WFT Member and Production Designer and Graphic Artist Jill Beecher talks with Production Designer Katie Byron about their craft and all things industry related... from flotation tanks to film families.

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

Katie Byron: Don’t Worry Darling is the second collaboration between Olivia Wilde and Katie Byron after Booksmart in 2018. Her work includes Mike Mills’ C’mon C’mon, Janicza Bravo’s Zola, Tara Miele’s Wander Darkly , Spectrevision’s Color Out Of Space an HP Lovecraft adaptation by cult director Richard Stanley, meta slasher film The Final Girls and several films by Drake Doremus; Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Like Crazy, Zoe, Breathe In, Equals and Newness. Her television work includes BBC America’s Dirk Gently Holistic Detective Agency, IFC’s Documentary Now, the FX series A Teacher and the Australian/American genre bending series Wolf Like Me.

Jill Beecher: Jill was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1984. She is a production designer, art director and concept illustrator who has worked across Hollywood Productions and local Irish projects too. Jill is now represented by William Morris Endeavour and is a member of the British and American Art Director Guilds. She also is a visual artist who has exhibited in Europe, America and Australia.

This International Women’s Day, Women in Film and TV Ireland were delighted to join forces with Screen Producers Ireland, EWA and Screen Guilds of Ireland for a very special panel discussion #EmbraceEquity. Featuring me, EWA Director of Strategy Edel Brosnan; Screen Guilds of Ireland CEO Jess Drum; Writer/Producer/Broadcaster Ola Majekodunmi; ShinAwil Head of Business Affairs Niall Murphy and Pull the Trigger Executive Producer Max Brady, we discussed the issues facing women in film and TV today and what a more inclusive industry might look like.

This podcast release was supported by Coimisiún na Meán.

Timing can be everything. As all good filmmakers know well, a film can be made in the edit. In this podcast, award-winning editor Cara Holmes spoke with Academy Award-nominated Editor Joi McMillon about her career to date and the craft of the edit and featured a surprise drop-in guest in the form of Barry Jenkins, Moonlight Director.

Joi McMillon

Joi McMillon is an award-winning editor best known for her work on Barry Jenkins’ critically acclaimed film Moonlight, the Best Picture winner at the 89th Academy Awards. McMillon’s work on the feature solidified her place in history as the first black female nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Film Editing. McMillon led the editorial department on The Underground Railroad, Jenkins’ limited series adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel for Amazon Studios.

Cara Holmes

Cara Holmes is a film editor and director with over 10 years experience. Cara has completed feature and short documentaries on a wide range of subjects, from the surreal world of self-experimentation to the impassioned snapshot of the daily lives of Gazans. Cara’s editing credits include feature documentaries Father of the Cyborgs and Lost in France. Visit her IMDB page here.

This was one in a series of online Crew Talks, supported by Screen Skills Ireland.

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Director Sophie Hyde is making waves in the industry – a changemaker in her field. Her film Good Luck To You, Leo Grande challenged ageist stereotypes and assumptions on the big screen. WFT Chair Dr Susan Liddy spoke with Sophie about her film, as well as her impressive career to date, crossing hemispheres in the process.

This talk has been made possible with the generous support of the BAI.

Sophie Hyde is a founding member of film collective Closer Productions. She lives and works on the lands of the Kaurna people in South Australia and makes provocative and intimate films and television. Her latest film, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, starring Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack, premiered at both Sundance Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival to rave reviews and will be released in 2022. Her debut feature drama 52 Tuesdays (director/producer/co-writer) won the Directing Award at Sundance and the Crystal Bear at Berlin. She directed and produced feature comedy Animals, which premiered at Sundance 2019. She created, produced and directed episodic series F*!#ing Adelaide for ABC Australia, and the 4 x 1-hour series The Hunting for SBS. Sophie’s feature documentaries include Life in Movement (producer /co-director), Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure (producer), Sam Klemke’s Time Machine (producer) and In My Blood It Runs (Producer).

At Catalyst International Film Festival last April, WFT held a very special discussion, Voices from the Edge. Moderated by Dr Zelie Asava (Screen Ireland) this panel explored the contribution and challenges facing diverse Irish or Irish-based artists to the cultural life of Irish society across a range of art forms including film, television and music.

Sandrine Uwase Ndahiro is an English Ph.D. student in the University of Limerick. Owen Alfred is a rising artist based in limerick, Ireland.Corinne Gibbons is currently studying Creative Broadcast & Film Production at the Technological University of the Shannon. Shane Joyce is a filmmaker.

This talk has been made possible with the generous support of the BAI.

Our Newest Sponsor, Windmill Lane has been around for 45 years, helping storytellers to express their stories through post, VFX, audio and creative partnerships. Earlier this month, WFT Board Member and Producer Fiona Kinsella spoke with Head of Production at Windmill Lane, Deborah Doherty about the industry, her impressive career to date, and all things post-production.

Deborah Doherty

Deborah has been with Windmill Lane for almost 18 years working as an Audio Studio manager, Producer and now Head of Production across its Film and TV, Commercial and VFX sectors. She ran the successful Number 4 audio studios from 2005-2019 growing the team and resulting in several IFTA, ICAD, Irish Animation awards and an Emmy nomination. Recent projects include dramas Kin and Smother, features My Little Pony: a new generation, Greta, Black 47, Murder at the Cottage and new VFX work for Netflix and Paramount. She is passionate about finding and developing new talent in the industry and helping Windmill’s diverse client base take their projects and exceed all expectations. Prior to joining Windmill Lane, Deborah worked for audio studios in London, and for radio stations and marketing agencies in Leeds after completing her degree there at the University of Leeds. Originally from the Co. Derry north coast, Deborah has lived in Dublin since 2005 and is a busy mum to Noah age 6 and Sadie age 3, and loves living near the sea, walks on the beach, and great TV drama.

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

https://wft.ie/

WFT Ireland was delighted to partner with The Netflix Documentary Talent Fund to present a special in-person information session and screening on Thursday, 9th February 2023 at the Stella Theatre in Rathmines.

We apologise for the quality of the audio from this live event but we hope you enjoy the content.

This year the theme of the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund is on Connection.

Netflix has five funds of £30,000 to make a short documentary film between 8-12 minutes long and selected filmmakers will benefit from the guidance of Netflix and other filmmaking professionals. The fund closes on 16th February.

Read the guidelines, F.A.Q’s and make an application here: https://www.netflixdocfund.co.uk