About WFTV
Women in Film & TV (UK) is the leading membership organisation for women working in creative media in the UK and as proud members of Women in Film & Television International we are part of a global network of over 12,000 women. Members of our not-for-profit organisation come from a broad range of professions spanning the entire film and television industry.
We host a variety of online and in-person events throughout the year and host a prestigious awards ceremony every December. We also run professional development schemes including a four nations mid-career mentoring programme, leadership programme and a screenwriters' lab.
WFTV also provides networking opportunities, updates on industry news, promotes women's interests and collaborates with industry bodies.
Katie Bailiff
CEO
Claudia Merhej
Director of Awards, Events & Partnerships
Scarlet Brearley
Senior Awards & Events Producer
Montana Woodruff
London Events & Awards Producer
Jade Desumala
Marketing & Communications Manager
Rachel Williams
Project Manager
Jessica Ayre
Membership & Office Coordinator
Lottie Moore
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Jess Thomas
Events Assistant
Sophie Halton
Project Manager (Maternity Cover)
Bebhinn Naughton
Event Manager - Northern Ireland
Sarah Asante-Gregory
Event Manager - Wales
Holly Daniel
Event Manager - Scotland
The Mentoring Team
The WFTV Four Nations Mentoring Scheme is a programme designed for women looking to take a significant step in their career. We have five dedicated regions that our schemes cover:
North and South of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Sarah Wright
Director of Mentoring
Helen Bullough
Mentoring Producer, North of England
Sarah McCaffrey
Mentoring Producer, Northern Ireland
Hazel Marshall
Mentoring Producer, Scotland
Hannah Corneck
Mentoring Producer, Wales
WFTV Board of Directors
Isabel Begg
WFTV Chair
Senior Business exec in Film, TV, Music and Radio
Mel Rodrigues
WFTV Vice Chair
CEO of Creative Access
Addie Orfila
Screen Industries Consultant, Leadership & Inclusion Coach
Cherylee Houston
Actor
Emily Feller
Chief Creative Officer, Warp Films
Emily Tingey
Chartered Accountant
Jacqui Farnham
Journalist, Filmmaker and Writer
Jane Preston
Director, Producer and Journalist
Josephine Brassey
Managing Director of Rumpus Media, part of STV Studios
Karmjit Kaur
Founder, The Lowdown Mentoring
Sunrise Ishimwe
Scripted Development Coordinator
The History of WFTV
In 1989, a group of women came together for the first Women Film and Television UK meeting.
A mix of executives, creatives and performers, they included Lynda La Plante, Norma Heyman, Jenne Casarotto, Dawn French, Joan Collins and Janet Street-Porter. These were all women who enjoyed career success but knew that the male-dominated industry needed to fundamentally change if women were to be truly equal.
They resolved to take positive action and follow in the footsteps of organisations in Los Angeles and New York City established in the ’70s to support women working in the film and TV industries. They did this by creating a network of members and organising workshops, events, and mentoring to help them progress in their careers.
In 1990, the first Women in Film and Television Awards ceremony was held to recognise the achievements of some of the most successful women the industry could boast. More than thirty years on, the WFTV Awards is the largest annual celebration of women working in film, TV and digital media in the UK – tickets to the prestigious event sell out in minutes.
Today, WFTV (UK) continues to expand and build upon the vital work of that original group of women. Over the years we have seen improvements within the industry but there’s still a long way to go. We hope that you will become a part of our organisation’s history and help us to make the creative-media industries’ future fairer for all.
Above: Some of the original Board of Directors for WFTV UK, 1990.
L-R: (Back row) Maj-Britt Kirchner, Jenne Cassarotto, Brenda Reid, Ginger Corbett. (Middle row) Norma Heyman, Lynda Myles, Lindsey Posner, Nicley Davies. (Bottom row) Zelda Barron, Sophie Balhetchet, Amanda Goodrich.
Friends of WFTV
