WFTV England Mentoring Scheme in association with ScreenSkills

The WFTV Mentoring Scheme is a programme designed for women looking to take a significant step in their career. For the English Mentoring Scheme to apply you must have more than seven years’ experience working in film, TV or digital production.

Meet the 2021 WFTV England Mentees

Alexandra Finlay

Senior Director, Creative and Co-Productions

Amy Thomas

Senior Creature Technical Director

Caroline Percy

Senior Portfolio Manager, Channel 4

Gemma Brady

Series Producer

Gina Lyons

Comedy Producer

Janet Awe

Development Producer and Script Editor

Jemma Cox

Camera Operator/editor

Jessie Craig Roche

Director/ Writer/ Photographer

Jude Ho

Documentary Producer/Director

Kerriane Taylor

Digital Producer and Documentary Producer/Director

Lauren Abery

Series Producer / Development Exec

Lily Grimes

Cinematographer

Meriel Beale

Series Editor/Exec

Mhari Macritchie

Sound Editor

Miranda Walker

Comedy and Drama Writer

Nazneen Momen

Assistant Producer

Poonam Brah

Film and Theatre Director

Sarah Keeling

Offline Editor

Suki Chan

Filmmaker

Zoe Dobson

Director

WFTV MENTORS

WFTV has an extensive database of past and potential mentors who are keen to pass on their skills and experience to the next generation. Once mentees have been selected for the scheme they are hand-matched with an experienced industry figure who commits to spending at least six hours with their mentee over six months. Mentors are drawn from across the film and TV industry

2021 Mentors

Ana De Moraes - Group Creative Director, Multistory Media
Catherine Catton – Commissioning Editor, Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment, BBC
Christine Alderson - Film Producer, Ipso Facto Films
Cinders Forshaw - Cinematographer
Clelia Mountford - Co-Founder, Merman
David Abraham – CEO, Wonderhood Studios
David Glover – Founder 72 Films
Fiona McDermott - Head of Comedy, Channel 4
Jayne Villiers - MD, Sayle Screen
Jess Bendien - Talent Expert, Bang Talent
Jonathan Stadlen - MD, Knickerbockerglory
Joff Powell - Creative Director, Spark Media
Laura Livingstone
Lucinda Axelson - Executive Producer, Oxford Scientific Films
Lucy Pilkington - Founder & MD, Milk & Honey Productions
Nina Hartstone - Oscar-winning Supervising Sound Editor
Peter Fincham - Co-CEO, Expectation Entertainment
Philippa Lowthorpe - Film & TV Director
Sarah Doole - CEO, Red
Sarah Fraser - Comedy Producer & Executive

WFTV 2020 ENGLAND MENTEES & MENTORS

Alice Ramsey

BBC Writers Room Development Producer

Bruna Capozzoli

Filmmaker & Digital Specialist

Cat Marshall

Production Supervisor,

WARP Films

Claire Batchelor

Composer TV

Emma Yap

Scripted Development Executive TV

Gilberte Phanor

Graphics Editor and Producer

Helen O'Donnell

Head of Development, BBC Studios Talent Works

Janice Okoh

Playwright

Jemma Parish

Senior AP, TravelMan

Jenny Stimpson

TV Documentary Producer

Kate Bennetts

Investment Director at Ingenious Media

Mel Bezalel

Director of Development at RDF Television

Rebecca Brown

Commercial Manager, BBC Studios

Ruchika Tagore

Development Executive

Ruth Mayer

TV Documentary PD

Samantha Fray

Programme Manager,Beyond Bronte

Serena Lloyd-Smith

Diversity and Inclusion – Network Specialist

Sian Whomes

Head of Talent, Sony Pictures Television

Suga Suppiah

Editor

Zoe McGivern

Head of Development/ Series Producer

2020 Mentors

Jay Hunt – Chief Creative Officer, Apple
Ade Rawcliffe – Head of Diversity, ITV
Danny Cohen – President, Access Entertainment
Zeb Achonu – Editor
David Glover – Founder 72 Films
Lorraine Heggessey – Chair, Grierson Trust
Laura Lankester – Creative Director, Lookout Point
Hilary Rosen – Deputy Head of Commissioning, UKTV
Tamara Howe – Managing Director, Vice TV EMEA
Jocelyn Jee Esien – Writer & Actor
Loran Dunn – Film Producer, Delaval Films
Sumi Connock – Creative Director of Formats, BBC Studios
Rachel Job – SVP Unscripted Content, All3 Media
Catherine Catton – Commissioning Editor, Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment, BBC
Harriet Pennington Legh – Agent, Troika Talent
Sam Hoyle – EP Netflix
Norma Wisnevitz – COO, True North
Samantha Jukes-Adams – Executive Coach & TV Production Consultant
Lindsay Bradbury – Commissioning Editor, Daytime, BBC
Addie Orfila – Former Head of Production, serial drama and Founder AddieOrfila Training

WHAT the MENTORS SAy about the scheme

Julie Parmenter

MD, Molinare

The Mentee scheme is an exceptionally rewarding programme to be part of. To watch the transformation of the individuals over the period of six months is astonishing. For anyone to have the time to dig deep into what is most important, set goals and implement change to reach them is a unique opportunity that very few will ever have.

Hilary Davis

Co-Managing Director,

Bankside Films

I was perfectly matched with my mentee and believe that we both derived a benefit from our series of meetings. Training is crucial for the continued development of careers, especially for women, as the commercial side of the business is often overlooked but is vital if films are to be successful in the worldwide market place.

André Singer

MD Spring Films

Nothing is more effective in our fraught industry than the marriage of experience to aspiration. Linking mentees with passion and drive to industry veterans prepared to guide them is a great way to help remove some of the many hurdles ahead.

2019 Mentors

Jay Hunt – Creative Director, Europe
Danny Cohen – President, Access Entertainment
Sarah Gavron – Film Director
Peter Fincham – Co-CEO, Expectation Entertainment
Kim Shillinglaw – Director of Factual, Endemol Shine UK
Pat Younge – MD Sugar Films
Sara Putt – MD and Agent, Sara Putt Associates
Julia Knowles – Multi-camera Director
Liz McIntyre – Former CEO & Director, Sheffield Doc/Fest
Saskia Schuster – Comedy Entertainment Commissioner, ITV
Sam Anstiss – Creative Director, Unscripted, Wonderhood Studios
Hilary Rosen – Deputy Director of Commissioning, UKTV
Tamsyn Zietsman – Director of Publicity, Originals Netflix
Sam Jukes-Adams – Executive Coach & TV Production Consultant
Maureen Murray – Film Producer, Foxtrot Films
Tom McDonald – Head of Specialist Factual Commissioning, BBC
Judy Ironside – Founder and President, UK Jewish Film Festival
Cinders Forshaw – Cinematographer
Catherine Morshead – TV Director
Olwyn Silvester – Managing Director, Bedlam Productions

2018 Mentors

Sara Putt – MD, Sara Putt Associates
Jane Villiers – MD, Sayle Screen
Pat Younge – MD, Sugar Films
Tracy Forsyth – Genre Director, Factual Entertainment & Entertainment at BBC Worldwide
Kate Watson – Agent
Natalie Humphreys – Controller of Factual and Daytime Production, BBC
Marley Bryan – Career Coach, Incredible Careers
Judy Ironside – Founder & President of UK Jewish Film
Sam Jukes-Adams – TV Production Consultant & Executive Coach
Lisa Marie Hall – Production Designer
Fiona Gillies – Producer, GilliesWorks
Jessica Bendien – Talent Executive, Director of Bang Talent
Marisa Clifford – Co-Founder & CEO of Pulse Films
Emma Smithwick – Creative Director, 40 Partners
Jordan McGarry – Head of Development & Production, Film London
Madeleine Knight – Director of Formats and Development, Talpa UK
Carey Fitzgerald – Partner, Starline Entertainment
Miranda Bowen – Director, 2AM
Lee Magiday – Producer, Sleeper Films
Rachel Matchett – Head of Production, Moving Picture Company

The WFTV mentor scheme is a fantastic way to utilise the experience of TV professionals to further the careers of the next generation of content makers. The scheme benefits the mentees and the mentors equally - it really is a two-way thing, listening and discussing the minutiae of one's working life and realising that it was the small stuff that we had all but forgotten that made the big stuff possible.