Meet the Member: Oriane Pick, Actor and Producer

Candid Broads is a BAFTA-nominated production company founded in 2020 by French-British producer Oriane Pick. The company aims to revolutionise the industry by bringing unspoken truths from underrepresented communities to the forefront. In 2024, Pick was shortlisted as one of the 3 finalists of Film London Lodestars in the Producer category and won Business Woman of the Year at the SME Awards.

Upcoming features from Candid Broads include the highly anticipated To the Girl I Once Knew starring Calvin Demba, recognised as a Screen Star of Tomorrow; folk horror Black Samphire starring Cathy Tyson and Stephen Fry, in co-production with Silicon Gothic. The slate also includes Arthur & Clara starring CJ Beckford and BAFTA Nominee Mirren Mack, the debut feature by Kieran Bourne; and amongst other projects, Belle, a feature documentary exploring intergenerational trauma and women’s rights (currently in post-production).

In the short film arena, Candid Broads is working with Warner Brothers Discovery on the groundbreaking documentary The Long Away Game;  as well as Swim Sistas documentary about the swimming journeys of three very different Black girls/women as barriers are broken down in the water both films shot in March 2025; and the new comedy The Contraception Fair featuring Screen Star of Tomorrow Ronke Adekoluejo and Derry Girls' Kathy Kiera Clarke, shot in April 2025. Their recent success, The Date, earned acclaim as a 2024 BAFTA Cymru Breakthrough Nominee and won the Best Film Award at BIFA-qualifying Exit6 Film Festival. It has been screened at prestigious festivals, including the BFI and Aesthetica, and is now in early development for a feature-length adaptation with Olivier-nominated director Amy Hodge and BAFTA-nominated writer Bethan Marlow, supported by Ffilm Cymru.

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Q: Tell us a little bit about your career journey. Did you always want to work in this industry?

I originally went to Business School in France and started out in full-time advertising — but something always felt off. One day, I realised I was chasing someone else’s idea of success, not mine. I had acted when I was younger, and the pull back to storytelling was too strong to ignore. So I made the leap.

But returning to acting, I kept getting offered roles that felt flat — often stereotypical characters written through a narrow lens. That frustration became fuel. I decided if the work I wanted didn’t exist, I’d create it. That’s how I stumbled into producing — and it instantly clicked.

Fast-forward three years: Candid Broads Productions was born. Five years later, we're BAFTA-nominated, and our slate is packed — from gripping dramas to genre-bending horror and thought-provoking documentaries, in both short and long form. What started as a personal shift has turned into a mission to tell bold, unexpected stories — especially the ones that don’t usually get told.

Q: What do you love about working in film and television?

What I love most is the unpredictability — especially as a producer. You can prep every detail, but something always shifts, and you have to think fast, adapt, and problem-solve in real time. It keeps you sharp.

But the real magic happens when you share your work with an audience. They haven't lived the blood, sweat, and edits — they're just reacting, viscerally, as people. Sometimes a story hits them right in the gut, sometimes it sparks debate, but there’s always a conversation that lingers. That exchange — that emotional echo — is what keeps me coming back.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I ever received? Stand your ground.

As a female producer, I often find myself pitching to rooms full of men — and I’ve definitely encountered my share of sexism. I’ve been patronized with lines like, “Darling, I’ve been in the industry a long time,” by people who were, frankly, completely off the mark. But those moments taught me to trust my instincts, know my worth, and defend the stories I believe in.

It’s like finding your soulmate — not everyone is going to get you, and that’s okay. The same goes for film. If someone doesn’t understand your vision, move on. The right collaborators — the ones who do see the magic — will find their way to you. And they won’t talk down to you while they do.

Q: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

Two big challenges stand out: sexism and funding.

Sexism has shown up in many forms — my personal favorite might be the time someone replied to a fact-based email with, “Let’s not get emotional.” As if having clarity and conviction were somehow a flaw.

Then there's the constant hustle of indie financing. It’s a catch-22: you're told you need a name cast to secure funding, but can't attract talent without guarantees the film will actually get made. Add to that the extra time and care needed when working with first-time directors — something we deeply believe in — and you’re constantly having to find a side door when the front one’s locked.

Producing can also be lonely. People often see you as “the one with money,” when in truth, you're usually the last one to get paid — if there's anything left. If everything goes right, you might not be thanked. If it goes wrong, you're the first one to be blamed.

But despite all that, I’ve found my film family — collaborators who push and support one another, challenge each other in the best ways, and share a belief in stories worth fighting for.

Q: What’s next for you?

It’s a big year ahead! We’ve got three feature films on the verge of being greenlit, one feature documentary in the final stages of post-production, and three short films about to hit the festival circuit — each one distinct, powerful, and spanning everything from narrative fiction to documentary. We’re incredibly proud of the diversity and ambition of our slate.

On a personal note, I’m also expecting my first child in July — which is thrilling in a completely different way. I’m already looking forward to having the little one on set with us later this year (no real rest for the wicked!). I hope the baby grows up seeing what it looks like when stories are built from the ground up — especially by women who lead.