Month: June 2022

I’m going to be speaking at an exciting media festival in mid July.

A line-up of inspiring TV and film industry trailblazers are set to take to the stage in Soho on Thursday 14 July to lead honest discussions about inclusion, diversity, talent and mental health in film and TV and challenge the status quo.
Building on the success of its monthly networking meetups, Soho Media Club has launched a one-day programme with inspiring panels, fireside chats, workshops and career meetups, as well as networking opportunities, including a Festival Party.

Fully Focused Productions, Co-founders Nick Bedu & Teddy Nygh share their story at the BE YOU Festival in Soho on 14 July. Moderated by me, this is one session not to miss 👊🏽

Fully Focused Productions | Million Youth Media (MYM YouTube) is the UK’s leading youth-driven and youth-focused production company creating award-winning, high impact content for and with a youth audience and was founded in 2010 to give young people from underrepresented backgrounds opportunities to learn vital new skills and make films, while actively searching for solutions around issues they deem most important.

Teddy & Nick will be sharing how they developed such a brilliant ethos, what they’ve achieved thus far and what’s next.

Click here to book your spot.

 If you’d like to join the day, then I can offer you the discount code Speaker20 to get a 20% discount off the ticket price! You can book at the website www.sohomediaclub.com/beyou
With the discount, it’s £80 for the entire day including sessions, networking, food, drinks, a comedy act and of course the Festival Party where former Earth, Wind & Fire band member Mo Pleasure is doing a set! 

I’m also speaking on another panel later in the day.

Holistic Diversity:

Joyce Adeluwoye-Adams MBE, Editor, Newsroom Diversity, Reuters; Bella Lambourne, HR & Operations Director, Banijay and Jasmine Dotiwala, TV producer, director, reporter, discuss how to design a culture of inclusivity, equity and belonging which runs through the fabric of an organisation.

“Soho Media Club meet-ups have attracted a wide and diverse audience from all parts of the industry, at all levels – from students and runners, to directors, producers, editors, commissioners, CEOs and company owners. It made us realise that people in TV and film want to widen their connections, share their stories and there’s a real momentum to change things for the better. The time is right for the Be You Festival to help move the dial and celebrate the TV industry in all its diversity,” said Jaisica Lapsiwala, co-founder, Soho Media Club.

Featured speakers include:
● Ursula Macfarlane, award-winning director and executive producer, known for Untouchable, a documentary looking at the rise and fall of disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and who has just directed the soon to be released documentary on Anna Nicole Smith.

● Teddy Nygh and Nick Bedu co-founders of Fully Focused, the UK’s leading youth-driven and youth-focused production company, will talk to me about creating award-winning, high impact content for and with a youth audience, including the recently launched BBC3 sitcom PRU about a pupil referral unit.

● Coky Giedroyc, award-winning TV and film director, (TV series Save Me, Harlots; feature films How To Build a Girl, upcoming Take That musical Greatest Days) and an active mentor of young women in the film industry.

● Jessica Swale, Olivier award-winning playwright, screenwriter and director (TV drama Ten Percent for Amazon, feature films Summerland, starring Gemma Arterton, and upcoming Persuasion, starring Sarah Snook). Jessica is involved in Time Up UK and the 50:50 campaign, actively campaigning for greater equality across theatre and film.

● Jules Hussey, founder, Brazen Productions, award-winning film producer (You Don’t Know Me for BBC/ Netflix, Catherine the Great for Sky/HBO) and disability campaigner who is working on the much-anticipated BBC A-Word spin-off Ralph and Katie, directed by and starring disabled talent.

● Ace Ruele, motion capture actor, Creature Bionics, one of the UK’s leading actors within the motion capture/VFX industry who has done work in titles such as The Legend of Tarzan (film), Planets Of The Apes Vr (video game), The Inpatient (video game), Daymare 1988 (video game), The Matrix Resurrection (film), and two Marvel film titles – Eternals and Antman Quantunmania.

Panel sessions include:
Holistic Diversity: Joyce Adeluwoye-Adams MBE, Editor, Newsroom Diversity, Reuters; Bella Lambourne, HR & Operations Director, Banijay and Jasmine Dotiwala, TV producer, director, reporter, discuss how to design a culture of inclusivity, equity and belonging which runs through the fabric of an organisation.

Diversity in Post: Leslie Gaston-Bird, sound mixer, Mix Messiah Productions, Balvinder Singh Sanghera, founder, Run VT and Vanessa Taylor, film & TV colourist, share their personal career journeys and shake out the hidden truths about making it as a minority in post.

Accessible Tech: Sarah Cox, founder, Neutral Human , HaZ Dulull, co-founder, HaZimation, Rhys Hancock, co-founder & MD, Metavision talk about the need for more inclusive technology, what changes need to be made and how the future of tech can be inclusive and accessible.

Mental Health: Brian Hill, BAFTA-winning director; award winner Anne Morrison, creative director, Factual Programmes, NEVISION and Dr. Lindsay Ip, child and adult clinical psychologist, discuss bullying in our industry and how you can combat mental health issues in film and TV.

There will also be the Festival Party to look forward to, which will take place at Zero One. It will feature Morris “Mo” Joseph Pleasure, Former Earth, Wind and Fire, whose professional career spans the world of American R&B and pop, through his work with Ray Charles, George Duke, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Mary J Blige, Natalie Cole, David Foster and Bette Midler to name a few.

What a summer of amazing events with music festivals, media panels, all day immersive festivals in arts, theatre, ballet, film, comedy, art, poetry, parkour and more!

If like me you love the arts, then the UK is the best place in the world!

Get involved!

I hosted the Parliamentary Screening of the film HOSTILE by writer, director and producer Sonita Gale.

The film is a powerful, emotional journey through a handful of people negatively impacted by the governments hostile migration policy.
We hear from people whose lives have been ruined by bad policy.

The voices and presence of the families impacted were devastating, and a reminder that they represent thousands more migrants with similar stories of trauma, upheaval and injustice, who are still awaiting compensation.
Since the governments hostile policy started 21 people have died before receiving justice.

Natalie Branes mother Paulette Wilson went to school in this country, and ironically, also worked for a short while as a chef in the House of Commons. Her courage to speak up in 2017 encouraged others to speak up too. But like Natalies mother Paulette, over 20 others have passed away before they could get justice – and over 14,000 people are still awaiting compensation so having their story told in the HOSTILE film whilst sitting in the very same halls and rooms where MP’s could have spoken for Natalie’s mother made it all the more poignant.             

It was good to see a turnout of MP’s and politicians in the audience who stayed to make comments during the panel. After decades of hostile immigration policies, Britain has reached crisis point. MP’s in attendance discussed what could be done to support migrants during this cost of living crisis.

I especially liked the points that Jeremy Corbyn made about supporting young people to know their rights and engage more politically so they can ensure things like this never happen again.

Let’s not let the stories of those affected by the Governments hostile policy fade away. They still need us to keep their experiences put there and to get justice.
Films that make a difference are going to form our history for future generations.

Congratulations again Sonita Gale for fighting to bring their stories to film festivals and the education system for a wider audience.

My dad always used to say ‘if you have a voice and platform then say something worth saying’. Sonita’s film says it all. Catch HOSTILE as a cinema or film festival near you this year whilst it’s on it’s tour!