Filmonomics Applications Now Open
Date Posted: August 25, 2017
Filmonomics: Birds Eye View’s highly-rated female and BAME feature filmmaker programme for established writers, directors, producers (documentary and fiction) has returned for its fifth consecutive year, and will run over 12 sessions from Sept 2017 to March 2018, in London, with a series of evening workshops plus two full day events.
Supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, with BFI’s Film Forever National Lottery funds along with Birds Eye View’s own investment, Filmonomics was created with the backing of former Screen International editor-in-chief Colin Brown – author of the Filmonomics blog for slated.com.
The bespoke programme, designed to bridge the gap between development and distribution, offers a balanced inward and outward focus, targeted at established women and BAME film practitioners. As well as combining behind-the-scenes networking with discussions on vital topics such as finance, team-building, marketing, exhibition, audience development, looking at current box office, sales analysis and future trend-forecasting, a key aspect of the programme is personal development – in particular – confidence in your professional style. With the help of trained psychologists, and professional coaches (specialising in female entrepreneur training), we will interrogate rejection, confidence building, presentation and debating skills.
Individuals should have at least one feature film or TV credit, or a significant body of short form work and features in development/production. At least one participant in a team proposal must have a feature film or TV credit, which has been theatrically released or broadcast or (if in post-production) is about to be.
Guest speakers from previous programmes included:
- Averil Leimon: Leadership Psychologist and Founder of White Water Group
- Gaylene Gould: Head of Events, BFI Southbank
- Caroline Goyder: Coach and Creator of The Gravitas Method
- Charles Gant: Film Journalist and Industry Analyst
- Lia Devlin: Head of Marketing, Altitude UK
- Clare Binns: Director of Picturehouse Cinemas
- Eva Yates: FilmFour
- Gale Harold: Actor
- Hilary Davis: Partner, Bankside Films
- Joanna Hogg: Writer & Director
- Joel Kennedy: VP of Worldwide Acquisitions, Entertainment One UK
- Kate Gerova: Head of Operational Marketing, Curzon Cinemas
- Kim Longinotto: Filmmaker
- Alison Thompson: M.D, Cornerstone Films
- Peter Ettedgui: Producer and Screenwriter
- Matt Baker: Head of Production, Hanway Films
- Wendy Mitchell: Former Editor of Screen / British Council Film Department
Birds Eye View’s targets for this programme are to achieve minimum participation rates of:
- 85% female participants
- 40% who identify as other than white
- 30% hailing from socio-economically deprived backgrounds
- 10% those who identify as disabled, in any form
- 35% from outside of Greater London, resident in the UK Nations and Regions.
HOW IT WORKS
Filmonomics is targeted at feature film directors, writers and producers. Applicants can apply as individuals or as teams of two. The programme will prioritise female and non-white talent, either individuals or teams, where at least one participant is representative of one of these groups.
The total cost for the programme is £325 per participant. This cost has been kindly subsidised by Creative Skillset and this fee essentially covers catering and refreshments in the sessions.
BEV and Creative Skillset have limited bursary funds available to cover travel and accommodation costs for applications based outside of London, and childcare/carer costs for parents/guardians/carers. The allocation of bursary funds will be determined by the eligibility of the successful applicants. There are also several full programme bursaries available for female/BAME participants. Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You must provide an estimated cost for daily travel, accommodation and childcare.
You must be available for the first two workshops: September 25th 2017 from 12:00-18:00 and September 26th from 14:00-21:00, in London. The subsequent sessions will occur every month or two until the final workshop on March 8th 2018 from 12:00-21:00. It is also essential that you attend the final day. All other dates to be confirmed once course commences.
COURSE DIRECTOR
Mia Bays is a producer of an Oscar winner, and a multiple BAFTA nominated producer of 12 features and 4 shorts. Mia has worked on over 50 features, both documentary and fiction as a distributor and producer – most recently she co-produced LETTERS FROM BAGHDAD which was voiced by Tilda Swinton and released by Verve in 2017. She has also held roles such as Creative Producer on the Microwave micro-budget scheme 2007-14 (LILTING, SHIFTY, ILL MANORS, STRAWBERRY FIELDS, etc). Mia is passionate about raising the volume of the female voice across the film value chain and has taken over the Birds Eye View platforms for this purpose. She began her career in the film industry in distribution, working for Romaine Hart, a successful female distributor and exhibitor in the early 1990s, and her first role model.
APPLICATIONS
Applications for Filmonomics V opened on Friday 18th August 2017.
DEADLINE
The deadline date for applications is Friday 1st September 2017 1800 GMT.
We will notify longlisted participants by Tuesday 5th September and set up 10 minute Skype calls across Thursday September 7th and Friday September 8th. We will notify successful applicants on Wednesday 13th September. Unfortunately, we will not be notifying unsuccessful applicants.
Enquiries should be emailed to Course Manager, Simone Glover.
More info + guidelines + application here
PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIES
“Filmonomics demystified one of the most crucial areas in the filmmaking process and one that tends to be overlooked or handed over by many filmmakers – the distribution…. It was very well organised and structured with incredibly generous speakers who offered illuminating examples in regards to the distribution of films but with varied suggestions and unique ways of finding audiences.”
“I came away with new and highly qualified contacts, people I can turn to when I face areas that are vital to producing but I have no first-hand experience of.”
“I found the whole Filmonomics programme a very inspiring and supportive environment. All the elements of the industry were covered and the high level speakers were hugely informative and generous with their time and knowledge.”
“The final two sessions, on marketing/PR assets and confidence, were among the best and most revelatory training I’ve ever received.”
“We would not hesitate to recommend this course, it provides the invaluable insight and support needed when taking a leap into the unknown.”
