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WFTV announce seven women in Northern Ireland taking part in its 2023 film and TV mentoring scheme



Date Posted: January 25, 2023

Seven women based in Northern Ireland have been selected to take part in this year’s Women in Film and TV Four Nations Mentoring Scheme, sponsored by Netflix. The scheme is designed for mid-career women working in film, television and creative media looking to take that next big step in their career.

Factual producer Ally Thompson; Drama Producer Leon McGeown-Fee; Director & Writer Lisa Keogh; Assistant Camera Lucy Martin; Senior Digital Development Executive Maeve McLoughlin; Drama Production Coordinator Rachel Hull and Costume Designer Zjena Glamocanin were selected from hundreds of applicants across the four nations of the UK. They will join 34 mentees from Scotland, England and Wales for this intensive six month programme which pairs each of the participants alongside senior industry professionals for one-to-one mentoring, as well as bespoke careers and personal development training.

Netflix continues its support of the scheme in Northern Ireland through its Fund for Creative Equity, which is dedicated to helping build new opportunities for underrepresented communities within entertainment.

Sarah McCaffrey, WFTV Mentoring Producer for NI said: “This is the fourth year we have run the prestigious WFTV mentoring scheme in Northern Ireland and it is getting more and more competitive each year to secure a place given the scheme’s impressive reputation in the industry.  We are grateful to our amazing mentors this year, all industry professionals at the top of their profession who have agreed to give so generously of their time to support the next generation of creative women working in this competitive industry. This year’s mentors include Jannine Waddell, Charlotte Moore, David H Steinberg, Sally Anne Massimini, Aoife McArdle, Jennifer Atcheson, Marie-Therese Mackle, Sharon Long and Mary Jane Reyner. We have an amazing cohort of women from Northern Ireland taking part and I look forward to working with them to assist them achieve their career ambitions in the coming months.”

Katie Bailiff, CEO of WFTV, said “We’re delighted to launch the 2023 mentoring scheme across the four nations of the UK – it’s going from strength to strength and past outcomes show us that the scheme’s ingredients successfully unlock our mentees’ potential – enabling them to become the next generation of industry leaders.” Heading up the scheme is WFTV’s new Director of Mentoring Sarah Wright, former Group Director of Acquisitions and Sky Cinema, UK & ROI.

Sarah Wright said, “I’m really excited to put together a sheer powerhouse of brilliant woman from all parts of the Film and TV business – from producers, directors and writers, to editors, costume designers, hair & make-up artists, cinematographers, casting producers, crew managers, marketeers, agents and stunt performers. Together, with the help of their mentors and the brilliant programme of events that WFTV scheme offers, they will form a diverse and immensely talented cohort to be reckoned with in the industry.”

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