Women in Film and TV Podcast Women in Film and TV Podcast

June is pride month and to honour the LGBTQ+ community, we sat down with film and television editor, Theo Lindberg, vice-president of WIFT+ Sweden and founder of WIFT Trans. Theo discusses his work in the film industry and his journey in becoming a trans male.

https://wft.ie/

This February Netflix, supported by WFT Ireland and Screen Ireland, hosted an exclusive screening of five short films produced via The Netflix Documentary Talent Fund. The event took place at The Stella Cinema Rathmines and featured a Q&A with WFT members and filmmakers Anna Rodgers and Zlata Filipovic, whose emotional documentary Two Mothers was a recipient of the scheme.

Two Mothers is an incredibly emotional story about maternal struggles, the impact of war, as well as how friendship can transcend borders.

The fund was created in 2020 to break down barriers of access for emerging filmmakers. The initiative provides filmmakers with a foundation of knowledge as well as hands on training in all aspects of the industry to allow them to grow their careers.

https://wft.ie/

This February at Berlinale, our sister chapter WIFT Germany held a powerful series of talks titled "Between Escapism, Activism and Documentation – Filmmaking in Trembling Times". These examined the world today, where there seem to be new crises emerging daily – war, climate change, flight and displacement, and the resurgence of the far-right. All too often, women are the ones who suffer the most.

In this podcast, WFT Ireland Member Gemma Creagh speaks with WIFT Germany Board Member and actor Mara Luka who talks about their vast chapter, the film industry in Germany, and WIFT's close ties to the Berlinale Festival.

Then in a live recording from the event, outgoing Berlinale Executive Director Mariëtte Rissenbeek talks about WIFT's relationship to the festival while Producer Zhang Fan from Bridging the Dragon discusses the film landscape in China.

This recording and podcast was made possible with the support of Coimisiún na Meán, WIFT Germany and Berlinale.

Keep an eye out for part two, where we'll hear from our chair and WFT International President Dr Susan Liddy, from Ukrainian Filmmaker Julia Sinkevych and about an important study about Gender-Based Violence on German Television.

https://wft.ie/

https://wiftg.de/

https://www.berlinale.de/en/home.html

Last December marked another excellent event for our annual Changemakers Series. In the wonderful venue of Windmill Lane, WFT Chair and President of WIFT International, Dr. Susan Liddy spoke with writer and producer Sally Abbott. Sally shared her experiences, challenges, and goals with our members, as well as the insights she's learned during her impressive career working across the UK's top shows.

Supported by Coimisiún na Meán and hosted by Windmill Lane, the WFT Changemakers Series gives continuity and profile to women who have been instrumental in working towards the visibility of other women, supporting women filmmakers, and advocating for cultural change and equal opportunities, both nationally and internationally.

In the fourth installment of our Cannes Conversation Series, we look at the importance of sustainability. The future of the screen industry depends on consciously changing how we approach filming as well as telling stories that look at the world in a new way. At the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Gemma Creagh caught up with Ecoprod's Alissa Aubenque, a producer and Green Film Production Expert about changes in production that can be made that make a real difference.

Following this, in a conversation that was recorded last week, filmmaker and WFT member Maeve Stone walks with producer and activist Helene Granqvist about the ins and outs of developing sustainable narratives and the intersectionality of activism and art.

This podcast has been made possible with the support of the Screen Ireland Stakeholder Fund.

https://wft.ie/

In this WFT Ireland Podcast, Project Manager Gemma Creagh spoke with one of our talented members, Actor and AD Rachel Morgan. Rachel wore multiple hats on top titles such as Disenchanted and The Pope’s Exorcist, and you might recognise her from her role on RTE's The Gone, which is returning soon for a second Series. In this discussion, we spoke with Rachel about her experience in the industry on both sides of the camera and what it's like working on sets big and small. Listen back here.

This event has been made possible by the Screen Ireland Stakeholders fund.

https://wft.ie