On Monday 4th March 2019, Bradford UNESCO City of Film were delighted to host an event in partnership with BBC Radio Leeds to mark International Women’s Day 2019.
Lights Camera Equality featured our panel of women currently working in the industry,
sharing their insight into the world of film and television production from a female perspective. Chaired by University of Bradford lecturer, Dr Karen Thornton and including panellists Lisa Holdsworth, Jin-Theng Craven, Sally Ogden and Suman Hanif the lively audience discussion was hosted by BBC Radio Leeds Backstage presenter, Nicole Raymond.
A brief introduction to the panelists gave the audience an insight into how and why they came into the film and TV industry and a common theme emerged around the desire to connect people through storytelling. There was a great passion for bringing people together and sharing cross cultural perspectives.
The discussion went on to focus on the low numbers of women in the film industry and the barriers that are often encountered. There was also a view reflected in the discussion that works by women are often viewed as a ‘genre’ rather than a work in their own right.
There was a great deal of passion to try and bring about more change for women working in the industry. Many of the panel made reference to the need for support and network groups for women to help each other within the industry. Jin Theng-Craven said these groups almost need to be two tier, where those within the industry help each other, as well as helping to support those getting into the industry. Bradford UNESCO City of Film are keen to support this idea and are looking to create a Women in Film Network for Bradford. If you are interested in being involved please contact us at info@bradford.film.
The full discussion from the evening will be aired on BBC Radio Leeds 20.00 on Wednesday 6 March 2019.
