Industry Day

Calling all filmmakers, artists and documentary-curious people. Do you want to know more about the documentary film industry, find out who is producing and funding independent non-fiction projects and immersive documentary art, and meet with other film creatives and potential collaborators?  Then book for this jam-packed day of presentations, panel discussions, case studies, one-to-ones and networking in partnership with BFI Doc Society and Screen South.

The day features five essential and informative panels including conversations with talented filmmakers and execs about documentary features, shorts, and hybrid projects. Open to all, whatever level of experience. The sessions are relaxed and there will be tea and coffee available throughout the day if you need to take a break.

The Industry Day will be followed by networking drinks at Kollectiv supported by Dr Jekyll’s mysteriously refreshing beer. Free to Industry Day ticket holders.

NEW FOR 2025 - this year, we’re offering the chance for filmmakers with a ticket for the Industry Day to book one-to-ones with industry experts during Friday and Saturday of the festival. These slots are offered on a first come first served basis, bookable during Industry Day, and are available only to Industry Day ticket holders. See below for more information on how the one-to-ones will work.

Please note that the Industry Day is not included in the Festival Pass.

Schedule

9.30am - Doors Open

10am-10.15am - Introductions &  Welcome

10.15-11.15am - Filmmaker Masterclass with Eleanor Mortimer

We’re delighted that this year’s keynote speaker is local filmmaker Eleanor Mortimer, director of How Deep Is Your Love which is showing as part of this year's festival. The film is her first feature documentary which explores the last wilderness on earth at the bottom of the ocean. Eleanor’s work centres on re-imaginings of the world through unusual, hidden or overlooked perspectives. Her first short film Territory screened at over fifty festivals including Sundance and received a Grierson nomination. Alongside her independent work, Eleanor makes commissions for galleries, publishers and TV and teaches filmmaking to community groups and in film schools. She’ll speak about the transition from shorts to features, and making work that crosses definitions of documentary.

11.15am-11.30am - Tea & Coffee Break

11.30am-12.30pm - Alternative Funding and Distribution 

Documentary funding and releasing has become more complex in recent years, with filmmakers having to be increasingly entrepreneurial. But this can be a positive! Hear from producers, distribution experts and platforms with experience of doing things differently, including crowdfunding and community film tours. Speakers include Max Upton (Crowdfunder.co.uk), Rebecca Wolff (Grand Theft Hamlet), Jonny Tull (Tull Stories independent film distribution), Christo Hird and Dan Edelstyn (Dartmouth Films / Power Station), and Tolu Stedford (Story Compound).

12.30pm-1.30pm - Lunch Break

1.30pm-2.30pm - Meet The Funders

Your chance to hear from documentary commissioning, funding, distribution and exhibition executives for films of all lengths, and ask them anything. Speakers include representatives from Scottish Documentary Institute, The Whickers, BFI Doc Society, The Guardian, BFI NETWORK, and Violet Pictures.

2.40pm-3.30pm - Meet The Shorts Makers

Hear from some of the short film makers in this year’s festival programme - how did they get their shorts funded and made, how long did it take, and what are they making next? Speakers include Tina Pasotra, Usayd Younis and Mos Hannan. Hosted by Sanne Jehoul from BFI Doc Society.

3.30pm-3.45pm Tea & Coffee Break

3.45pm-4.30pm - What Do Audiences Want?

We love making our documentaries, but do audiences actually want to come and watch them, and how do you know? This session will look into what documentaries are working well at cinemas and how exhibitors have got audiences in the room.

Speakers include Duncan Carson (Independent Cinema Office), Jenny Horwell (Bertha Dochouse) and Isra Al Kassi (Tape Collective, Bird’s Eye View).

4.30pm - Conclusions

4.45pm-6.15pm - Networking Drinks at Kollectiv hosted by BFI Doc Society & Screen South Mix and match with your fellow filmmakers and creative storytellers working across the South East, meet new collaborators and chat with the speakers from the day.

One to One Meetings - New for 2025

Your chance to book one-to-ones with industry experts on Friday 24 & Saturday 25 October

This year, we’re offering the chance for anyone with a ticket for the Industry Day to book a 20 minute meeting with an industry expert to discuss your work. These slots will be offered on a first come first served basis at the Industry Day on Friday 24 October and we expect high demand so arrive early to book your slot!

Below are the experts available for one-to-ones. Places will be allocated in order of sign up on the day and you will be able to sign up for one meeting initially to allow everyone to have a chance.

You must have already bought a ticket for the industry day to sign up for a one-to-one meeting.

The experts

• Doc Society - Hannah Bush Bailey and Sanne Jehoul

The BFI Doc Society Fund supports and nurtures independent non-fiction films and immersive projects by UK filmmakers, prioritising expansive, director-led storytelling. Our funding is intended to be transformative and representative of all UK society.

We back ambitious, independent feature documentary films and immersive projects intended for theatrical release, from both emerging talent and more established directors. The fund recognises the quality of difference in perspective, the importance of who is telling the story and strong collaborations. We invite local stories and encourage films that take creative leaps and bring fresh vision to the form.

Doc Society also offer multiple programmes outside of the BFI, including the Democracy Story Unit and the Climate Story Unit.

• Myia productions - Katy Southwood and Floury Crum

Founded by friends and colleagues Katy Southwood and Floury Crum, Myia Productions is a production services company set up with one aim in mind: to offer creative, flexible support to individuals with stories to tell across any format.

Whether it's a feature documentary, digital series, podcast or something entirely original, we’re here to support you in bringing your project to life.

At a time of transformation in the UK media landscape, we believe there's still a strong demand for real storytelling and bold, innovative content, and we believe the way we produce that content needs to evolve too.

That’s why Myia exists: to be a light-footed, responsive production partner, open to possibilities. Think of us as a customisable, plug-and-play production department; offering experience, structure and creative guidance, without the weight of a full in-house team. We scale to fit your project and we’re excited for new opportunities. We can offer full scale production company services taking you through all stages of the production or just occasional advice and consultancy.

Whether you’re at the very beginning of an idea or deep in production, we provide thoughtful, tailored support across development and production. With experience spanning multiple formats, genres, and platforms, we’re here to listen, collaborate, advise, and help steer your project with confidence and care.

• Story Compound - Tolu Stedford

Story Compound is a talent development and consultancy business. Our mission is to cultivate a truly inclusive screen sector by developing a diverse talent pool and shaping an industry culture where every contribution is valued. We organise talent development programmes, community focused productions, diversity centric corporate films, community impact events and screenings, and customised personal development workshops.

• Tull Stories - Jonny Tull

Jonny Tull is a cinema and arts consultant who works across film distribution and exhibition. His specialisms span film distribution, audience development, industry research, fundraising and programming for cinema. 

 Following a successful career in programming and audience development for independent cinema and the arts, Jonny now works under the banner of the film distribution and exhibition agency Tull Stories. Since 2017 he has released of dozens of films into the UK theatrical market and supported filmmakers, cinemas, festivals and film distributors to help bring their projects to audiences. 

• Scottish Documentary Institute - Alexandra Colta

Alexandra joined the SDI team in 2019 to work on the distribution strategy for the films produced through the Bridging the Gap programme. Since then, she has continued to be involved in the organisation’s flagship programmes like BTG, New Voices, Stories as well as public-facing series of events and workshops.

Before joining SDI, Alexandra worked in various curation and production roles, including as Festival Producer for Document Human Rights Film Festival in Glasgow, as programmer for the Glasgow Refugee Asylum and Migration Network (GRAMNet) Film Series, as intern/researcher at Tern TV in Glasgow and as Production and Distribution Assistant at Alien Film in Romania.

Since 2025, Alex has been leading Doc Screen, a new initiative run by SDI in partnership with Filmhouse in Edinburgh, aiming to support local and international filmmakers at different stages of their career by offering platforms to showcase their work and to grow audiences around short and feature documentaries.

• Crowdfunder - Max Upton

Max Upton is Head of Campaigns at Crowdfunder, the UK’s leading crowdfunding platform. He works closely with filmmakers and creative organisations, helping them raise funds, grow audiences and bring bold ideas to life, from grassroots documentaries to large-scale cultural projects.

• Screen South - Jo Nolan

Screen South is a Creative Development Agency based in Folkestone delivering and supporting innovative projects across screen-based media and the wider cultural and creative industries. We are a resource and broker that helps people get their ideas off the ground and supports delivery locally, nationally and internationally.

Our overarching aim is to contribute to stimulating a competitive, successful and vibrant creative industry and culture and to promote its growth, enjoyment and understanding locally and internationally.

Areas of activity that Screen South covers include:

-Production & Development service and delivery

-International brokering

-Training

-Creative Project Management

• BFI Network / Independent Cinema Office - Sammy Wong

We are the BFI’s partner for providing support for new and emerging filmmakers across the South East through BFI NETWORK. Thanks to National Lottery funding, we do so via a range of activities, including:

Advising regional filmmakers on their creative development

Holding events across the region to encourage networking, filmmaker collaboration and skills development

Recommending the filmmakers we work with for BFI NETWORK funding.

• The Guardian Documentaries - Ekaterina Ochagavia

Guardian Documentaries supports creative, independent storytelling about compelling, contemporary subjects. We commission and curate short films, showcasing stories from around the world.

Katya has worked as a self-shooting director and editor for the Guardian for over 14 years, now specialising in executive producing and commissioning across our award-winning documentary strand. Her core focus is short form docs (15- 30 minutes) that tell compelling, character-led stories rooted strongly in journalism. She is dedicated to innovation and creativity in visual storytelling, and intimately understands the trials and tribulations of filmmaking!

• The Whickers - Jane Ray and Denise Barren

The Whickers were established in 2015 to fund and recognise original and innovative documentary. We seek to use the generous legacy of our namesake, pioneering broadcaster Alan Whicker, to support emerging film and audio documentary-makers in the funding and production of director led programmes. The Whickers are comprised of two annual awards: the Film & TV Funding Award (for first time feature documentary makers) and The Podcast Pitch Award.