EXCLUSIVE: Primetime, the platform supporting women and non-binary filmmakers, is partnering with UK exhibitor Picturehouse on an initiative connecting underrepresented filmmakers with talent agents.
The partnership will begin with an event at the Picturehouse Central venue in London on January 14, 2026, featuring a screening of a series of short films by emerging filmmakers and cinematographers. The screening will be followed by a networking event for the filmmakers to meet attending agents.
Agents currently confirmed to attend include Cynthia Okoye from Curtis Brown, CJ Rock, Nina Amini and Isabella Sareen from Casarotto Ramsay, Alex Bloch from 42, Amber Thompson and Leonore Michalski from WPA, and Alex Gurney from Sara Putt Associates.
Additional UK agents will be confirmed closer to the event, including from Independent; while further events are in the works for later in the year.
Primetime will work with the participating agents to hear which voices and stories they are seeking to add to their rosters. Submissions for the event are open to female, non-binary or gender expansive filmmakers whose work has screened at a Bafta- or Oscar-qualifying festival within the past two years.
“Now more than ever, it’s vital for the industry to support fresh voices with new perspectives and give them the resources to realise their visions. As agents, this is exactly what we’re constantly seeking,” said Okoye.
“At Picturehouse Central, we champion a diverse programme of films and events and so supporting Primetime’s inaugural, action-based initiative to bridge the gap between agents and filmmakers is a perfect fit for our mission,” said Carol McKay, director of programming at Picturehouse Cinemas.
Next year will mark seven years since actor-producer Victoria Emslie launched Primetime. The organisation has also started an annual membership model, which gives members the opportunity to apply for annual production funding.
The company is committed to putting at least 51% of profits back into its community. Members have the opportunity to vote on how those profits are reinvested.
“This new model puts power back into the hands of the paying filmmakers,” said Emslie. This reclaims the medieval term of ‘freelancer’ - knights not sworn to a specific lord but who fight or ‘give their lance’ to the bidder most aligned with their needs. By paying in for themselves, members are paying in for each other, and vice versa.”
Recent Primetime-backed projects have screened at festivals including Tribeca and Edinburgh, with titles including Aella Jordan-Edge’s Truckload.
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