On this week’s episode of The Screen Podcast, the team unpacks what this year’s Bifa nominations say about the UK indie film industry at large.

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Host Wendy Mitchell is joined by awards and box office editor Charles Gant and UK producer Helen Simmons (100 Nights Of Hero, Hoard) to delve into why the Bifa nominations included so few female filmmakers.

“My worry is that with all the change going on in the industry, the lack of risk that people want to take, what goes out the window first is efforts towards diversity,” Simmons said.

”The only category that was a better showing was debut writer, where it was actually majority women, but I think often it’s about how do female filmmakers have a long career as well? How do they stay in the industry?”

The trio also discussed the wider challenges facing the UK indie sector, including the disappearance of micro-budget features and challenges in the distribution landscape. 

To download or subscribe to future episodes, search for ‘The Screen Podcast’, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and YouTube.

The Screen Podcast is produced by Ellie Calnan, with Wendy Mitchell serving as editorial director. New episodes every Thursday.

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