JGA recently hosted a WoMen in Film & TV event aimed at young women to both inspire and provide an invaluable networking opportunity with some of the film and television industry’s brightest female talents.

Taking place at Digital Dock in Brentford, the event was intimate and personable, whilst also being packed full of vibrant young talent. It was no surprise that the speakers drew such an impassioned crowd, as they included cinematographers Diana Olifirova and Simona Susnea, as well as director Georgia Hudson and MAMA Youth talent manager Karen Mason.

The series of talks were kicked off by an introduction from JGA, whilst filmmaker Chris Skarratt handled the in-between moments with insightful questions and enlightening introductions.

First up was cinematographer Diana Olifirova. The DP filled the captive audience in on her variety of work up to now, including passions outside of the industry – which Olifirova emphasised the importance of for her own wellbeing.

The We Are Lady Parts cinematographer also digressed on the importance of taking small steps in the film industry and trying to do something new with every project one takes up.

Following on from Diana’s concise career breakdown, was MAMA Youth talent manager Karen Mason.

Offering a more logistical perspective, Karen emphasised the importance of being organised and regimented in order to allow for the creatives, such as Diana, on any given project to flourish.

The talent manager also recalled a heart-warming story of her own childhood desire to work on Blue Peter, and how that dream became a reality., as well as her experience managing large scale live TV events such as the royal wedding.

Concluding her talk, was helpful advice to prospective young women in the crowd of how to stand out with a CV and bonus insight of how to get a foot in the door of the notoriously difficult industry.

Shortly after Karen Mason’s talk, another DP took to the floor in the form of Simona Susnea.

Simona highlighted the importance of being bold and passionate when shooting a project. Using her own work as an example, the Audrey DP engaged the audience by telling them to follow their passions in order to produce the best work.

Whether that means shooting at 3am on the tube without a permit like she did, or simply allowing yourself to be drawn to what you want to do, and working through any problems.

In a similar vein to Simona, the event’s final speaker, Georgia Hudson, also emphasised the importance of passion and commitment in the industry.

The director has made a name for herself in the industry by intimately portraying issues in others that have also affected her personally. This humanist approach to filmmaking culminated in a rousing talk that both examined the satisfaction of doing something you love, and also how to extract an income from that creativity.

Georgia provided reassurance for those in the audience who have had to face obstacles themselves, and offered advice on how to keep going whilst still being true to the ideals that make one unique. It was a perfect segue from the last of the individual talks into the group Q and A that concluded the event.

Practical questions and plenty of adoration was expressed in the Q and A, with many audience members participating and asking for even more insight into the industry. Questions ranged from tips on self-management, to financing, and on how to focus when there are so many different aspects of the industry that one is interested in.

To conclude the event, speakers stuck around for lunch to talk on a more intimate, one-to-one basis and also to provide a networking opportunity for all of the young talents in the audience.