LFS is Proud to Announce the Next Generation of Fast Forward Producers for Creative Skillset Supported Training
FFP2014 will take thirteen new producers through the entire process of developing, packaging, financing, shooting, post-producing and selling their feature films. FFP20014 is aimed at those already working in the industry, who need new skills to step up, and is designed to appeal to participants from all sectors of the industry. The participants are:
JENNY ALLENBY – Having moved through the TV and film industry over the last two decades in predominantly supportive roles, Jenny has recently been co-producing an independent feature, now approaching completion. Continuing this progression, her current eclectic selection of development projects includes a creative documentary exploring grief, and a musical-comedy-drama featuring five middle-aged women.
LINDA BINEY – Since graduating from The London Film School with an MA Filmmaking, Linda has focused mainly on producing shorts and gained experience in factual television at Fremantle Media, with Boundless Productions and the Chinese-owned IPCN. Linda is currently developing a feature film script with Onyinye Egenti, which will shoot in both Nigeria and England. This year she will be producing a Creative England iShort by emerging writer/director Anna Blandford, and assisting Congolese director Djo Tunga Wa Munga in his latest documentary feature.
FIONA BLACK – worked on top television shows from THE DARLING BUDS OF MAY to CASUALTY. In 2009 she was nominated for a Scottish BAFTA in the Television Drama Award category for the production of EILBHEAS (ELVIS) set on the Isle of Lewis; recently her work took her to Bangladesh where she mentored a new drama. She began her career as an actress after gaining a Masters from the University of Georgia in the States on a Fulbright Hays scholarship; she was also one of the first graduates from the London Script Factory’s script development course.
HELEN BOLTER – has produced four short films - three fiction (SCARED, THE MOIRAE, LOTUS) and one documentary (MEMENTO VITAE) all of which have been selected for festivals. She has also produced an Off West End play, DICK AND DAISY at the Baron’s Court Theatre. Helen has work-shadowed Academy Award winner, Guillermo Navarro and worked with Amit Gupta on his feature film RESISTANCE.
MIA BORRETT – would like to make films that resonate with her previous career as a criminal defence and human rights barrister. She has recently worked with David S. Goyer (THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY) and Ileen Maisel (ONEGIN).
CHEE-LAN CHAN – spent three and a half years as Head of Development at Vertigo Films where she developed films such as STREETDANCE, UK independent cinema's biggest box office hit in 2010, and sci-fi road movie MONSTERS with writer/director Gareth Edwards. Her most recent project, short film ORBIT EVER AFTER is BAFTA and European Film Award nominated and can currently be seen in UK cinemas.
HELEN GREARSON - has spent the last five years working with Mike Leigh, culminating in a role as Assistant Producer on his forthcoming MR. TURNER. She is also currently co-producer on a separate behind-the-scenes documentary – the very first to document Mike’s elusive process. Before working solely with Mike, Helen worked simultaneously for his production company, Thin Man Films.
ANNA
JANCSÓ – Anna was born in Hungary into a family of internationally renowned filmmakers and joined the film industry in 2000, after a career as a journalist. With her company Librecine, based in Hungary and Uruguay, Anna has produced a number of documentary films, plus cross-platform and arts content for the international market.SAM MILDNER – is a London based filmmaker, who runs the production company Dog Button with his creative partner, Jan Hillman. Their first feature, BITTER SUITE is now in pre-production; it's a low-budget funny relationship movie... that isn't a rom-com.
MERIEL PAISLEY – is a comedy TV development producer, working primarily with new performers, writers and directors. She recently completed the postgraduate diploma in script development at the NFTS, and reads scripts for Channel 4 and the BBC.
USAYD YOUNIS - In 2010, Usayd produced and directed his first investigative documentary-film, THE TWO WORLDS. He created a dynamic, interactive website for the launch of the film. In addition to working as the technical director for production company Back Door Productions (at Pinewood Studios), Usayd has produced a variety of corporate short films for charity Turn2Us, exploring issues ranging from fuel poverty to the stigmas surrounding welfare benefits.
ZEENA ZAKARIA – Zeena read Economics and Politics at Goldsmiths College. Prior to pursuing an MA in Filmmaking, Zeena worked as a photographer’s assistant at Willie Nash Photography and made video-art installations exhibited in galleries as part of the visual arts collective DOOM. She has made several music videos for the band Maria and the Mirrors. At the London Film School, she has produced several shorts including a graduation film by Christina Prgomet, SEAMS.
FRANCESCO ZIBELLINI - After a long career as a manager, Francesco entered the film industry in 2010 and he is now a screenwriter and script editor. In Italy he collaborated with a renowned screenwriter, Elvio Porta, on several projects for RAI and other producers. In Spain he performed script editing and product placement consultancy for the feature film LIMITE 15-M (Beniwood Group Film Production) and for RIESGO CAPITAL (Tornasol Group). Francesco is currently working on the funding for the documentary ONEGIRL produced by Webra Multimedia in the UK.
Five months after the first FFP programme, Farhana Bhula, one of the producers, had shot BONOBO, her first feature. She says:
“As a direct result of this programme, I feel extremely comfortable talking about EIS and legal frameworks, I am confident about building a team, and more importantly carving out a personal identity as a producer. Since completing the programme, I have raised my entire budget on an EIS - with the help of lawyers who also mentored us - and gone into production. There is no way I would have had the courage or knowledge to do this so swiftly and convincingly without the training I received at LFS.”
The programme leader is Emma Hayter, a highly experienced producer, financier and trainer. Emma has added to the FFP pool of contributors: producer Nick Brown (Neal Street Films), financier Bill Allen, lawyers Keith Northrop and Carlo Dusi, editor Sean Barton, distributor Jezz Vernon (Metrodome), DOP Simon Kossoff, producer Chris Curling (Zephyr Films) and director Aisling Walsh. Also scheduled to contribute are award winning writer, producer and director (LFS alumnus) Ludi Boeken, and Linda Bruce, Line Producer. The thirteen participants will also have an opportunity to produce an LFS Graduation Film.
Says Archie Tait, LFS Head of Projects, “Feature film producers come from all areas of the film, TV and entertainment industries, and from all walks of life. There is no typical CV, no typical age, or cultural background. The UK film industry needs all kinds of producers, making all kinds of films. It is producers who make the weather for the industry, and their imaginative, creative and entrepreneurial efforts create the work and opportunities for all the other craftsmen and women working in it. We welcome this year’s new producers to Fast Forward Producing 2014 and we look forward to the movies they will make in the future.”
For further information on Fast Forward Producing visit lfs.org.uk/workshops/lfs-workshops/255/fast-forward-producers-programme.
The London Film School is grateful to the Creative Skillset Film Skills Fund for its support of Fast Forward Producing.
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- Emma Hayter and all course leaders are available for comment and interview, for images and spokespeople contact Lydia Penke '; // --> tel. 020 7836 9642 x234 or Archie Tait '; // --> 020 783 9642 x226.
- For more information on The London Film School contact LFS Head of Press and Marketing: Kate Hughes '; // --> tel. 020 7836 9642 www.lfs.org.uk
- The London Film School
Founded in 1956, LFS is one of the world's longest established graduate filmmaking schools. It is constituted as an international conservatoire with 70% of its MA Filmmaking students coming from outside the UK. The School produces around 170 films a year, including work for the five teaching exercises on the MA Filmmaking. The School also offers an MA degree in Screenwriting, an MA degree in International Film Business and a PhD programme with the University of Exeter, and around 50 Continuous Professional Development courses each year as ‘LFS Workshops’.The school is the most active in Europe with post-graduation teaching partnerships, including The Low Budget Film Forum, Making Waves and Serial Eyes.
LFS graduates are established in film and television production in more than eighty countries. Associates include world-renowned filmmakers Mike Leigh, Michael Mann, Tak Fujimoto, Roger Pratt, Ueli Steiger, Iain Smith, Duncan Jones, Horace Ove, Ho Yim, Danny Huston, Franc Roddam, Brad Anderson, Ann Hui, Marius Holst, Oliver Hermanus and Bill Douglas, as well as the film historian David Thomson and the playwright Arnold Wesker.
LFS is one of three Creative Skillset Film Academies, postgraduate institutions approved by the UK film industry as centres of excellence
