Underwire Festival 2013

It’s almost time for the fourth Underwire Film Festival, showcasing the best new female talent in the UK film industry. As someone lucky enough to be on the advisory board for the festival, I’m thrilled to see so many inspiring discussions and remarkable short films that the festival has to offer.

Here are my highlight events for this year’s festival:

• The Bechdel Test: The Ugly Truth – a panel discussion on the representation of women in cinema and the lack of real women on our screens
• Dream Drafters – the Best Writer competition screening, featuring some delightful writing by filmmakers Deborah Haywood, Rose Hendry and Clare Macdonald
• Honest Lies: The Representation of Prostitution in the Cinema – the panel includes Underwire’s Co-founder Gabriella Apicella, who recently produced the film, Honest Lies, based on a story written by a woman previously involved in prostitution
• Celluloid Sculptors – the Best Director competition screening, featuring the talents of Romola Garai, Carla McKinnon and Prano Bailey-Bond
• Why Are So Many Film Festival Directors Women? – a session curated by Kate Taylor that considers the leadership styles and artistic visions projected by those women holding these inspirational roles
• In the Cut – the Best Editor competition screening, which features my good friend, talented animator, Katerina Athanasopoulou, and We Are Not Amused, one of the Secret Monsters films that I produced with artist Vicki Bennett.

This year the festival takes place at the Yard Theatre in Hackney from 19 to 23 November. Roll up, roll up, and get your tickets now!