LUX, Birds Eye View and Doc Society will be hosting one-to-one surgeries in the Festival Hub throughout the festival. More information on each surgery can be found below. Slots can be booked through the links below from 12:00 on 24 August.

LUX, Thursday 8 September, 13:00-16:30

Benjamin Cook and Hanan Coumal from LUX will be hosting one-to-one surgeries in the Festival Hub. LUX is the UK agency for the support and promotion of artists working with the moving image.

Benjamin Cook, Director
Speak to Ben about developing your practice and new projects, pitching ideas, funding, distribution and exhibition.

Hanan Coumal, Distribution Director
Talk to Hanan about distribution, fundraising strategies, and moving image industry advice.

There are 4 slots available for both Hanan and Ben, and they are 40 minutes long. Book a slot here.

Birds Eye View, Friday 9 September, 11:00-13:00

Melanie Iredale, Director of Birds Eye View, will be hosting 15 minute one-to-one surgeries in the Festival Hub. Book a slot here.

Talk to Melanie to find out more about #ReclaimTheFrame, about exhibition strategy and developing audiences for your work more broadly, and about carving out space in the industry for women and non-binary filmmakers.

Melanie Iredale (she/her) is director of Birds’ Eye View, a UK-wide charity with a mission to broaden perspectives of the world through cinema, to champion films by women & non-binary creatives, and to create community around them. Working in collaboration with 20+ cinemas in 16 cities across the UK, Birds’ Eye View’s #ReclaimTheFrame project brings audiences together, creating safe spaces for conversation and events around female-led films. Find out more about Birds Eye View here.

Please Note: we are only accepting applications from those who identify as women, as non-binary, or as gender non-conforming in any way, as we have limited slots and would like to prioritise these voices in the Birds Eye View sessions.

Doc Society, Monday 12 September, 15:00-17:00

Sign up for a friendly, 15 minute surgery with the BFI Doc Society team to find out about BFI Doc Society National Lottery funding and resources for UK independent documentary. We also love to chat with filmmakers about audiences and impact, inclusivity, keeping your project Safe & Secure and ways to cut down on your carbon footprint.

Open to filmmakers of all levels & the doc curious.

BFI Doc Society Fund (features) closes at noon on Friday 16 September.

The sessions will be run by:

Shanida Scotland – Head of Film, Doc Society
Talk to Shanida about the BFI Doc Society Fund, Climate Story Fund, any production ponderings and creative storytelling.

Hannah Bush Bailey – BFI Doc Society Film and Production Executive
Talk to Hannah about applying to the Doc Society Fund, Short Film Production, editorial and creative storytelling, budgeting and scheduling and distribution.

Suzanne Alizart – BFI Doc Society Business Affairs Executive
Talk to Suzanne about the BFI Fund process and for informal legal questions and contracts and the BFI Doc Society Fund.

Sandra Whipham – BFI Doc Society Director & Foundation Director
Talk to Sandra about the BFI Doc Society Funds and Doc Society’s wider work plus any editorial tips.

Please only sign up for one slot per project, as this way we can maximise the number of people reached. Book a slot here.