The seven Northern Ireland women who have been selected for the Women in Film and TV (WFTV) pioneering new mentoring scheme for Northern Ireland, sponsored by Netflix, were announced yesterday (Wednesday 11 March) at The Mac, Belfast.
The chosen mentees in this year’s scheme are:
- Niamh Minihan, producer, Alleycats
- Karen Donnelly, freelance producer
- MilèneFegan, director and producer, Waddell Media
- Margaret McGolderick, director and producer, Causeway Pictures
- Órfhlaith Ní Chearnaigh, producer, director and writer, Doubleband Films
- Grace Sweeney, freelance producer and director
- Dee Harvey, freelance writer and VR creator
They will be mentored by film and TV industry creative leaders including Netflix’s Director of Original Documentary Kate Townsend; Derry Girls creator and writer Lisa McGee; renowned Game of Thrones producer Mark Huffam; Waddell Media’s MD Jannine Waddell; Channel 4’s Head of Factual Danny Horan; BBC 3 Controller Fiona Campbell and film distributor; and marketing consultant Julia Short. This new innovative mentoring scheme is designed to help local women working in TV and film to take the next crucial step in their career.
I am delighted that Netflix is sponsoring this inaugural scheme which will help to develop the skills and talent of Northern Irish women working in the creative industry sector.
Kate Townsend, Director of Original Documentary – Netflix
We are incredibly grateful to Netflix for their support which has made it possible for us to run this innovative scheme. The training and mentoring provided by WFTV has proved to be industry-leading. We’ve achieved tremendous results over the years with our London based scheme and are really looking forward to assisting these talented Northern Ireland women reach the next level in their career.
Liz Tucker, Chair – WFTV UK
We are delighted that WFTV has chosen to launch their first mentoring scheme outside of London in Northern Ireland – recognising the huge success of our women working in the film and TV industry here. It was a tough task selecting just seven mentees and we hope to be in a position to offer more places in the coming years.
Sarah McCaffrey, Mentoring Scheme Producer – WFTV NI