MODERN FILMS AND THE KERING FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE FINALISTS FOR SHORT FILM INITIATIVE: 16 DAYS 16 FILMS

Inspired by the UN Women campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, 16 DAYS 16 FILMS is a short film initiative that focuses on filmed content addressing violence against women.

Today Modern Films, in partnership with The Kering Foundation, are pleased to announce the 16 finalists and the jury members. 

16 Days 16 Films is now returning for a second year and will run online from 25 November to 10 December, between International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and International Human Rights Day. 

One finalist film will be released per day throughout the 16 Days of Activism, 25 November – 10 December, in order to raise awareness of gender-based violence through the power of cinema and to push for change and accountability. The films will be shown on both Modern Films and the Kering Foundation online platforms, and will also be shared by the specialist organisations NGOs Chayn Italia and En avant toute(s), as well as the campaign UK Says No More. 

The campaign will conclude with a special screening of all 16 films with an awards presentation on 16 December in London.  

Our independent jury will choose the winning filmmaker and two runners-up, with each of the three receiving a prize. The first-place winner will also receive the opportunity to create a new public service announcement for UK Says No More.

“We are proud to support female filmmakers and their powerful stories that shed light on the complexities and prevalence of violence against women worldwide. Covering topics ranging from consent to female genital mutilation to femicide, these 16 films demonstrate how far we have come and yet how far we still have to go to eradicate this violence.”  Céline Bonnaire, executive director of the Kering Foundation

“Our final 16 films present an exciting array of styles, giving voice to powerful stories in imaginative ways. By creating a public platform to profile these films and filmmakers, 16 Days 16 Films aims to amplify the reach of their stories and the vital issues raised, while encouraging and celebrating new and emerging female voices.” Johanna von Fischer, Producer 16 Days 16 Films.

The 16 finalists: 

CALLING HOME directed by Jade Jackman

FRANCA directed by Antonella Barbera and Patrizia Fazzi

FUTURIST WOMEN directed by Eelyn Lee

I'M LEFT SILENT directed by Daisy Evans 

JEANNE directed by Clémence Peloso

KEDAMONO - THE BEAST directed by Chiara Speziale and Antonella Fabiano

KEEPSAKE directed by Helena Coan 

LAST LEG directed by Ella Bennett 

NAKED LINKS directed by Juliette Saint-Sardos

RÈSCE LA LUNE directed by Giulia Di Battista and Gloria Kurnik

THE THIRD SORROW directed by Myriam Raja

SURF GIRLS JAMAICA directed by Lucy Jane and Joya Berrow

THE WARIA OF JAVA directed by Ana Gonzalez

UNCUT- WOMEN'S WAR AGAINST FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATIONS directed by Emanuela Zuccala and Simona Ghizzoni 

WAVES directed by Jessie Ayles

WOMXN directed by Adrien Gystere Peskine and Eden Tinto Collins

Our jury will include Actress Thandie Newton, Director Alice Winocour, Executive Director of the Kering Foundation Celine Bonnaire, Creative Director Modern Films Betty Aldous, Actress Jodie Whittaker, Broadcaster Edith Bowman, Head of Special Projects Obscured Pictures Julie La’Bassiere, Editor in Chief Elle France Katell Pouliquen, Partnerships Manager UKSNM Sarah D’Angelis, Advocate and Activist Marai Larasi.  Further names will be announced.

This year, 16 DAYS 16 FILMS received nearly 150 submissions, with the programme also including entries from France and Italy, along with the UK. All films submitted are 25 minutes or under, directed by female-identifying filmmakers and say something significant about gender-based abuse.

In 2018, 89 films were submitted from UK filmmakers, including newcomers and starring such established names as Lesley Manville. The jury selected Jayisha Patel’s Circle (first prize), Miranda Stern’s Everybody’s Business (second) and Fiona Compton’s Silence, (third). 

16 DAYS 16 FILMS takes place in association with UK Says No More which is a national campaign focused on raising awareness and preventing domestic abuse and sexual violence in the UK. 

“UK SAYS NO MORE recognises that gender based violence impacts us all and everyone has a role to play to end domestic abuse and sexual violence. Film is a powerful medium to convey awareness and transport us through a journey of understanding. The 16 Days 16 Films competition connects filmmaker's stories to the audience, inspiring them to be a part of our community-wide response and enabling those closest to victims to feel confident to believe, respond and refer to specialist services effectively.” Lyndsey Dearlove, Head of UK SAYS NO MORE

Local partners in Italy are Chayn Italia and En Avant toute (s) in France.

For more information please visit:

www.16days16films.com

www.modernfilms.com/16days16films

www.KeringFoundation.org

Facebook: @modernfilms / @Keringgroup / @16days16films

Instagram: @16days16films / @Kering_official

Twitter: @16days16films / @KeringforWomen

For further press information please contact:

For Modern Films

PREMIER: Elizabeth Taylor / Charlotte Moore / Jamie Rushden 

Tel: + 44 20 7292 8330 / Email: firstname.surname@premiercomms.com

For Kering Foundation

Juliette Jacovidis +33 (0)6 48 49 83 15 - juliette.jacovidis@jaycommunication.com

Mélanie Japaud +33 (0)6 59 47 29 43 - melanie.japaud@jaycommunication.com 

Following the successful launch in 2018, Modern Films announce the return of the short film initiative 16 DAYS 16 FILMS supported by a new partnership with The Kering Foundation.

Inspired by the UN Women campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence, 16 DAYS 16 FILMS is a short film initiative that focuses on new filmed content addressing these issues.

Launched in 2018 by Modern Films in association with UK Says No More, a national campaign focused on raising awareness, and preventing domestic abuse and sexual violence in the UK; 16 Days 16 Films is now returning for a second year and will run online from the 25 November to 10 December, between International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and International Human Rights Day. New for 2019, Modern Films is pleased to announce a ground-breaking partnership with The Kering Foundation.

Established in 2008, the Kering Foundation is dedicated to combatting violence against women. By making this crucial mission the focus of every action and mobilisation campaign over the past decade, the Foundation has become a pioneer and leader to others on the road to change.

Modern Films was set up in 2017 as a female-led, social issues-driven film production, distribution and event cinema company, working on alternative models to bringing new and inspiring content to diverse audiences across various viewing platforms.

Last year, 89 films were submitted from UK filmmakers, including newcomers and starring such established names as Lesley Manville. The films were curated down to 16 finalists, where each were streamed for 24 hours only over a 16-day period. The entirety of the programme was then screened at the Channel 4 screening room, where the jury selected Jayisha Patel’s Circle (first prize), Miranda Stern’s Everybody’s Business (second) and Fiona Compton’s Silence, (third).

This year, the submissions net will expand to include France and Italy, while the UK will continue to be the hub of activity. Again, 16 short films will be selected and released each day of the 16 Days of Activism, supporting the goal to raise awareness of gender-based violence through the power of cinema and to push for change and accountability. 

The film awards will be deliberated by a select jury and announced at a screening event in London in December. The winning filmmaker and two runners-up will each receive a prize, while the first-place winner will also receive the opportunity to create a new public service announcement for UK Says No More.

Winner announced for 16 Days 16 Films - Dec 2018

Winner announced for first ever UK female film competition on gender violence

Modern Films and UK Says NO MORE, a national campaign to end domestic abuse and sexual violence facilitated by charity Hestia, have announced ‘Circle’ as winning film of the ‘16 Days 16 Films’ competition. The competition was open to female filmmakers to produce short narratives that portrayed gender based violence in the world of work. The winning film, directed by Jayisha Patel, was  chosen as the winner from over 89 submissions by an expert panel including:

 ·   Lyndsey Dearlove, UK SAYS NO MORE 

·    Eve Gabereau, Managing Director Modern films

·    Clare Anyiam-Osigwe, Co-Director of BUFF, BUFF Originals & On Point Communications, Writer, Director, Actor           

·    Lolita Chakrabarti, Actor, Writer 

·    Tessa Collinson, Film & Event Producer

·    Ginta Gelvan, Communications Director, Modern Films

·    Akua Gyamfi, Founder & MD, British Black List             

·    Donna Peberdy, Academic and Senior Lecturer Film & TV, Solent University 

·    Anna Smith, Journalist, Broadcaster, Film Critic, 'Girls on Film' podcast on iTunes 

 ·   Elise Valmorbida, Author, Producer

The winner will receive the opportunity to direct the new UK SAYS NO MORE PSA and along with runner up entries, ‘Everybody’s Business’ directed by Miranda Stern and ‘Silence’ directed by Fiona Compton, will receive a cash bursary.

In the UK 75% of those experiencing domestic abuse are targeted at their place of work with   30% of domestic homicides occur on workplace grounds yet only 12% of people will tell a manager or colleague at work.

“Watching the 16 films reminded me just how vital and relevant this campaign is", Jury Member and film journalist Anna Smith commented. "These creative filmmakers told the heartbreakingly authentic stories of women and men who have been expected to put up with routine abuse. No more. I was also impressed by how many of the filmmakers managed to approach this challenging subject with humour and visually unusual concepts. I’m especially pleased to be supporting this project as my new podcast, Girls On Film, is committed to giving voice to female filmmakers and critics.”

“Modern Films aims to be part of the solution when it comes to gender inequality", said Johanna von Fischer, Audience Development & Impact Campaigns at Modern Films. "Creating a platform where female filmmakers are encouraged to use their voices to engage in such a crucial cause is both exciting and important to us. We believe a competition that offers a working opportunity to a new or emerging filmmaker, might help give her the profile to take next steps and further develop her career.”

Lyndsey Dearlove, Head of UK Says NO MORE at Hestia, said, “We created this annual competition to celebrate the vital role that filmmakers and the industry plays in creating the societal narrative towards domestic abuse and sexual violence. These filmmakers have explored these issues with honesty and integrity and each film provides an opportunity for the viewer to understand the impact of abuse and violence, on both the victim and their children.” 

 Interviews are available with winning filmmakers and organisers

-Ends-

For further information contact:

Josh McLean, Communications Coordinator, Hestia                                      

 josh.mclean@hestia.org     07845 555 995

Johanna von Fischer | johanna@modernfilms.com  | 07790 153772 

Notes to Editors:

About MODERN FILMS:                                                                                                     

Modern Films is a London-based, female-led film production, distribution and event cinema company, working with rising and established talent from around the world and bringing innovative stories to global audiences. We focus on creating connections between content, context and curation, with a particular emphasis on pressing social issues of our time expressed through the power of cinema and cultural expression.

Website: www.modernfilms.com

Follow @MODERNFILMSENT on Twitter, Instagram and Modern Films on Facebook.

 About UK SAYS NO MORE:                                                                                                                                UK SAYS NO MORE, a national campaign focused on raising awareness of and preventing domestic abuse and sexual violence. The campaign is facilitated by London charity Hestia and delivered in partnership with 330 organisations, charities, community groups and Parliamentarian Champions across the UK, who are all working together to bring an end to domestic abuse and sexual violence. UK SAYS NO MORE unites and strengthen a diverse community of members of the public and organisations nationwide to actively take a stand against domestic violence and sexual assault under one powerful, visual symbol. The campaign provides open-source tools and resources for individuals and organisations to take action and get involved in ending domestic violence and sexual assault. Together we are challenging the myths and misconceptions around these issues, sharing resources and information, and ultimately working together to make real positive change.

Website: www.uksaysnomore.org

Follow @UKSAYSNOMORE for updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

About Hestia

At Hestia, we support adults and children across London in times of crisis. Last year we worked with more than 9,000 people including women and children who have experienced domestic abuse, victims of modern slavery, young care leavers and older people. From giving someone a home to helping them to get the right mental health support, we support and enable people at the moment of crisis.

Hestia is the largest provider of domestic abuse refuges in London and last year we supported 3,657 people to recover from the trauma of domestic abuse including 668 children. We provide families refuge accommodation, dedicated children and family support, IDVA (Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates) and MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Centre) support and community group support.

www.Hestia.org     @Hestia1970

About ’16 Days’                                                                                                                 

The 16 Days 16 Films competition was created to showcase the incredibly powerful films that are made by passionate film makers and survivors of abuse each year. UK SAYS NO MORE and Modern Films have shared a film for 24hours on their platforms, on each of the 16 Days.

The competition was inspired by 16 Days of Activism, an international campaign by United Nations to end violence against women and girls from the 25 November to 10th December each year. This year’s theme was 2018 theme ‘End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work’ and many of the films refer to or reflect the impact of these experiences. 

16 Days 16 Film Launch - Sept 2018

ENTRIES NOW OPEN FOR UK FEMALE FILM MAKERS TO END GENDER- BASED VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE.  

MODERN FILMS JOINS UK SAYS NO MORE FOR 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM COMPETITION. 

Modern Films in partnership with UK SAYS NO MORE, a national campaign facilitated by London charity Hestia to end domestic abuse and sexual violence, is holding an open call to female filmmakers in the UK to submit short films inspired by 16 Days of Activism against Gender based Violence’s 2018 theme ‘End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work.’ 

The competition will showcase 16 films to be selected by a nomination panel of industry experts with one film being released online each day during 16 Days of Activism. The final day will host a special screening of all 16 films at a central London on Tuesday December 11th, with one winning filmmaker and two runners up receiving a prize and the winner also receiving the opportunity to create the new UK SAYS NO MORE public service announcement.

Films should be up to 5 minutes long and can be any genre. The films should explore the theme: ‘End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work’.  

For many people, domestic abuse and sexual violence are often difficult subjects to talk about, despite an estimated 4.5 million women and 2.2 million men experiencing domestic abuse since the age of 16, and 50% of women experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace in England and Wales each year (ONS).

We recognise that domestic abuse and sexual violence is not a female only issue. We are holding an open call to female filmmakers in our first year to help address the gender imbalance in the film industry by actively encouraging and supporting female directors and writers in film. 

Sarah Winterflood, Partnership Manager at UK SAYS NO MORE, Hestia said:

‘Film is a platform that can be used to create real social change. We are especially grateful to have the support of Modern Films to highlight the impact and effect of domestic abuse and sexual violence. These issues are still considered taboo subjects and these films are a great way to start the conversation and highlight the support available.’

Johanna von Fischer, Audience Development at MODERN FILMS said: “At Modern Films we believe in supporting content that addresses the pressing social issues of our times. We want to support the conversation and be a part of the change by giving filmmakers a platform to have a voice and share their stories. We believe a competition like this, that gives a working opportunity to a new or emerging filmmaker, might help give her the confidence and profile to take next steps and further develop her career”

For further information, please visit:

http://uksaysnomore.org/campaign/16daysfilmcompetition/

Contacts: 

Josh Mclean | josh.mclean@hestia.org | 020 7378 3160 | 07845 555995 

Johanna von Fischer | johanna@modernfilms.com  | 07790 153772

About 16 Days of Activism  

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an International campaign to challenge gender violence. The campaign runs every year from 25th November, The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10th December, International Human Rights Day.  Every year, the campaign adopts a new theme. The theme focuses on one particular area of gender inequality and works to bring attention to these issues and makes changes that will have an impact. This year’s theme is ‘End Gender-Based Violence in the World of Work.’ 

About UK SAYS NO MORE  

UK SAYS NO MORE is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness to end Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse. The campaign is a partnership between London-based charity Hestia and NO MORE in the United States. The UK SAYS NO MORE campaign brings together practitioners in the field of domestic violence and sexual assault, corporate partners, celebrities and members of the general public. The campaign seeks to raise visibility, create awareness, encourage conversation, and help break the social stigma surrounding Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse.

Website: www.uksaysnomore.org

Follow @UKSAYSNOMORE for updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

About MODERN FILMS 

Modern Films is a London-based, female-led film production, distribution and event cinema company, working with rising and established talent from around the world and bringing innovative stories to global audiences. We focus on creating connections between content, context and curation, with a particular emphasis on pressing social issues of our time expressed through the power of cinema and cultural expression.

Website: www.modernfilms.com

Follow @MODERNFILMSENT on Twitter, Instagram and Modern Films on Facebook.

About Hestia 

At Hestia, we support adults and children across London in times of crisis. Last year we worked with more than 9,000 people including women and children who have experienced domestic abuse, victims of modern slavery, young care leavers and older people. From giving someone a home to helping them to get the right mental health support, we support and enable people at the moment of crisis.

Hestia is the largest provider of domestic abuse refuges in London and last year we supported 3,657 people to recover from the trauma of domestic abuse including 668 children. We provide families refuge accommodation, dedicated children and family support, IDVA (Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates) and MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Centre) support and community group support.