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
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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.