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Women in Film and TV (UK) (WFTV) is stepping up its efforts to empower women in the screen industries with the launch of its 2025 Four Nations Mentoring Scheme. Seven spaces on the scheme have been supported through the Screen Alliance North Partnership (SAN) to strengthen Northern screen industry talent.

Designed for mid-career women working in film, television, and creative media, the scheme offers unparalleled opportunities to accelerate careers in an industry where women remain underrepresented in leadership roles.

The scheme brings together over 50 mentees from across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, chosen from hundreds of applicants. Over a six-month program, mentees will benefit from one-to-one mentoring with senior industry professionals, alongside peer-to-peer training and tailored career and personal development workshops.

This year’s mentors feature an impressive roster of industry leaders, including Cecile Frot-Coutaz from Sky, writer and actor Charlie Covell, location manager Emma Pill, Bad Wolf’s Jane Tranter, Quay Street Productions’ Nicola Shindler, Merman’s Rebecca Parkinson, Film Producer Soleta Rogan, Cinematographer Sophie Darlington, Suanne Rochester from Wild Child Animation, Hello-Halo’s Wendy Rattray and Netflix’s Senior Manager for Production Training and Industry Engagement EMEA, Alison Small and Content Creative, Jon Mountague among others.

Netflix continues its valuable support for the Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales schemes through its Fund for Creative Equity, a program dedicated to creating opportunities for underrepresented communities in entertainment. The England scheme is supported by the BBC, Channel 4, EON Productions, Panalux and Panavision, Pinewood, Sara Putt Associates, the Women’s Network at NBC Universal and UKTV; while SAN supports the North of England scheme.

Leading the scheme is WFTV’s Director of Mentoring Sarah Wright, former Group Director of Acquisitions and Sky Cinema, UK & ROI, with Mentoring Producers Hannah Corneck in Wales, Hazel Marshall in Scotland, Helen Bullough in the North of England, and Sarah McCaffrey in Northern Ireland heading up their respective nations.

Sarah Wright said, “I can’t wait to launch WFTV’s 2025 Four Nations Mentoring Scheme. This year we have an incredible line-up of mentors who will inspire and guide our talented cohort of mentees, helping them take their next big career steps in the industry.”

Katie Bailiff, CEO of WFTV, added, “Our Four Nations Mentoring Scheme is a cornerstone of WFTV’s mission to champion and support women in the screen industries. The breadth of experience and expertise among this year’s mentors is truly inspiring, and I’m thrilled to see 51 talented women from across the UK embark on this transformative journey. Mentorship has the power to unlock opportunities and drive meaningful change, and we’re proud to continue fostering growth and representation in the creative sector.”

The Screen Alliance North board, Caroline Cooper Charles, Rob Page, Alison Gwynn and Lynn Saunders commented, “We are thrilled that such a diverse group of talented women from across the North, representing a wide range of skills and professions, have been selected for this initiative. Through Screen Alliance North’s BFI funding and our partners, we have supported seven places as part of our commitment to empowering women in the screen industry. This mentoring scheme will undoubtedly contribute to enriching and strengthening the Northern workforce in the screen sector.”

Anna Mallett, VP Production EMEA, Netflix said, “We are delighted to support Women in Film & TV’s mentoring schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for a third consecutive year. The UK is a creative powerhouse and Netflix is deeply committed to ensuring the UK’s film and TV industry continues to thrive by nurturing the careers of some incredibly talented women right across the country. We are excited to help drive greater representation in the UK creative sector, as we welcome a new cohort of brilliant mentees looking to take the next step of their careers.”

Applications are now open for Indielab’s 2025 TV Accelerator, a programme focused on the future of content for indies in the UK, supported by North East Screen.

As the tenth programme from the acclaimed accelerator specialist, this year’s outing will look at the future of content financing, audience trends and AI and technology, as well as supporting indies to develop their business and commercial skills.

The Indielab TV Accelerator has long been a catalyst for growth and innovation in the television industry, providing high-level briefings, bespoke masterclasses and seminars from top industry leaders. Over the past decade, the programme has helped scripted, non-scripted and digital indies to scale their businesses, achieve significant revenue increases and secure pivotal deals in distribution, finance and investment.

Notable indies who have attended the programme and gone on to achieve success include Goalhanger, True North, Merman, Synchronicity Films, Dare Pictures, Mam Tor, Little Gem, Chalkboard TV, Air TV, Spirit Studios, Zandland and Wall of Entertainment.

Victoria Powell, Founder at Indielab, said: “We’ve long been supporting indie-growth in this industry, helping many of our attendees to conceive and deliver bold and ambitious growth and pivot plans. The sector is changing rapidly, and we’re focused on helping indies change fast with it. This year’s programme is all about the future of content funding, production, audience trends, revenue and monetisation. How can indies make it in 2025 and beyond? If they want to figure out a robust game plan then we can help them get there.”

North East Screen is joining as a funder of the 2025 Accelerator, alongside other key partners Screen Scotland, the BBC and Channel 4, as well as international distributor Banijay Entertainment; top media and entertainment law firm Harbottle & Lewis LLP – the exclusive legal sponsor for the 2025 TV Accelerator; Helion Partners and Nyman Libson Paul LLP.

Lisa Laws, Development Director at North East Screen said: “At North East Screen, we are pleased to add our support to the Indielab TV Accelerator in its tenth year, as part of our commitment to back ambitious and innovative North East companies. Our region is home to an exceptional pool of talent. By working with great initiatives like Indielab, we’re not only nurturing new voices to explore new markets but also investing in the talent that will ensure the North East thrives as a vibrant and sustainable powerhouse for the future screen industry.”

Indielab will start welcoming applications from existing UK early- and mid-stage production companies from today until the application deadline on Friday 7 March. The successful applicants who will make up the 2025 cohort will be announced following the programme launch on Wednesday 23 April 2025.

Click here to find out more and apply.

Newcastle-based production company Northern Child have produced a documentary for Channel 4 Digital’s ‘In Too Deep’ strand, in association with North East Screen.

Plastic, Printed & Deadly follows presenter Snake Denton as he explores the rapidly evolving technology behind 3D-printed firearms, and how accessible the instructions and materials are in the UK.

Lisa Laws, Development Director at North East Screen said: “We welcomed the chance to work with Laura Marks at Channel 4 on this digital first commission. Northern Child, who won the pitch, are an incredibly experienced team who have developed great content and talent since setting up in our region.

“We had full faith that Northern Child would deliver an excellent thought-provoking project that will capture audiences’ attention and spark much needed debate.”

The documentary will be available to stream today (17th of December) from 5pm on YouTube.

North East Screen unveils an exclusive partnership with Media MDs, a recently-launched bespoke agency. The partnership will deliver a ground-breaking programme for creative companies based in the region.

The North East Screen Business Growth Programme combines the strengths of both organisations, and will support company leaders to capitalise on strategic expansion opportunities.

Lisa Laws, Development Director at North East Screen said: “When Media MDs first came to the market, we knew their offering could be of benefit to so many of the creative companies we work with in the region, so it made total sense to partner with them in evolving North East Screen Business Growth Programme. Our companies are already winning more commissions, this transformative initiative will support the North East to become a leading force in the UK’s creative industries.”

Media MDs’ Co-Founders Jane Atkinson and Samantha Lawrence said: “Collaborating with North East Screen allows us to harness and support the region’s exciting talent and ambition. Together, we aim to create a thriving and burgeoning business ecosystem that not only bolsters local growth but also puts the North East on the global map. Jane herself is from Middlesbrough and remains in the region, so is a proud advocate of what is possible with the right ambition, tools and strategic guidance. And we hope this program will assist with just that.” 

Jane Atkinson brings decades of experience in the industry, having led the production teams on such iconic shows as Deal or No Deal, Strictly Come Dancing, and BBC’s major events coverage. As Fremantle’s former Director of Global Production, she oversaw 35 international teams delivering global hits like Got Talent and Too Hot to Handle, with a particular focus on international business models and working with streaming platforms. 

Samantha Lawrence served as Manging Director at Box To Box Films, guiding the company through a period of exponential growth and securing significant investment. Prior to that, she spent seven years at NBCUniversal with 5 of those as Managing Director of award-winning label, Monkey Kingdom. She was MD of Silver River Productions for 10 years before selling it to Sony.

If you’re a North East based indie with a track record of delivering to UK broadcast markets and are looking to grow your business, click here to register your interest.

The closing date for this opportunity is the Friday the 24th of January.

The BBC’s latest comedy, Smoggie Queens, funded by the North East Production Fund, turned Middlesbrough Town Hall pink last week as the iconic building played host to the premiere of the laugh-out-load comedy set on Teesside.

Written and staring Middlesbrough native Phil Dunning, Smoggie Queens is a side-spliting comedy about an LGBTQIA+ group of friends who are fiercely proud of their town and community. Phil plays volatile Dickie, alongside matriarchal drag queen ‘Mam’ (Mark Benton, Waterloo Road, Northern Lights), self-styled hun Lucinda (Alexandra Mardell, Coronation Street), awkward Sal (Patsy Lowe, Vera) and baby gay Stewart (newcomer Elijah Young). They are joined by an impressive supporting cast featuring Michelle Visage (Drag Race UK) and well known Teessiders Steph McGovern (Steph’s Packed Lunch), Charlotte Riley (Peaky Blinders) and Bill Fellows (Coronation Street, Ted Lasso).

The premiere saw cast, crew, North East Screen and BBC stakeholders as well as 500 public guests fill the Town Hall for a preview of episode 1 and 3 before they aired on BBC Three and iPlayer on Thursday 28^th November.

The stars of the show as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community strutted their stuff along the pink carpet speaking to local media outlets and posing for photos. Drag Race UK runner up and Geordie drag queen, Michael Morouli, hosted the event and a Q&A with the cast following the screening.

Filming of Smoggie Queens took place throughout the summer in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Eaglescliffe, with support from North East Screen’s Film Office. A large portion of crew were from the North East and a number of trainees got their first experience of a scripted series via the support of the North East Screen Skills team.

You can watch Smoggie Queens on iPlayer now. Or, catch it on BBC Three on Thursdays at 9pm.