Film / News
Cables & Cameras announces free five-week workshop for aspiring documentary filmmakers
Anyone who’s observed structural inequalities in the film industry over decades could be forgiven for a certain cynicism at the enthusiasm with which organisations recently slapped smug messages in support of Black Lives Matter on their websites, having done nothing themselves to promote inclusivity since the last outpouring of fine words. Or, in the polite officialise used by the British Film Institute in a report that was published four years ago: “There is . . . little to suggest that these interventions have to date had any success at addressing the underlying causes of inequality or the existence of barriers to equal participation.”
That BFI report used the memorable phrase “pandemic lack of inclusion” to describe the film industry’s UK employment practices. Among other findings, it revealed that just 3% of the film production workforce come from a black and minority ethnic background, compared with 12.5% nationally. A “culture of nepotism” was blamed for this widespread exclusion, presenting “significant obstacles” to anyone from such a background hoping to gain a foothold in the industry.
Over the last three years, Bristol’s Cables & Cameras has set out to avoid the usual unproductive hand-wringing by providing a support network and becoming an advocate for people of colour in Bristol’s independent film community. Its latest initiative is DOC2DOC 2022 – a free five-week programme for aspiring documentary filmmakers who are in the early stages of developing their skills. It’s open to anyone over the age of 18, particularly those who are under-represented in the industry.
Participants can expect talks, workshops and panel discussions, development sessions with industry professionals, mentoring, peer-to-peer sharing and film screenings. The course runs in February and April, but the deadline for applications is February 3. Go here for an application form.
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