Our Work
Women continue to struggle for representation across the film industry globally. One social barrier particularly affects women, although it applies to everyone: Family vs. Film.
At Raising Films we believe conversations make change happen, and we want things to change. We are losing too much talent to the choice many filmmakers are forced to make, between being a parent and making films. We don’t believe this choice is necessary, but rather a product of social and economic conditions, and we want to start a conversation about how change can be made for filmmakers who want to have a family and continue their careers.
This is about development, sustainability and diversity. Raising Films aims to address one of the issues that prevents many female filmmakers from pursuing their careers, to enable filmmakers with families to keep working and feel supported during demanding times in their personal lives, and to challenge at a structural level the demands the film industry makes of all of us.
Raising Films aims to provide information, education and solutions and our work focuses on:
- Enabling financial assistance for child and elder care.
- Encouraging industry-wide adoption of flexible working and access to child and/or elder care.
- Formalising a way to combat discrimination.
- Normalising conversations around caring commitments with employers.
We put these ambitions into action by working with industry partners and the film and television community and lobby to to ensure these and other solutions are enacted.
Carina White on telling black stories not rooted in trauma
In the first of our series of provocations to mark five years of Raising Films we welcome Carina White from Dope Black Mums on telling black stories not rooted in trauma. Carina is Head [...]
Raising Films reaches its half decade
Today (Thursday 21 May) Raising Films is five! Raising Films was ‘birthed’ in Cannes back in 2015 and the five founders - Nicky Bentham, Hope Dickson Leach, Line Langebek, Jessica Levick and So Mayer [...]
Raising Our Futures
When the current coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis is over, what will the film and TV landscape look like? We’re all living in extraordinary times, where the intersection of our personal and professional lives has never [...]
Raising Films Writer Residencies Spring 2020
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS NOW 9am MONDAY 16 MARCH! Raising Films is seeking to support four writers (either individuals or pairs) by providing a free residency space for the week of Monday 20 to [...]
Casey Herbert on ribbon award production The Last Right
One of our ribbon awards during the summer went to Casey Herbert a producer working on her second feature. Ahead of the release of THE LAST RIGHT we caught up with Casey to look [...]
Caring for crew on a drama production
The latest Raising Films ribbon goes to BBC Scotland drama production GUILT and specifically producer Jules Hussey (Brazen Productions). As an experience producer and line producer across projects like CATHERINE THE GREAT (Sky Atlantic) [...]
Interventions
We Need To Talk About Caring
A survey into caring within the screen industries.
Raising Our Game
Implementing a framework of accountability for parents and carers.
Making It Possible
The first nationwide look into the impact of caring on career development across the industry.
Our MAKING IT POSSIBLE Research & Findings
Respondents were 78% female and 21% male, and the survey observed that women tended to carry more of the burden as carers.
79% of parents and carers told us that their caring labour had a negative impact on their work in the UK film and television industries.
63% of respondents work freelance or are self-employed, and financial uncertainty is a major concern.