Documentary filmmaking has never been an easy career choice for parents and carers, but the pandemic has added even more stress to the equation.
For this event we were joined by Jessica Levick, producer and co-founder of Raising Films, whose mission is to support, promote and campaign for parents and carers in the UK screen sector, and filmmaker Manjinder Virk.
We discussed some of the problems faced by parents and carers across the UK and look at some of the solutions that could help filmmakers and those considering entering the industry.
About Raising Films
Raising Films’ mission is to support, promote and campaign for parents and carers in the UK screen sector. We call on the UK screen sector to recognise the value of its parent and carer members and ensure that the best possible working practices are available to them. Since 2015 Raising Films has been carrying out groundbreaking research, building an online community, running training programmes, publishing resources and awarding the Raising Films Ribbon for best practice.
About Jessica Levick
Jessica Levick is an independent producer working across both fiction and documentary. Her first feature, the critically acclaimed BFI funded feature documentary Personal Best directed by Sam Blair (Keep Quiet, Make us Dream) was theatrically released in the UK by Verve Pictures in 2012. A graduate of the National Film and TV School Producing MA, she has produced a number of award winning music videos and short films, and her latest short film Saturday premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2015. Jessica is a co-founder of the parents and carers organisation, Raising Films.
About Manjinder Virk
Manjinder Virk (Actress/Filmmaker), originally from Coventry, started acting at the city’s Belgrade Youth Theatre before studying Contemporary dance at De Montfort University in Leicester. Manjinder has worked extensively in TV, film and radio including starring in Neil Biswas’ award winning drama, Bradford Riots (Channel 4), the lead in Peter Kosminsky’s BAFTA-winning drama Britz with Riz Ahmed and the lead in Clio Barnard’s genre-defying film, The Arbor which led to her Best Actress and Best Newcomer nominations at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA). Since then, she has had regular roles in Monroe (ITV), Ordinary Lies (BBC), Midsomer Murders (ITV) and Jack Dee’s Bad Move (ITV). Manjinder is also an award-winning writer and director. She has made several short films. Her short film, Out of Darkness (premiered at BFI London film festival), starring Tom Hiddleston and Noma Dumezweni, won her the Best of Festival and Best Drama at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival. She made a short doc over lockdown about her friend recovering from COVID-19 called 23 days. She is currently in development with her first feature film, Things We Never Said with producers, Ivana Mackinnon and Emily Leo and the BFI.
