Five female documentary makers are to develop talent-fronted films after collectively receiving £40,000 in grants from this year’s Pat Llewellyn Bursary fund.
Run by Women in Film & TV and sponsored by the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, All3Media and the Welsh government, the award is named in honour of the late Optomen boss and is open to any female film-maker regardless of their experience.
The 2021 cohort has been announced as last year’s winners continue to work on projects delayed by Covid-19. Each will be assigned a mentor.
This year’s quintet are:
Eirlys Bellin (£10,000)
Bellin is working with presenter Katy Marks on her project and has recently produced a trio of presenter-led S4C shows from Cardiff-based indie Hall of Mirrors, including Sir Gareth Edwards: the Collection, Jason Mohammed: Ely Riots and How Not To Be Lonely, fronted by Myfanwy Alexander. She is currently producing the indie's single doc for UKTV channel W: Myleene Klass: Miscarriage & Me.
Caitlin Kelly (£10,000)
Kelly, who is also based in Wales, will present her own documentary. She has held a number of junior industry roles since gaining her MA in television journalism from UCL in 2019, including working as a researcher for director Mark Cousins, a runner for post-house Deluxe, on a work placement for BBC3 and as an intern for indie New Black Films.
Natasha Jarvis (£10,000)
Jarvis is working with disabled presenter and model Chelsey Jay, who is director of disability at fashion industry campaigner Models of Disability. Jarvis has directed Renegade Pictures’ Channel 5 returner Our Yorkshire Farm and has been an AP on Label1’s BBC2 series Hospital, Screenhouse Productions’ BBC1 series Civilisations and Daisybecks’ Channel 5 show The Yorkshire Vet.
Lauren York (£6,000)
York is teaming with presenter Alex Collins for her project, through her newly-established Leeds-based indie Art of Truth. For the past nine years, York has run UK Locations, a locations agency covering Central and Northern England.
Matilda Hay (£4,000)
Hay’s project will be presented by Scottish-Nigerian climate advocate Eunice Olumide. Hay’s AP credits include Shine TV’s Hunted and Celebrity Hunted for Channel 4, Summer Films’ Don’t Call Me a Racist for BBC3 and Wingspan’s Opiods film for BBC2’s Horizon. Most recently, she was a shooting producer on October Films’ Deliveroo: Secrets of Your Takeaway for C4’s Dispatches.
