Self-isolation and the cancellation of work means that it’s more important than ever to stay in touch with the craft of directing, and the wider directing community.
While we at Directors UK are exploring ways to offer online Career Development opportunities and more for the benefit of our members, on this page we have collected some great resources that are already available from across the web.
From online film festivals and archives of director Q&As to mentoring and career development opportunities, there’s plenty here to explore — and we’ll be updating it regularly with the latest gems that we find.
If you’re looking for advice and resources on coping with Coronavirus from an employment and wellbeing perspective, head to our advice page.
Online Festivals and Events
You can explore XR and immersive art for free with the BFI LFF 2020 expanded strand.
Film Africa 2020 is available to watch online from 30 October to 8 November.
Africa in Motion film festival will be taking place online from 30 October.
SAFAR Film Festival, the only film festival in the UK dedicated to cinema from the Arab World, is now available to watch from home.
The London Indian Film Festival is now available to access online.
Sundance Collab offers masterclasses, resources and events to access online.
The Thessaloniki Film Festival archive is available to watch online.
The BFI have a number of their In Conversation events with directors online, including sessions with Bong Joon Ho, Philippa Lowthorpe, Shola Amoo and Noah Baumbach. You can find them all on their Q&A channel.
BAFTA Guru's On Directing series is also available online and worth a watch — featuring bite-size talks from Wim Wenders, Asif Kapadia, Sarah Gavron and more. Find them on the BAFTA Guru YouTube channel.
Don't forget you can catch up with previous Directors UK events by listening to the Directors UK Podcast, which includes Q&As with Greta Gerwig (pictured), Paul Thomas Anderson, Lulu Wang, Quentin Tarantino and more.
Career Development and Mentoring
ScreenSkills have launched a package of remote and interactive training, online talks and masterclasses with industry leaders to support freelancers in upskilling and staying in touch with industry during these difficult times. All events are free, but places are snapped up quickly, so we recommend following ScreenSkills on social media to hear first about the latest sessions. Find out more about the ScreenSkills training programme.
Field of Vision has announced a new mentoring and consultation programme for the documentary community. Add your name to the waiting list here.
Skills Channel TV offer leadership skills training and one to one coaching.
Futurelearn has dozens of courses on management and leadership, and on creative arts and media.
The Open University offers free courses on a wide range of subjects.
ACAS has free online modules on handling bullying and harassment, conflict resolution, the equality act and mental health (among others).
For tips on negotiation, self-op shooting and applying to schemes, check out the resources available in our Career Development section.
What about something for the kids? Into Film have some great resources film and TV education for children.
ScreenSkills have created an online Business Toolkit for freelancers. Find it here.
Community
Editing equipment hire company Salon is offering free tech support to the post-production community working at home during the COVID-19 restrictions. Find out more.
Women in Film & TV have regular online meet-ups, organised on a regional basis. Find out more here.
If you’ve seen any opportunities that you think would be of benefit to Directors UK members, please email us on [email protected].
