Press Release
DIRECTORS UK ANNOUNCES ITS FIFTH ANNUAL DIRECTORS’ FESTIVAL
6 June 2018
Directors UK, the professional association for British screen directors, is pleased to be hosting its fifth annual Directors’ Festival on Saturday 7th July 2018.
The one-day event is Directors UK’s annual celebration of the craft of screen directing, making this the only event curated by directors, for directors, about directing film and TV, and beyond.
The festival will be highlighting the director’s roles during the process from pitching to post-production, with a host of established industry influencers and talent, showcasing advances in technology, and sharing knowledge and expert advice as part of a range of panel discussions, Q&A sessions and demonstrations.
The programme this year will include sessions on working with actors, working with SFX, factual story-telling, branding, the impact of AI story-telling, and more.
Our past events have included of some of the UK’s most high-profile film directors, such as Michael Apted (The World is not Enough), Brian Helgeland (Legend), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables, The King’s Speech), Amma Asante (Belle, A United Kingdom), Sarah Gavron (Suffragette), Oliver Parker (The Importance Of Being Earnest), Gurdiner Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Viceroy’s House), Stephen Frears (Florence Foster Jenkins), Mandie Fletcher (Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie), Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), Roger Graef (Monty Python: The Meaning of Life, The Secret Policeman’s Ball), as well as leading TV directors such as Steve Smith (The Graham Norton Show), Liz Clare (The Jonathan Ross Show), Peter Kosminsky (Wolf Hall), Nikki Parsons (Strictly Come Dancing), Bill Anderson (Mr Selfridge), Alex Holmes (House of Saddam), Norma Percy (Inside Obama’s White House), Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie), and more.
Participating directors will have the rare opportunity of providing a candid insight into their work and experiences, from past projects, practices on set, methods and tips for directing and more. Delegates will be able to attend sessions packed with tips and knowledge to help develop their craft.
Directors UK Chair and Multi-camera director, Steve Smith commented: “We’re extremely pleased to be able to host the Directors’ Festival again this year. The Festival remains committed to the support and development of directing talent, across the UK – it was created to highlight and celebrate the work directors do, help provide insights and opportunities to develop their craft, as well as develop new skills and network with peers. At Directors UK we will continue to champion the work and role of directors, whilst providing a platform to inspire and encourage each other regardless of genre, age, gender or race.”
Directors UK is pleased to welcome back ARRI, the industry-leading camera manufacturer, as official sponsors of at this year’s event.
Full session details and panellists will be announced very soon. Food and drink will be provided throughout the day.
The Directors’ Festival is for Directors UK members – To book your free place and for additional information, visit the website www.directors.uk.com.
Professional directors who are not already members of Directors UK are encouraged to get in touch at [email protected] to find out how to join.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
ABOUT DIRECTORS UK
· Directors UK is the professional association of UK screen directors. It is a membership organisation representing the creative, economic and contractual interests of over 6,500 members - the majority of working TV and film directors in the UK. Directors UK collects and distributes royalty payments and provides a range of services to members including campaigning, commercial negotiations, legal advice, events, training and career development. Directors UK works closely with fellow organisations around the world to represent directors’ rights and concerns, promotes excellence in the craft of direction and champions change to the current landscape to create an equal opportunity industry for all.
· Further information and a copy of the new contract terms can be found at www.directors.uk.com
· To become a member of Directors UK for access to training, benefits and discounts, please visit www.directors.uk.com/join or contact us directly at [email protected]
· Directors UK Social Media handle: @Directors_UK
· ARRI is the industry-leading provider of technology and services for motion picture, television and commercials productions. ARRI’s ALEXA digital camera system is behind Oscar-winning movies such as The Revenant and Birdman, and is ubiquitous on the sets of blockbuster feature films worldwide. ALEXA is also the camera of choice for countless television productions, with 28 of the top 30 UK dramas having been shot on ALEXA, from Doctor Who and Sherlock to Victoria, Poldark, Cold Feet, Call the Midwife, Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones and more.