Two student filmmakers from Brunel University London have joined Screencraft Work’s first cross-border mentorship programme.
The scheme aims to enrich the careers of marginalised production and post-production craft talent.
In this first programme, eleven UK-based mentees – including Brunel’s Julia Chreptowicz and Shaunak Soni – have been matched with eleven volunteer mentors from another country, based on their aspirations for career and personal growth.
With a focus on those craft roles that can be conducted remotely, the first mentoring group centres on the disciplines of editor, post-production sound and production management, and includes freelancers, people wishing to develop a craft business and those seeking cross-department collaboration.
“I am really excited that ScreenCraft Works and Brunel have organised such an amazing opportunity, and I’m grateful to be able to be a part of it,” said film production student Julia Chreptowicz, who will be mentored by Marion Aierle, a senior production manager based in Germany. “I’m looking forward to learning more about the industry from Marion, and about all the great work that she does. This is definitely going to help me in shaping my career as a filmmaker.”
This first mentoring programme received 70 applications to mentor or be mentored from the following countries and/or nationalities: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, England, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Peru, Poland, Romania, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, USA.
Shaunak Soni, who also studies film production and will be mentored by South African sound engineer Stacey-Lee Hellenberg, said: “I am thrilled to have been chosen to be a mentee in such a prestigious scheme. I strongly appreciate the invaluable work that ScreenCraft Works and Brunel are doing to break down borders and provide help and support for those who have been marginalized in the craft skills of the film and television industry.
“Efforts like these make me proud to be a part of the Brunel and ScreenCraft Works communities. Stacey has such a fascinating career and I can’t wait to start learning from her!”
Across the selected applicants, mentees include those who describe themselves as having a disability, being from the LGBTQIA+ community or having caring responsibilities, and are based throughout the UK. The mentees describe a range of cultural, religious and non-belief backgrounds, and over half identify as women.
Niki Ashby, Programme Lead for BA Film Production at Brunel, said: “Julia and Shaunak are valued members of our student cohort and the Brunel Film and TV team are so pleased to see that they have managed to secure themselves places on the mentoring programme.
“The overall response to the launch of the mentoring scheme and the ScreenCraft Works community has been so positive. To see the international film and TV industry coming out and supporting the development of underrepresented talent shows just how needed initiatives like this are. Our mentors have such a wealth of experience and knowledge, and we are excited to start working with them.”
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