"Athena was a great experience, a fantastic learning opportunity and I was really impressed with the mentoring aspects which have given me a much clearer idea of my goals and of my career path. It certainly made a big difference to my chances of getting this film made. And following the course the group have continued to meet so we all have a strong network of colleagues and friends to help us on further projects. I can't recommend it highly enough."
Director-Producer Carla Di Bonito

"Athena was a fantastic opportunity to meet and learn from other women
with a passion for film. I would recommend it highly for those who've
been looking to get involved and make shorts, but have been discouraged
for lack of opportunity, knowledge and network contacts. Athena has
given me the confidence to pursue doing what I love most; two months
after the course's completion I'm making my first short for Film
London."
Director-Producer Leslie Ali

"The Athena course equipped me with the necessary tools to plan out my short and gave me a valuable network to bounce ideas off in a supportive
environment. It was really helpful to receive such honest and well meaning
criticism. There were so many great projects in development I can't wait for
all the premieres and look forward to keep in touch with the other
participants in the coming years."
Director-Producer Ali Branley

Course Overview

Athena is a course for women who want to learn about developing and making / producing fiction films. The course provides professional training and support to ensure that the participants have the skills and confidence to make their film to the highest professional standards. The course is supported by Shorts International, BBC Film Network, private members club The Hospital, and solicitors Equal Justice.

Who is it for?

The course is for women who want to learn about the business of filmmaking. The course is aimed at women who either have at least one producer / director credit in related fields (TV documentary/news, TV drama, promos, theatre etc.) or women who have at least two years professional experience in a film or TV company or women who have at least one producer / director credit of an independent short or documentary film.

What is the aim of the course?

The aim is to provide high level tuition and support so that the participants can realise their goals in (a) developing a film concept that may attract finance (b) acquiring skills which will help them make / produce shorts and feature films in the future and (c) strategising their career plan.

How does it work?

The main course component consists of 10 x 2 hour evening sessions held at the Hospital, central London. The sessions cover:

• Establishing aims, what makes a good film
• The business of development
• Working with writers and directors
• Pitching your project
• Film financing
• Pre-production
• Production 1
• Production 2
• Post production
• Sales and festivals

In addition each participant will receive:

• A pre-course talk with the course tutor
• A personal and project development plan at the end of the course
• Feedback on their project from leading film experts Shorts International and the BBC Film Network.
• Temporary (3-month) free access to private member's club The Hospital

The participants will also be given a series of writing tasks in order to help them ready their project for production.

The course is limited to 10 participants.

Main Tutor

The programme will be led by award-winning (Rushes Soho Short Film Festival) and Film London supported producer Emily Man (MERCY). Emily has worked as Head of Development at Catherine Bailey Productions (SPIDER) and is a mentor to the First Light programme sponsored by The UK Film Council. She recently gained a merit in a diploma at the Academy of Executive Coaching and is coaching people across a range of industries at all management levels. She continues to develop feature films through her company Manmade Films.

There will also be a number of guest speakers at the sessions.

Fee

The fee is £ 495. All materials, light refreshments and temporary access to the Hospital is covered in the price.

When

The course starts on 29 May 2008. The 10 sessions run on consecutive Wednesday evenings from 18.30 to 20.30.

Applications

There is a rolling application process with a final deadline of 28 April 2008. Applicants are advised to apply as soon as possible. This will also give applicants more chance of securing bursaries from screen agencies and Skillset before the course start date.

In order to apply, each applicant must send:

• An outline of the project they want to develop
• A development plan for the project
• A CV
• A statement of why you want to take part in the programme (no more than 15 lines please).

Please send all details to applications@initialize-films.co.uk or to:

Initialize Films
Athena - The Business of Filmmaking
15 Southampton Place
London
WC1A 2AJ

For more information on specific training and project development programmes click on the links below:

Screenwriters
Producers
Documentary Filmmakers and Documentary Producers

For all other information see:

Calendar
Newsletter
Training and project development programmes
Consultancy
Networking events
Success stories
About us