Always On Film

Join Immi, Kitty and Lou for another episode, this time chatting to the incredible Clare Binns, Creative Director of Picturehouse. From starting out as an usher at the Ritzy Cinema to becoming one of the most influential voices in UK cinema, Clare’s journey is one of passion, community and an unwavering love for film, culminating in her receiving a BAFTA for Outstanding Contribution to Cinema. We chat to Clare about her love of international film, the power of cinema to bring people and communities together, and her work championing the next generation of filmmakers through initiatives such as Picturehouse Create. Tune in to hear Clare’s journey through film...

Join Immi, Kitty and Lou for another conversation, this time with the brilliant Caris Rianne. From growing up with a love of film and the escapism it offered, while often feeling like she didn’t quite belong, to founding Rianne Pictures and the now BAFTA-qualifying Women X Film Festival, Caris has carved out a career built around creating space, opportunity and connection through film. In this episode, we chat to Caris about her journey so far: the power of championing women and underrepresented voices, the empowerment that can come from saying no, and the importance of building meaningful film opportunities beyond London. Tune in to hear Caris’ journey through film…

Welcome back for Season 2! We’re so happy to have you with us for another season. To kick things off, Immi, Kitty and Lou are taking you through some of the key female figures who have shaped the film industry, from Alice Guy-Blaché, widely recognised as the first recorded female film director, and her groundbreaking film La Fée aux Choux (The Cabbage Fairy), all the way to Kathryn Bigelow’s history-making Oscar win and the influential women making their mark today. We’ll be exploring their stories, achievements and the barriers they broke along the way, celebrating the women who have helped shape film as we know it. Watch La Fée aux Choux (The Cabbage Fairy) here: https://youtu.be/-Ewo-jcNYRI?si=QClFB__SA7sUDlkn , and find our research resources below: Immi’s Section: BFI Article https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/female-gaze-100-overlooked-films-directed-by-women? AFI Article https://www.afi.com/news/alice-guy-blache-afi-catalog-spotlight/ Harvard Gazette Article https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2003/11/radcliffe-fellow-explores-early-female-film-pioneers/? Science Institute Article https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/where-are-my-children-public-health-in-the-movies/? AFI Catalog https://catalog.afi.com/Film/14392-WHERE-ARE-MY-CHILDREN?cp=1&pos=0&sid=ee081118-cfbe-423f-86f6-f88b70537736&sr=4.887564& BFI Article https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/where-begin-with-early-women-filmmakers? BFI Player https://player.bfi.org.uk/rentals/film/watch-the-marvellous-mabel-normand-the-leading-lady-of-film-comedy-2018-online AFI Article https://www.afi.com/news/mabel-normand-afi-catalog-spotlight/? UCLA Article https://cinema.ucla.edu/touring-series/directed-by-dorothy-arzner-tour-2003/ Harvard Article https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2003/11/radcliffe-fellow-explores-early-female-film-pioneers/? Kitty’s section: Bechdel Test Online https://bechdeltest.com Alison Bechdel interview on the origins of the test https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/02/alison-bechdel-test-dykes-to-watch-out-for-cartoonist-interview Lou’s section: The Celluloid Ceiling - 28th Edition https://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-Celluloid-Ceiling-Report.pdf USC Annenberg - 2024 was a historic year for women in film https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/2024-was-historic-year-women-film USC Annenberg - DEI is DOA: Hollywood’s lack of progress toward inclusion https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/dei-doa-hollywoods-lack-progress-toward-inclusion USC Annenberg - Was 2023 the year of the woman director? Survey says… no https://annenberg.usc.edu/news/research-and-impact/was-2023-year-woman-director-survey-says%E2%80%A6-no

In our second episode from the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, we present two engaging conversations around Lunar Sway, a striking feature that celebrated its world premiere at the festival. We’re joined by writer-director Nick Butler, who reveals how the script came together in just a week and was brought to life in an ambitious 20-day shoot, alongside lead actors Noah Parker and Liza Weil, who star as Cliff and Marg. A dark comedy, the film follows Cliff, a lonely drifter in a desert town whose fragile routine is upended by the arrival of his con-artist birth mother. Across both conversations, we explore the intensity of the fast-paced production, the film’s dreamlike surrealism and its impact on Cliff’s sense of identity, and what it meant for the team to experience the energy of a live audience at its world premiere for the very first time. Check out https://www.cloudypicturesinc.com/ to track all movement and updates on Lunar Sway! *Emily Atef is the director of More Than Ever, the film Liza mentions at 37:22.