Raising Films Ireland (RFI) and the National Talent Academy Film & TV Drama (NTAFT) are thrilled to announce the selected mentees for the inaugural Mentorship Programme for Carers in the Screen Industry. 

 

This mentorship programme for writers, directors, and producers was curated to support carers and parents with career and professional development through one-to-one support. 

We recognise the vital contributions that carers and parents make to the creative industries in their professional lives. We aim to create opportunities for them to maintain and return to their careers alongside their caring responsibilities. By providing mentors who have successfully navigated their own careers, our goal is to make the screen industry more inclusive and accessible for carers and parents. 

 

We issued an open call for mentors who would like to participate. We were delighted to announce Anna Mannion, Claire Dix, Christine Molloy, Elaine Walsh, Laura McNicholas and Sarah-Jane Kearns as mentors for applicants of all career levels. 

 

From these applications, our mentors have selected the following individuals to mentor: 

 

  1. BK Pepper is a filmmaker and composer from Dublin. His short film Mír has just received it's world premiere at LA Shorts. Alongside producing film BK has also scored music for feature films and theatre.

  2. Eoin Cleland is a writer/director from Belfast, who specialises in comedy and kids shows.

  3. Fiona Aryan is a director based in Bray, Co. Wicklow. After full time parenting, she retrained in film, recently winning an award at the Bloomsday Film Festival.

  4. Gemma Creagh is a writer/filmmaker who loves telling funny, messy stories for stage and screen.  Her first funded short as a director, Conveyance has just premiered at the Galway Film Fleadh. 

  5. Jane Moriatry is a director from Cork, working across film, TV and theatre. 

  6. Kristina Yee is a writer and director based in Dublin. Her short film Swedish Death premiered at the 2024 Galway Film Fleadh.

  7. Louise Benghazi is a writer and actress based in Dublin. She is passionate about weaving diversity into her narratives, believing that diversity is the heartbeat of storytelling.

  8. Melissa Nolan is a Writer/Producer from Kildare. Currently co-developing her comedy script Waking Ireland.  Participant of Screen Ireland's TV Comedy Spotlight programme.

  9. Orla Murphy is a Writer/Director based in Dublin & Roscommon with two thriller TV series and a feature in development.

  10. Peter Symonds is a writer/producer based in Sligo. He is currently writing short films and setting up a new production company 'Silly Dog Pictures’.

 

All mentor and mentee partnerships have been established and will continue until the end of 2024.

Due to the high number and standard of applications, which indicates the need for opportunities like this, we hope to run this scheme again in 2025. 

Raising Films Ireland and the National Talent Academy Film & TV Drama extend a heartfelt thank you to the mentors who have stepped up to support this scheme.  

 

Further Information: 

 

For any questions, please email eibh.collins@nationaltalentacademies.ie 

Raising Films Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to challenge, at a structural level, the demands that the film and television industry makes on parents and carers. The organisation aims to provide information, education and solutions with a focus on: 

  • Encouraging industry-wide adoption of flexible working and access to child and/or elder care. 
  • Formalising a way to combat discrimination. 
  • Normalising conversations around caring commitments with employers. 

 

Find out more about Raising Films Ireland on their WEBSITE. 

 

The National Talent Academy for Film and TV Drama is an initiative of Screen Ireland managed by Ardán