In this special episode from the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, Anna Smith hosts a panel discussion on women in leadership within the film industry.

In the third iteration of this panel, Anna is joined by three international industry leaders: Kirsty Bell, CEO of the Oscar-winning production company Goldfinch, international film publicity strategist Mia Farrell and Oscar-nominated producer Rebecca Pruzan. Together, they explore the pathways to landing leadership roles, the skills needed to thrive once there, and the shifting dynamics of gender and race in the film industry.

Kirsty Bell shares her experiences starting Goldfinch as a family business and reflects on directing A Bird Flew In—the first film shot during the pandemic, which pioneered COVID protocols on set. She also highlights the importance of supportive men in her life, and how they’ve played a role in her career.

Mia Farrell offers insights from her career as a publicist, discussing her passion for elevating films through strategic PR, as well as her advocacy for greater diversity in the industry. She tells the audience about the genesis of her impactful Screen Daily article, "Why are so few Black people in positions of power in the arthouse film PR sector?'”. Mia also shares her experiences working on The Dads, a heartfelt documentary on fatherhood and trans youth, directed by Luschina Fisher, and available on Netflix.

Rebecca Pruzan discusses her transition from a career in IT and consultancy to becoming an Oscar-nominated producer. She reflects on the identity politics at play in producing her short film IVALU, highlighting the challenges of navigating cultural sensitivities in storytelling and discussing the reaction to the film on its festival journey.

This episode is in partnership with Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival.

You can find out more about the Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival here: https://www.evolutionfilmfestival.com/tickets

A reminder that you can read a transcript of our episodes on Apple Podcasts by clicking the ‘transcript’ option in settings in the episode description.

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Host: Anna Smith
Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold
Producer: Charlotte Matheson
Intern: Anna Swartz
Audio editor: Benjamin Cook
House band: MX Tyrants

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