The Festival of Media Production 2023

The Department of Media Production and Faculty of Media & Communication at Bournemouth University is piloting an annual event for the media industries, educators, students and public on Dorset’s beautiful South Coast.

Bringing together talent and experience from across the film, TV, online and events sectors, the three days will host talks and panel discussions, presentations of new work and the latest technology, hands-on workshops, and room to rub shoulders with fellow professionals and new talent. Come along and contribute, watch, listen and meet!

The event takes place across Bournemouth University’s Talbot Campus, home to the Poole Gateway Building and its cutting-edge production and post-production facilities.

Free to attend, open to everyone

The free festival is open to staff and students from BU and other HEIs, the public, and to professionals and representatives of industry bodies:

Media professionals: While the Festival celebrates media excellence in general, we are particularly focused on the future of media production, content and talent. Our commitment to inclusive, positive and responsible cultural industries means that the Festival is keen to encourage discussion and debate around positive working, cultural developments in media consumption, and the policies and working practices that underpin change in our industries.
Media employers: Our industries are talent-based and finding the right new talent is a challenge for any employer. The Festival can provide your company with a platform to promote and discuss your organisation’s work and the experience of working with you.
Media researchers: As a university department, we not only develop fantastic new talent for the film, TV, online and events sectors, we actively research new developments in the creative industries and use media methods and technologies to research wider culture and society.

Please note: The below information indicates confirmed contributors at the time of writing.

Our schedule of events

Tuesday 16 May: Open Sesame: Copyright, Creativity and Culture

The Centre for Intellectual Property Policy and Management presents Open Sesame - Copyright, Creativity and Culture. There are many ways in which archival content can be unlocked thereby opening doors to new creative opportunities. The event will include a screening of a film produced by Dr Claudy Op den Kamp (Principal Academic in Film) – The Shadow Line – which was made whilst she was a Kluge Fellow at the Library of Congress during January – August 2022. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Dr. Op den Kamp, hosted by Prof. Dinusha Mendis. For confirmed speakers see here.

Time: 2pm to 5pm

Location: Share Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus

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Tuesday 16 May: Meet the Makers

In the evening, creative professionals talk about their work and careers, from editing and producing to photography and directing. We are delighted to be joined by First Assistant Editor Nicola Matiwone who, in the seven years since graduating from Bournemouth University, has worked on films directed by Mike Leigh, Steve McQueen, Terence Davies and Martin McDonagh. Dan Pringle, Director at White Lantern Film, will be recounting the challenges of not only directing but developing projects in light of the ‘A Patriot’ court case. Social-commentary photographer Jordi Barreras, Love Island production team member, Kassia Wall, and White Lantern Production Manager Jeremy Miller are also confirmed

Time: 6pm to 9pm

Location: Share Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus

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Tuesday 16 May: Virtual Production demonstration

Wednesday 17 May: Workshop: Exploring work experience for media production

Wednesday 17 May: ARRI cameras and lighting demonstration

Wednesday 17 May: Media for Business and Beyond

In this session we will explore the role and importance of media production beyond the mainstream film, broadcast and streaming industries. Since the earliest days of film, the educational and industrial uses of non-broadcast media have been a vital part of the production ecosystem. Recently, however, media opportunities beyond the conventional film/broadcasting axis have exploded. Today, thanks to advances in technology, creative media content is pervasive across every major sector of industry. There is barely an area of modern life that does not deploy professional media production in one form or another. In this panel session, we discuss the ways in which this expanding world of media production is evolving and developing in the field of business and beyond. We explore the cutting-edge innovation, ingenuity and imaginative new applications of media that are now driving this often-overlooked sector and meet some key individuals working in this space.

Panel contributors: Matt Desmier - Founder of Silicon Beach, and co-founded Open Sauce, Jonathan Brigden - Managing and Creative Director at Studio Giggle, Claire Fennelow - Executive Director of EVCOM, Tim Juby - Creative Director and Content Producer at Hound Dog Films, Michelle Sweetman - Marketing Manager at Goose Live Events Worldwide, Rae Langdown-Peace and Iyiade Adetoba - BU Media Production students.

Time: 5pm to 6pm

Location: Lees Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus

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Thursday 18 May: Sustaining an Inclusive Media Sector

BBC England’s Diversity and Inclusion Lead, Dumi Senda, provides a keynote presentation on the challenges and opportunities presented by a commitment to sustaining an inclusive media workforce. Dumi is joined by media trainer and diversity champion Samina Kiyani, Dr Tamsyn Dent of Kings College London, transnational television producer and filmmaker Rogers Ofime, and Dr Tamsyn Dent of Kings College London. The panel is prefaced by screenings and talks of disability and sports broadcasting research film, Parallel Lines and drama Vindication Swim, which tells the story of a young woman’s efforts to be the first female swimmer of the English Channel. Parallel Lines’ Producer and Vindication Swim’s director join the panel.

Time: 3pm to 6pm

Location: Share Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus

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Associated Screenings (no booking necessary):

Screening: Stephanie Farmer presents Parallel Lines

Time: 1pm to 2pm

Location: Share Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus

Parallel Lines was selected for the 'Women Who Make Films' category of the festival, and is directed by Kerstin Stutterheim and Stephanie Farmer, who presents selected scenes and discusses the film. The film is a research documentary featuring several GB Paralympic athletes. Parallel Lines was produced as part of the PASCAAL project, 'Re-presenting para-sport bodies; Disability and the cultural legacy of the Paralympic Games', led by Bournemouth University's Deputy Dean Research and Professional Practice, Professor Michael Silk.

Screening: Elliot Hasler presents Vindication Swim

Time: 2pm to 3pm

Location: Share Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus

Vindication Swim tells the story Mercedes Gleitze, who in 1927 became the first British woman to swim the English Channel. The film portrays Gleitze’s upstream struggle in overcoming both the cold waters of the English Channel and the oppressive society of 1920s England. Writer and Director Elliot Hasler presents selected scenes and discusses the film.