Bird’s Eye View (BEV) is a charity founded by Rachel Millward that has been promoting the work of women filmmakers and tackling gender inequality in film since 2002. Kate Gerova was creative director 2011-2014. It is now run by the producer and distribution strategist Mia Bays. Mia has been in the industry for 25 years, and is a hugely experienced producer of documentaries and fiction.
Following twelve years as a festival showing films by women to over 140,000 viewers across the UK, BEV has ceased being a festival and developed into an agency for change. Now under new management, with a new board, the charity boasts vast experience across the film value chain in support of their audience- and industry-facing work.
Their updated mission is to broaden film’s perspective to draw ever greater audiences to films by women.
BEV are well-positioned as curators and influencers through their social media platforms (25k+ followers) and current activities: they host at least 2 event screenings each month in London and across the UK. Most events sell out. They are building a UK-wide influencer programme with the aim of expanding their reach and boosting the prospects of female-created films.
BEV also effects change through creative mentoring, leadership programmes and networking events for women working in filmmaking, distribution and exhibition.
BEV aims to:
- Increase the profile and market impact of films by women
- Encourage greater industry investment into the marketing and promotion of films by women
- Encourage more women in key distribution, programming and marketing positions