SHAKER OF THE YEAR

Anne Puolanne is one of Finland’s sustainability pioneers within the film and TV industry. Committed to creating real change she works tirelessly learning and sharing her knowledge on the front line with producers and production companies but also directly with decision-makers in the ministry and at the EU level. Anne is responsible for publishing the first sustainability guidebook in her native Finland which has formed the foundations for discussions, on a nationwide scale, with key stakeholders to address the impact of the film industry and set goals to reduce the figures while setting game-changing goals for the future. Anne actively shares her knowledge and expertise and has trained more than 450 people.

Rihanne Pictures (RP) has been supporting women in film since 2013. Committed to helping women thrive in their careers, they work with women wherever they are on their journey, from the very early days of needing guidance and experience to those firmly established and looking for platforms to celebrate and spotlight their work. One such platform is Caris’s initiative, Women X Film Festival and its accompanying podcast, showcasing what can be achieved when women support and mentor one another. She has also successfully launched a talent development program, RP Evolve, that trains film writers and directors. Her dedication to creating a more inclusive industry is truly inspiring and continues to create a more level playing field.

As the Managing Director of Global Strategy at Pact, Dawn is committed to helping UK independent production companies win more business and thrive within the global industry. The impact she has made on the sector is outstanding, and her MBE in recognition of her work in supporting independents speaks volumes not only about her dedication to the cause but the impact and influence she has. The creation of Pact has provided a vehicle for change, highlighting the skills gap and is driven by Dawn to train and develop individuals and teams with the knowledge and skills so that the UK independent sector can accelerate growth and thrive both domestically and internationally.

Championing innovation in the development of talent and storytelling has been a passion and a driving force behind Elaine’s successful career. The creation and successful launch of BooksOffice.com is the result of years of research, discussion, and development and strives to make a difference to the vast numbers of self-published and Indie authors that go unrepresented. On a mission to bring attention to a wider audience, the platform provides much-needed visibility so that authors can take their books from page to screen with the guidance and support of a knowledgeable and expert team.

Determined to create a fairer and more diverse industry for women worldwide, Paloma has established a new international co-production model which allows for the fusion of talent to come together from across the globe, fostering diversity and an exchange of ideas between countries based on their creative contribution to the project as opposed to a financial one. Paloma’s model allows for a fairer representation and more diverse voices to be involved creatively in a range of productions. Her passion for inspiring the audiovisual industry in Spain and her international career is both extensive and influential and with this daring initiative, she aims to shake the animation industry to create a fairer model.

On a mission to make film production accessible for everyone, Sarah started Inclusivity Films to tell stories that raise awareness of social issues, stories that advocate for others, and stories that represent the disabled, neurodivergent & d/Deaf communities both on and off the screen. As a neurodivergent filmmaker herself, she creates sets that are accessible and cater for individual needs including making working hours shorter. She believes that access must become a priority and not an afterthought as she continues in her mission to spread awareness that more disabled can and should be employed, making the industry truly representative of the society we live in.

Since filmmaking was invented, the way an editor learns their craft hasn’t changed; figure it out yourself. But Shiny is on a mission to change that. Unsplice is an online video editing mentorship community providing access to training and personalised guidance to help editors, whatever their level, become highly skilled in their field. Shiny’s vision is to create a standardisation of editing skills that sets a level of quality control for editors to meet, enabling production companies to quickly assess the capabilities and skills of their team. Not only with this program provide greater access for aspiring editors to enter the industry it will also push the quality of work to a higher standard. The results will include better workplace experiences for editors and their teams while more opportunities open to learn from their peers sharing the wealth of information easily.

Dedicated to training and empowering young indigenous filmmakers, Takuma is an award-winning filmmaker and member of The Kuikuro de Cinema Collective (CKC) in Brazil. Behind the launch of the Village Audiovisual Center, Takuma’s contribution to the cause is unwavering. On a mission to preserve the history and culture of the Kuikuro people through film, research and documentation the CKC has produced numerous films, documentaries and songs that record the ritual performances of the people. This has resulted in the largest documentary collection ever made by an indigenous people. Takuma’s contribution has been as significant as it is passionate about preserving the voices and culture of the indigenous people.

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