Over two days in Manchester, 12 emerging producers from the North dove into the essentials of film producing. From building a slate and budgeting, to pre-production, shooting, post-production, casting, and distribution, they gained hands-on insight from industry professionals and our BFI NETWORK Talent Executives.

Their journey continues at Aesthetica in November, where they’ll meet our Script Lab cohort, expand their networks, and connect with filmmakers across the region - laying the groundwork for future collaborations and exciting projects.

We’re excited to see how this talented cohort continues to grow and shape the future of filmmaking in the North!

Emily is an award-winning filmmaker and multi-disciplinary artist. In 2023, they created and directed their first short animated film I Would Like to Live on the Moon through their masters in animation degree at the University of Lancashire, which has since been selected, nominated and awarded by film festivals in the UK and internationally. Emily has worked on other short film projects in roles such as animation and editing and has helped program and host short film screenings and festivals.

Always on the hunt for surprising stories, no matter the medium, Pippa has worked across film, TV and audio from her Greater Manchester base. She currently works for BBC Studios in audio drama production management and development, where she has produced and directed productions for Radio 4. Recently she produced an episode of the award-winning series Trust, and an exciting upcoming original audio drama set in the North. Pippa's film career includes work as a production manager and script editor on short films funded by BFI NETWORK that have screened at major festivals, and she regularly writes coverage for Film4. With both production and editorial expertise, Pippa is seeking creatively ambitious ideas firmly rooted in the North to bring to the screen.

Piyush is a film producer based in York, UK, with over a decade of experience across India and Europe. His work consistently focuses on one kind of story: people in conflict with the social structures that surround them. Race, religion, Gender and caste are not just background details in his films. That is where he finds the most honest drama. His award winning short film Prayer (2025) won 10 awards and screened at over 40 international festivals. His most recent production, They Bend Stars (2026), is a science fiction short filmed in Edinburgh that uses genre to examine questions of identity and belonging. Both films were produced under the Kino Eyes programme by a multinational team. Before moving into fiction, Piyush worked in documentary and media production with Girl Effect and Breakthrough India, where he led over fifty multimedia campaigns addressing gender based violence, youth empowerment, and education. He also directed segments for Zee Marathi's unscripted TV series Tufan Aalaya.

Eilis is a queer, working class creative producer from and working in the North East. Eilis has been a producer for both theatre and community arts for the past five years. Initially Eilis gained experience within theatre, producing for venues and companies including Northern Stage, Alphabetti Theatre, Curious Arts, No More Nowt and independent artists nationally. Since then, Eilis has expanded her creative reach for a multi-disciplinary approach to producing, more recently moving to produce moving images including animation and music videos. Eilis is also Co-Executive director of Mustard Stories Arts CIC, producing community arts projects across the North East.

Nazneen is a producer, filmmaker and educator with a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling and experience across the creative industries. Currently working in TV and visual podcasting, she has worked for the BBC, ITV and independent production companies in Entertainment, Arts and Documentary, including Extraordinary Portraits and Mike Yarwood: Thanks for the Laughs.

A highlight has been her diverse casting and outreach work on University Challenge, alongside making Student Voices: Class of 2021, a short film commissioned by BBC Entertainment. With roots in drama as an actor, Nazneen is passionate about exploring arts and culture, archive, heritage and the human experience, and is drawn to distinctive visual storytelling. She is currently developing her independent practice across scripted and documentary.

Ben is a freelance Script Editor and Story Consultant with experience across development and production. He previously worked at Duck Soup Films across an eclectic slate of feature and television projects, including BAFTA and International Emmy-winning Lost Boys & Fairies  and Channel 4’s Dreamers. He has also worked in production on A Woman Of Substance and Shy & Lola, gaining first-hand experience of balancing creative ambition with the practical realities of production. He is passionate about bold, authored stories that entertain, provoke and leave a lasting impression, and is particularly interested in championing underrepresented voices.

Shey is a Nigerian-British Creative Producer, born in Nigeria, raised in London and Bedfordshire, but proudly claims honorary Mancunian status after more than a decade in Manchester. Her experience spans independent short film and commercial creative projects, alongside leading international creative campaigns at a global marketing agency. Across both worlds, Shey has developed a strong producer's mindset, is passionate about creative storytelling and committed to helping others bring their ideas to life.

Mikey Pugh is a producer based in Sheffield. Their work spans both documentary and drama short films, with recent short documentary I’m Shy (2026) selected for Sheffield DocFest and the Iris Prize. Mikey is looking to produce more projects which amplify under-represented voices telling their own authentic stories. 

Hendrika is a comedy writer and producer based in Newcastle. She is a 2024 New Writing North Emerging Creative Associate, winner of the Clement and La Frenais Comedy Award 2025, host of comedy cabaret The Girlie Show, a 2026 Female Pilot Club script finalist, and was shortlisted for this year’s BBC Comedy Collective. Hendrika has always been passionate about comedy. Her work spans both stage and screen, with a particular focus on female-led character comedy. Her most recent short film, Peeping Toms - an all-female and non-binary satirical comedy which she wrote and produced - was selected for a number of BIFA and BAFTA qualifying festivals this year.

Joe is a producer, emerging filmmaker and founder of the emerging production company Shepherd Creative. As a working-class, neurodiverse man from the North, he's drawn to underrepresented stories and themes of identity, class and masculinity, told through bold characters and bold genre pieces. Inspired by his love of comic books, fantasy and science fiction, Joe is drawn to the space between absurdism and realism, using it to explore character, humanity and what makes people tick. He combines strong organisational skills with a solutions-focused mindset, and is known for building efficient, collaborative sets from prep through wrap.

Barathi is an independent film producer based in West Yorkshire and the founder of Untitled Filmmakers Club, an inclusive regional platform dedicated to championing cross-cultural storytellers. Over the past 18 months, he has physically produced six short narrative films and four short documentaries, ranging from suspense thrillers to period dramas. Stepping away from directing to focus on creative producing, Barathi specializes in building diverse, multinational crews and executing ambitious visual projects on micro-budgets. His work as a producer is complemented by serving on the pre-selection panel for the Bradford International Film Festival. Through the Producer Lab, he aims to master formal BFI development frameworks to build a sustainable pipeline for Northern regional talent.

Laura is a freelance Production Manager based in the North West. With close to 15 years experience in the industry, she has worked on numerous productions with companies including the BBC, Fox Searchlight, NBC and Warner Bros. Specialising in scripted drama she has worked in film, HETV, children’s television and continuing drama. Recently she worked on Babak Jalali’s upcoming feature, A Town in Nova Scotia and previous credits include Daliland, Waterloo Road, Dodger, So Awkward, Tolkein and Peaky Blinders. Laura was recently awarded Women in Film and TV's Julie Burnell Scholarship: Production Management Programme and is currently in receipt of bespoke training and mentorship. In addition to working in production, Laura has recently embarked on this year’s cohort of A

Room That Looks Like Me, amplifying Black and Global Majority voices in the creative industry.



In Development: Producer Lab is made possible with the support of BFI NETWORK, awarding National Lottery funding.