JESSI GUTCH

Bio

Jessi is a BAFTA Elevate producer at Fig Films, as well as a BIFA- nominated writer and award-winning director. She’s worked with UK industry funders the BFI, Doc Society, Arts Council England, Audible and The Uncertain Kingdom. Living with incurable ovarian cancer, she is committed to working with disabled talent and representing illness, death and dying in a more empowering and uplifting way.

Her voice is at the intersection of documentary and narrative – playing with the hybrid form, with authenticity at the heart of the story. Her short films have screened at EIFF, BFI Flare and ASFF. THE FORGOTTEN C was nominated for the BIFA Best British Short award and acquired by the Wellcome Trust. Jessi is an alumni of BFI NETWORK @ LFF, Edinburgh Talent Lab and Sheffield Doc/Fest Focus Filmmaker Talent.

Currently working on

Fig Films has recently optioned an original screenplay written by Luke Ibbetson called SAINT GEORGE, a drama/dark comedy set in Kent about a man who becomes radicalised by the far-right and starts patrolling the coast looking for crossing asylum seekers. This will be Jessi’s debut feature as a producer and the film was selected for the Film London Production Finance Market (New Talent Strand) this year. She is also working on two debut features as a writer-director and director.

Davin Jeayes

Bio

Davin has been making films for over a decade and has taken on several production roles, with his main focus now on producing films in collaboration with others.

He works across different genres, seeking out rarely-told stories that inspire, engage and shine a light on interesting characters. As a producer, he is actively seeking to collaborate with others to apply for more short film funding and he is also developing feature-length projects through his film production company Octarine Films.

Currently working on

In post-production on ASA. He has a number of other shorts in development and is looking to step up to features soon.

Steve Lennon

Bio

Steve has worked as a producer within corporate, advertising and nonscripted television. Originally as a PD on THE X FACTOR and BGT, then through his production company, Vloop. With Vloop he has produced content including BTS for AMC TV Shows and branded films for Buzzfeed.

Steve has produced four scripted short films: DEATH DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, MY FIRST TIME, GETTING CLEAN, and DEPARTURE POINT.

He is a member of BAFTA Connect and Screen Yorkshire’s FLEX programme, and an alumnus of Creative Enterprise’s Market Trader scheme. He founded Harbourstone Pictures in 2022 for his slate of TV and Film projects.

Currently working on

Steve has a small slate of projects in development for film and TV. The furthest along is AUTO, a feature film, written by two-time Screenwriting Goldmine-winner Geoff Gedroyc, with Kasia Adamik attached to direct. Pencilled to shoot in 2024 in the UK and Poland, it will mark his feature debut as a producer.

Thomas Mcdonald

Bio

Thomas is a London-based producer and member of BAFTA Connect. He started his career by founding a film festival at University, which led to him producing the BFI NETWORK/Film London-funded VIBRATION, which screened at numerous festivals including London Short Film Festival, and was longlisted for Best British Short Film at the BIFAs.

Since founding Tedium Entertainment, he has produced several shorts that have screened at festivals including BFI Soul, Norwich Film Festival, British Urban Film Festival and The Shortest Nights. He has been given career guidance in the past by BEAST producer Ivana MacKinnon, and is currently being mentored by SAINT MAUD producer Oliver Kassman, as he develops his first feature film slate.

Currently working on

Thomas is currently developing a slate of feature film projects at Tedium Entertainment, including a project in development with Elation Pictures. He has recently finished working with Candle & Bell to support them in making a series of short films for Shortflix, a Creative UK scheme. JIM was recently announced as the winner of the Iris Prize Audience Award 2022 and can be seen on All4.