This week’s guest is Farhana Bhula, the Head of Creative at Film4, where she has overseen production on a mix of projects from debut to established filmmakers.
Those projects include How to Have Sex by Molly Manning Walker, Layla by Amrou Al-Kadhi and All Of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh starring Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott.
She joined Film4 in 2022 from the BFI where she was a Senior Development and Production Executive and worked on Scrapper by Charlotte Regan, Pretty Red Dress by Dionne Edwards, Reggie Yates’ Pirates, Aml Ameen’s Boxing Day, debbie tucker green’s ear for eye, Ben Sharrock’s Limbo and Aleem Khan’s After Love.
Prior to the BFI, she was head of development at Wildgaze Films (Brooklyn, An Education) and a development executive at Endor Productions. She has also produced shorts and a micro-budget feature.
We talk about how she discovered development was a thing and why she felt suited to it, her roles at Wildgaze Films and the BFI Film Fund, the differences between working for a public funding body and a public service broadcaster, what she thinks makes a good debut feature and how she creates a good working relationship with filmmakers, the impetus behind the recent Future Takes scheme and the book she thinks is a must-read if you work in development…
SHOW NOTES
Episode 060: Grace Snell, Costume Designer
Episode 059: Mahalia John, Central / Clapper Loader
Episode 058: Rebecca Horsburgh, Grip (Key Grip & Best Boy Grip)
Episode 057: Lara Manwaring, Casting Director
Episode 056: Rina Yang, Cinematographer
REISSUE: Episode 045: Corrina Antrobus, Founder of Bechdel Test Fest
Episode 055: Anna Bertmark, Sound Designer & Supervisor
Episode 054: Cat Marshall, Production Supervisor at Warp Films & Producer
Episode 53: Emma Norton, Producer at Element Pictures
Episode 52: Meroë Candy, Story Research & Production Consultant
Episode 51: Rosie Crerar & Ciara Barry, Producers
Episode 050: Lizzie Francke, Senior Production and Development Executive at the BFI's Film Fund (Live at the Glasgow Film Festival)
Episode 049: Roxana Adle, Talent Agent at Independent Talent
Episode 048: Sanne Jehoul, Co-Director of Glasgow Short Film Festival
Episode 047: Clarisse Loughrey, Chief Film Critic at The Independent
Episode 046: Nia Hughes, Organising Official at BECTU
Episode 045: Corrina Antrobus, Founder of Bechdel Test Fest
Episode 044: Gini Godwin, Production Designer
Episode 043: Kharmel Cochrane, Casting Director
Episode 042: Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch, Composer
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