Women behind the camera

Speaking while picking up a lifetime achievement award at the Karlovy Vary festival in the Czech Republic, the Essex-born actress, said she hoped that 50 per cent of films made by women the next time she visited the event.

She said: "When I was making films [early in my career] there were very, very few female directors, and there were certainly no women on set, which made taking one's clothes off all the more difficult.

"Things have moved on, but as far as I'm concerned, they haven't moved on enough.”

She credited directors such as Julie Taymor and Kathryn Bigelow had helped to shift the gender balance, but there is still a long way to go.

Here we speak to women from across the county who are trying to break into the notoriously male-dominated industry.

Film-maker Isobel Ricketts sold her house to finance her film company.

She set up Dollar Factory Film last year along with business partner James Walley.

Isobel, 33, says: “Setting up the film company has given us a lot of creative freedom to make the films we want to make.

“It was very frightening leaving my job as a TV producer and director but it was also exciting. I took the leap of faith and because film is my passion I feel really excited and positive about it.”

Isobel, who commutes between her home in Colchester and London, took part in film lighting and rigging workshops at Colchester Arts Centre and went on to study film production at Colchester Institute.

She has more than ten years’ experience in the industry, including working on short film productions and TV dramas.

Isobel and James completed the film In Me in March this year. It was financed by Isobel and James and with the help of family and friends.

She says: “We took the film to Cannes and got a great feedback from sales and distributing agents. Cannes is great for up-and-coming film-makers because you get to make contacts from all over the globe.”

With several projects on the go Isobel has to put in a lot of hours.

She says: “Film is a passion for me - no one would work crazy hours for something they didn’t believe in.

“At the moment I am editing a documentary for the Discovery Channel, from 10am to 7pm, and in the morning, lunchtime and evenings I work on our film projects.”

Why does Isobel believe there are so few female film-makers?

She says: “There are just fewer women directors - but you do need to be a certain sort of person to be a director!

“Women are breaking through but it will take time. On the ground I think there are fairly even amounts of women in the industry when it comes to runners and editors.”

As a director, Sally Millest knows the secret to getting the best out of people is to nurture them.

The former Belfairs School student went on to study at Southend College before going onto to Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Her career is varied, having started out as an actress before moving on to film editing, then theatre directing.

It is only in the last year she has embarked on film directing.

Sally, along with her friends Elizabeth Heery and Gemma Churchill, set up Two Tree Island film company this year.

Their debut film Beached, which tells the story of a young boy with tourettes, won this year’s Southend Film Festival over 16’s short film prize.

Sally, 53, says: “I do wish that I had got into film-directing earlier because I really enjoy it. But friends have said that my experience has help me as a director.”

She believes that a solid team and a gentle approach are key.

Sally says: “Whether it is film or theatre, having a strong core team is vital.

“I take the softer approach with people I work with the cast and crew because I would rather everyone was happy and nurture their talent than scare people.”

Sally, who works part time at the Pauline Quirk Academy in Wickford, is passionate about inspiring youngsters to get into film.

She says: “Working with children is fantastic - they have no constraints of their imagination! It’s important to encourage young people - both girls and boys - to get into the film industry. That’s the way to change the industry for the future.”

Natalie Williams, 24, set up the Thurrock Film Festival after struggling to find work.

After completing her degree Natalie and her partner Ben Scarsbrook wanted to build up there CVs.

However, finding work in the industry proved difficult.

Natalie says: “It can be quite a lonely place when you start out in the industry and don’t have the contacts “Once you’re part of it I am sure it is great but being on the outside you have to work really hard. You have to believe that all the hard work will pay off.”

Natalie decided to make her own opportunities.

She says: “You are expected to do a lot of free work and also pay for work in order to prove to clients what you can do.

“We decided to go one step further and be proactive by setting up the Thurrock Film Festival.”

The festival had its debut late in June at several venues in Thurrock. On the judging panel there were actors including Kierston Wareing, Pauline Quirke and Phil Davis.

Log on to www.thurrockfilm.co.uk.

Rachel Hipkiss, director of Signals Media Arts, a educational film charity in Colchester, says: “Film is one of the most important mediums we have. It reaches almost everyone, where other mediums do not. Our job is to get children interested in film and give them a stepping stone.

“Like any industry that has been male-dominated for a long it is a slow process to change. But it is happening. When I went to film college I was one of five women amongst 30 men, the year above me there were three and the year above that there were none.”

Heather Martin, 20, from Westcliff, has worked as a volunteer for the Southend film company White Bus for two years.

Since graduating in film and broadcasting from the London and Metropolitan University last month she is working as a runner at a television company.

Heather says: “Working as a runner now is hard work and long hours but you have to go in with the right attitude. I want to get into the technical side of it film but being a runner is good because you get to try all roles.”