Announcing ‘Back in the Frame’, a Reclaim The Frame talent development programme in collaboration with Sony
- Reclaim The Frame Team
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
We're excited to introduce Back in the Frame, a major new six-month talent development programme supporting women and marginalised gender film directors and producers returning to work after a career break.
Delivered with support from Sony Pictures Television (“SPT”) International Production, the programme responds to a significant structural issue within the UK screen industries: the loss of experienced mid-career talent due to caring responsibilities, health-related breaks, burnout and the lack of supported routes back into professional practice.
Applications are now open for Back in the Frame, which is free to apply for and participate in. The programme is open to experienced UK-based women and marginalised gender directors and producers working across fiction and documentary film who are returning to the industry after time away.
The programme will be led by Reclaim The Frame Exec Director Melanie Iredale and experienced Film & Television Producer Camilla Wren (bios below).
Designed as a targeted return-to-work intervention, the programme will support professional re-entry through industry recalibration, employability support, rights education, peer learning, mentoring and structured group coaching.
A partnership rooted in industry sustainability
The programme reflects a shared commitment between Reclaim The Frame and Sony Pictures Television to strengthen the UK screen industries through talent retention, workforce sustainability and equitable access to re-entry pathways.
Melanie Iredale, Director of Reclaim The Frame, said:
“We are consistently seeing experienced filmmakers leave the industry not because they lack ambition or talent, but because the structures around working life do not support return. This programme is about changing that - by creating a route back into the industry, and a peer support network along the way. We couldn’t be more grateful to Sony Pictures Television for the collaboration, and to the many industry leaders - soon to be announced - who have agreed to share their experience and expertise as part of the programme.”
Responding to a systemic issue
The programme launches at a time when the UK screen industries are facing converging pressures around workforce instability, freelance precarity and the sustained loss of mid-career talent.
Research from Carers UK, BECTU and Raising Films highlights the scale of the issue:
5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK, with around 60% being women (Carers UK)
Over 80% of work is secured through personal networks, limiting access for those out of circulation (BECTU)
Only 5% of workers were asked about parenting/ caring responsibilities in hiring (BECTU)
37% of carers conceal caring responsibilities when applying for work (BECTU)
Over half the workforce has recently experienced periods out of work (BECTU)
Between 59% and 82% of carers in screen industry surveys report negative impacts on their careers (Raising Films)
63% of carers are considering leaving the industry due to poor mental health (Raising Films)
Despite this, structured return-to-work pathways for experienced filmmakers remain limited in scale and scope.
Programme overview
Running from September 2026 to March 2027, Back in the Frame will support twelve UK-based participants through a programme of three in-person Labs in London, two online industry sessions and one-to-one mentoring. Alongside this, participants will receive structured group coaching, peer learning opportunities, facilitated cohort development and industry networking designed to support sustainable re-entry into the screen industries. Contributors from across development, commissioning, production, sales, distribution, legal and HR will take part in the programme, with further speakers and partners to be announced in the coming weeks.
Building on a long-term commitment to talent development
Back in the Frame builds on more than a decade of Reclaim The Frame’s work in talent development, professional training and industry-facing programmes for women and marginalised gender filmmakers, alongside over twenty years championing gender equity in cinema following its evolution from Birds’ Eye View Film Festival.
Through programmes including Filmonomics - founded by former Birds’ Eye View directors Mia Bays and Kate Gerova - and partnerships with organisations including the BFI, ScreenSkills and the British Council, Reclaim The Frame has supported hundreds of filmmakers to build sustainable careers across directing and producing.
Programme alumni have gone on to premiere work at major international festivals including Sundance, Berlinale and TIFF, secure BAFTA and BIFA recognition, and develop commercially and critically acclaimed projects across UK and international markets.
Sony Pictures Entertainment’s backing of Reclaim The Frame’s Back in the Frame initiative comes through the SPT Creative Diversity Fund (“CDF”), which was established in 2021 by Sony Pictures Television’s International Production division to support the recruitment, development, support and retention of under-represented talent within the television industry.
For further information and application details:
For press enquiries:
Flo Cartwright, Head of Campaigns
--
About Reclaim The Frame:
Reclaim The Frame is the UK's leading charity campaigning for gender justice in cinema and supporting filmmakers, distributors, exhibitors and festivals to build stronger, more inclusive audience connections.
For over 20 years, Reclaim The Frame has worked across the screen sector to help organisations grow reach, deliver impactful campaigns, and embed meaningful inclusion and accessibility practices.
Alongside public-facing campaigns, Reclaim The Frame offers tailored consultancy and advisory services for production companies, distributors, exhibitors, festivals and screen agencies.
@reclaimtheframe
About Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing, distributing and carrying programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to managing one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, SPT is home to a thriving global content business, operating a robust portfolio of wholly-owned and joint-venture production companies across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, as well as linear and digital channels around the world. SPT is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation.
Team biographies
Melanie Iredale
Melanie Iredale (she/her) is Director of Reclaim The Frame, the UK charity championing women and marginalised gender filmmakers and building audiences for their work through inclusive and accessible cinema exhibition. Over the past 20 years, she has worked across film festivals, talent development, audience engagement and industry strategy, with a focus on creating more equitable pathways through screen culture for filmmakers and audiences alike.
Previously Deputy Director and Interim Director of Sheffield DocFest, Melanie led UK and international industry programmes, training initiatives and cross-departmental operations across one of the world’s leading documentary festivals and marketplaces. At Reclaim The Frame, she has developed and led multiple editions of Filmonomics, the organisation’s flagship professional development programme supporting writers, directors and producers from underrepresented backgrounds.
Alongside her work at Reclaim The Frame, Melanie works as a freelance consultant, mentor and moderator, supporting filmmakers, producers, distributors and exhibitors around audience engagement, positioning, impact, talent development and inclusive exhibition practices. She regularly contributes to festivals, markets and training initiatives internationally as a speaker, facilitator and industry advisor.
Camilla Wren
Producer Camilla Wren’s experience spans 20 years across film and TV drama. She was a producer on the Netflix adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling novel ONE DAY. In feature film, Camilla held positions as a BFI Executive, as well as development executive for BAFTA winning director David Yates where she developed the Warner Brothers Studio blockbusters: THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, and the first two films FANTASTIC BEASTS films before founding Frolic Films to champion emerging talent.
Frolic Films is an independent production company developing bold, commercial and diverse stories for the screen. Founded with the support of the BFI Vision Award and BBC Small Indie Fund, among the titles on its diverse slate Frolic has an adaptation of cult lesbian noir novel AFTER DELORES by Sarah Schulman developed with the BFI, and an adaptation of the romcom novel CHAOTIC ENERGY written by Susan Wokoma for C4. Frolic Films has a commitment to expanding the UK film and television industry’s diversity representation both on and off screen. Alongside her producing work, Camilla is passionate about talent development and supporting filmmakers at different stages of their careers, through mentoring, teaching and creative development, bringing extensive experience of development, commissioning, production and creative leadership.
