Gov.uk: Membership of new Creative Industries Taskforce announced
// Caroline Norbury // creative industries // UK Government
We are thrilled to introduce the Screen Launchpad 2024 Cohort, a pioneering programme under Creative Enterprise, designed to empower and uplift aspiring screen industry leaders from underrepresented communities.. Recognising the need for diversity and innovation in the sectors of film & TV, games, immersive media, animation, and createch, Screen Launchpad is tailored to help aspiring business founders take the pivotal step toward building their enterprises.
As a fresh, three-month development programme, Screen Launchpad focuses on nurturing the next wave of trailblazers in the industry. This initiative is committed to bridging the gap in representation by offering comprehensive business support to creative minds ready to transform ideas into impactful ventures. Participants will gain essential skills, expand their industry knowledge, and access invaluable mentorship, equipping them to embark on their entrepreneurial journey with clarity and confidence.
Now, let’s meet our new cohort!
The Screen Launchpad 2024 Cohort:
Akua Abedi-Boafo – AAB Productions
Akua Abedi-Boafo is a director, producer, writer, and presenter from East London. She began her entrepreneurial journey in 2021 after studying filmmaking in Los Angeles. Following the founding of AAB Productions, Akua spent a year in Ghana, assembling an international team across London, LA, and Accra to create Our Day, her first short film, which premiered on YouTube in August 2024. Our Day debuted in Accra and London, where the screening was sponsored by Picturehouse, and later appeared at the London Pan African Film Festival. Akua also launched podcast Industry Talks with AAB to offer aspiring filmmakers insights into film and TV.
AAB Productions International is a production house providing opportunities for upcoming filmmakers to create innovative stories for underrepresented groups on screen, whilst evolving their filmmaking skills and networking within the screens industry.
Merging the gap between the professional industry & upcoming filmmakers; AAB is also an informational source, giving filmmakers access to the relevant information needed to navigate their way within the screens industries.
https://aabproductionsintl.com
Ben Swatton – Trubwick
Ben was the Operations Manager for Secret Mode where he helped publish titles such as A Little to the Left, Still Wakes the Deep, Loddlenaut, and Stampede: Racing Royale. Before joining the gaming industry, Ben worked as a chartered engineer and project manager for major infrastructure projects globally, including at the world’s largest research institute, CERN.
Trubwick is a boutique video game publisher where profit is not the primary motive. We help indie devs build sustainable success by providing fair, transparent and low cost publishing support, so that we can all enjoy more innovative, creative, and compelling games.
Ho-Yee Li
An experienced producer with 18 years experience across a range of creative industries, now specialising in video games.
Starting her career in events and digital agencies, Ho-Yee finally found her home in video games. A life-long gamer, she combines her sharp organisational capabilities with leadership skills to help creative teams do their best work.
Biya Shadab – Halo of the Moon Pictures
Biya Shadab is a Pakistani filmmaker based in London, who began her career as a journalist before transitioning into the film and television industry. With over a decade of experience in content development and as a creative producer, she worked with major channels and production houses in Pakistan.
In 2022, Biya founded MHM Media, a company that has rapidly grown into a dynamic 16-member all-female team. MHM Media focuses on providing editorial analysis and compliance advice for film buyers in the UK, Europe, US and the Middle East, assessing Hollywood and world cinema while considering political and cultural sensitivities.
Biya is also the founder of Halo of the Moon Pictures, where she advocates for South Asian stories and talent in both the UK and globally. The company is dedicated to telling meaningful, entertaining stories that have a cultural impact, while creating opportunities for underrepresented artists and new perspectives.
Jasmin John – Nuevoz Post
Jasmin is a High End TV and Film Editor, credited for Episode 3 of ITV’s McDonald and Dodds (Series 4). Her previous work also includes Boiling Point (BBC) and Adolescence (Netflix). Jasmin has edited numerous short films, spanning scripted and unscripted, many of which have garnered acclaim at BAFTA and BIFA-qualifying festivals. Notably, Red Soil, a short documentary Jasmin edited, was officially selected for this year’s BFI London Film Festival. Jasmin is also the founder of BWIPP (Black Women In Post Production), a networking, events and training platform for Black women and non-binary creatives in post production.
Nuevoz is a boutique post-production studio dedicated to high-quality, bespoke offline editing and picture-finishing, focused on opening doors for Black and minority professionals in the industry. With a decade of experience across scripted and unscripted TV, we work with production companies and freelance producers, specialising in short films and features. Founded in 2023 by Ravensbourne alumni Jasmin John and Valery Akpojiovwi, Nuevoz is committed to championing diversity on every project.
Kwaku Ankomah – Diaspora Tree Studios
My journey in the film industry has been driven by a deep-seated belief in the power of storytelling to connect people, foster empathy, and spark conversations. I have always been drawn to stories that explore complex themes, challenge societal norms, and give a voice to marginalized communities. My previous experiences in all the film projects ive worked on to date have solidified my passion for filmmaking and equipped me with taking the steps to pursue bringing my creative vision to life.
At Diaspora Tree Productions Ltd, we are dedicated to fostering creativity and connecting with the vibrant community of creatives mainly in the global majority. We are a new company with divisions within that aim to cater for screen, audio content (audio drama audiobooks, podcasts) , stage, creative events and networking , and creative workshops, through an online and in person creatives hub. Within the company, we diversify through our live and recorded art sections. we aim to inspire, entertain, educate, train, whilst supporting emerging talent in the entertainment industry. As a passionate advocate for storytelling and a champion of diverse voices, I envision my company, Diaspora Tree Productions Ltd to be a Media Production Company, catering for the live and recorded arts sector namely, TV, film, games, audio (drama, factual) etc. It will be dedicated to producing film and TV that resonate with audiences worldwide, challenge conventional narratives, make audible and amplify the lost voices of ordinary people and inspire positive change.
Lance Phillips – Pilgrims View Productions
Lance Phillips is an immersive theatre and Film/TV actor, director, author, lecturer, and Certified DaVinci Resolve Trainer, with 30 years of experience in training and supporting people from diverse backgrounds in their creative careers. As a Blackmagic Design Training Partner, Lance’s business Physical Folk, specialises in training media/film professionals at the early stage of their careers or those new to using Resolve. Additionally, Lance has taught colour-grading using Resolve at various film schools and Universities in London, including at Master’s level. Recently Lance published a book through Packt Publishing, called “Video Editing Made Easy using DaVinci Resolve 18”.
“With a vision to produce immersive, story-driven content, our production company blends film and interactive gaming technology to create innovative storytelling that resonates emotionally. We champion original, genre-subverting narratives that combine humour and drama, reflecting our human experience. Dedicated to sustainable practices, fair recognition, and opportunities for emerging talent, we aim to build a community that values authentic, emotionally engaging stories.”
Marco Ng – OTTERWEAVE GAMES STUDIO
Marco is an indie game developer that has created various games in different genres, including an award-winning exploration game prototype, as well as a non-linear exploration game that was officially selected by the Aesthetica Short Film Festival. He has previously given a talk at Develop Brighton on kickstarting an indie game studio as a student, and has worked on multiple projects before, including BlackFell, an interactive opera experience which was once featured in Financial Times.
Otterweave Games Studio is an indie game studio based in York, and we aim to create games that combine different genres to weave innovative and fun experiences! We provide work-for-hire services for interactive experiences and games in Unity, and we also create our own game titles! As our upcoming piece, we are working on EMITIME – a Roguelike Rhythm-based Deckbuilder! Our studio’s value is to make games that inspire – we seek to bring up a smile on our audience through our games and motivate them!
Mari Anderson – Agar Media
Influenced by contemporary art, I aim to create content that is daring and bold which carries meaning. My journey in videography has been valuable through the works of short form films documenting upcoming talent in the North and the Midlands from diverse backgrounds. I believe in and like to follow people that create without restraint in whatever medium that may be.
Agar Media was born out of the passion for championing creative talents through building synergies between collaborators. Founded by independent creatives, the company aims to provide the exposure needed to keep artists in the arts – growing and nurturing creative culture through storytelling and screen.
Mark Finbow – Keeper’s Daughter CiC
Mark is a working class creative working in East Anglia. He trained as an actor at LAMDA and is an alumni of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain.
Mark’s screenplay A Thousand Empty Glasses was produced by Take Cover Films, nominated for best UK short at Raindance Film Festival, picked up for distribution and became a number 1 short on iTunes. His directorial debut micro-short, Freedom of the People, won awards at film festivals across the world. Independent sci-fi series, Time Travelling With Myself, an early career development project for regional young creatives, will be released in 2025.
The Keeper’s Daughter makes genre theatre and film with, and for, young adult and family audiences in deprived and isolated East Anglian communities. We provide early career opportunities for young creatives looking to take their first steps into the arts industry, whilst making high quality narrative content.
The company’s most recent project, Time Travelling With Myself, set and shot in Lowestoft, has given employment, first credits and on-set experience to numerous early career artists, as well as opportunities for local teenagers and mid-career filmmakers across all aspects of production.
Mwansa Phiri – Visual Sauce Ltd
Mwansa is a writer and creative producer focused on experimental, multidisciplinary work that explores themes of connection and identity. Her play Talking Stages was developed on Soho Theatre’s Writers’ Lab and shortlisted for the Tony Craze Award. Her play ‘waiting for a train at the bus stop’ won the Eclipse and Keep It Fringe Awards and was further shortlisted for multiple awards, including the BBC Popcorn Award. Mwansa has developed work through Bush Theatre’s Emerging Writers Group, London Performance Studios, and The North Wall. She is a StageOne Bridge the Gap alumna, Tamasha Digital Producing alumna, and a BAFTA Connect member.
Visual Sauce is a multi-award-winning production company driving social change through impactful storytelling. With a focus on creativity and innovation, the company amplifies underrepresented voices across theatre, film, and immersive productions. Their critically acclaimed work has appeared at VAULT Festival, Summerhall, Theatre Peckham, and Pleasance London. Visual Sauce was selected for Southwark Playhouse’s FORGE development scheme and is also creating new work through artsdepot’s PLATFORM artist residency. Their vision is to grow as a leading company, producing boundary-pushing, multi-disciplinary projects that prioritise inclusive, transformative storytelling.
https://www.instagram.com/visualsauceco/
Omari McCarthy – Tinkr
Omari McCarthy is an emerging writer-director who began in animation, rising to production manager and screenwriter. He’s currently writing the live-action feature Claudia for Caribbean Tales, Greenacre Films, and Imagine Media International. His BFI NETWORK-funded short Results Day won Best Debut Film at St Andrews Film Festival and premiered on Omeleto in August 2024. Omari has shadowed directors on shows like Justin’s House, Malory Towers, and Doctors, even stepping up as Splinter Unit Director on We Go Again (w/t). He is now developing a slate of features and series across both animation and live-action.
Tinkr is a personalised media company built to disrupt the media and entertainment industry through the use of AI, Web3 and emerging technologies. Tinkr will be social first, data-driven, producing content across social, Film, TV, Animation, podcasts and games. We aim to become “Disney for the Ai era” by creating “never ending stories”.
Sara Barbas
Sara Barbas is a Portuguese Bristol-based Writer-Director for Animation. Sara has written, directed and produced award-winning short films with Animanostra in Lisbon, and has worked as freelancer in many creative capacities – from Assistant Animator and Animator to Writer and Director. She freelanced for studios such as Aardman Animations, BBC Scotland, and Gutsy Animations on well renowned IPs like Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Morph and Moominvalley. Sara’s most recent collaborations were with Giant Animation in Dublin and ImagicTV in Barcelona.
https://cargocollective.com/sarabarbas/
Sam Williams – Studio Zero
Sam Williams is a writer and creator of interactive experiences, with a background in media and entertainment, street journalism, contemporary art, and immersive theatre. Obsessed with the transformative power of encounter and the role of story in binding communities, she founded Studio Zero to develop narrative experiences for an immersive future. With rural roots and a life spent in global cities, Sam is interested the mystical experience of place and the tension between nature and civilization. Her projects and writing have appeared internationally. Awards include an AHRC scholarship and Kone Foundation Saari Fellowship.
Studio Zero is an immersive-first narrative studio, crafting original story worlds that bridge digital, physical and imaginal realms. We believe story is the medium of connection – to the material world, the cosmos, and other beings. By blending immersive technology (VR/AR/MR/ARGs) and gaming with the rooted traditions of narrative, visual art, and performance, we create transformative experiences forged in the sublime grit of lived reality.
https://www.thestudiozero.com/
Shannon George – Brownstone Studios
Shannon George is a Jamaican film director, creative director, writer and producer known professionally as ‘Shantí’. She is also the founder of Brownstone Studios.
Brownstone Studios is a home for filmmakers and creatives—celebrating Black British talent in the UK and globally.
https://www.brownstonestudios.com/
Steph Beeston – Leafcutter Films
Steph Beeston a British Filipina self-shooting director with over a decade of experience in end-to-end video production. She’s made films for the likes of Little Dot Studios, Shelter and Greenpeace, and directed award-winning short documentaries with the support of One World Media and Arts Council England. Beyond filmmaking, her writing and photography have been featured in publications such as Delayed Gratification. Whether working with a client or making an independent documentary, the common thread running throughout her work is a desire to tell stories with care and empathy.
Leafcutter Films is a female-led production company specialising in original and branded documentary shorts. We partner with forward-thinking brands that believe in the power and potential of the short documentary to tell stories for a better tomorrow.
Tope Alake – The Casting Place
I come with 12 years of experience as a Director/producer for film and TV, with other backgrounds in film distribution & Marketing, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Neurodivergence in the workplace. I have run a similar company as an entrepreneur in Africa for 5 years, I am on a journey to create creative tech products in the film and TV industry.
The casting place is a Virtual recruitment portal for actors in film and TV, with a special focus on actors from marginalised or underserved identifications, particularly outside of London.
