Rebecca Ashdown Rebecca Ashdown

Cultural Highlights of 2022

As we kick off the new year, I’ve been thinking back to some of my cultural highlights from 2022. In no particular order:

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Rebecca Ashdown Rebecca Ashdown

Slowing down & taking stock

With the shift in seasons, I’m reflecting on a busy summer working on some enriching projects with new clients and collaborators.

I wrapped up work with Sheffield Doc/Fest in early July, having produced the festival’s Talks & Sessions programme. It was a delight to work with such a collaborative creative team; with Clare Stewart at the helm, and reconnect with so many industry colleagues in-person after several years of lockdown-life.

After the festival I took a few weeks off to rest and restore in France & the Netherlands. My enduring love for the Eurostar never falters!

I then had the privilege of working with Everyman Cinema’s on their ambitious schedule of summer events, festivals and pop-up outdoor screenings. 

This included working in collaboration with Somerset House as part of This Bright Land, designed by visionary artists Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl. This is my absolute dream project: community-centred, highly creative, collaborative, innovative and inclusive programming. From outdoor family-friendly screenings & interactive events, to participatory workshops and immersive installations; it was a joy to be in the courtyard this summer, observing how people interacted with the space and the FREE accessible programme.

As part of the wider Everyman programme I worked with a range of fantastic partners including AppleTV, Netflix & many independent filmmakers and artists. A memorable highlight was producing an immersive murder mystery event to launch See How They Run at the iconic art-deco Everyman Muswell Hill, in partnership with Jaguar & Disney Searchlight.

I’ve also been mentoring three young filmmakers, with the Roundhouse Film Fund. I love connecting with emerging talent, listening and learning from them; and being able to share what I’ve garnered along the way so far in my career. Be sure to follow these brilliant rising stars Kevin Muendo, Saoirse Byrne and Yemi Adegbulu.


Now it’s time to slow down and take stock, before beginning a very different project later this month. More on that next time!

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Rebecca Ashdown Rebecca Ashdown

ReConnect at Sheffield DocFest

I’m currently working for Sheffield DocFest, and have produced 40 Talks & Sessions for the festival, that will run from 23rd to 28th June. The festival is jam-packed with films, alternative realities installations, experiences, talks, sessions, parties and more.

Each year the Talks and Session programme explores the full spectrum of the documentary world - including conversations with exciting emerging filmmakers on the rise, masterclasses’ with world renowned filmmakers, interviews with popular on-screen talent and panel sessions exploring a wide range of industry topics. 

This year we will be celebrating Trans led documentaries, as well as exploring the ways in which crews can reduce the environmental impact of their productions. We’re opening a dialogue about the problem of bullying and harassment in the industry, and will highlight some of the initiatives that have been launched in response. We’ll also be showcasing a range of new funding opportunities for filmmakers, and exploring the question, have we reached the peak in celebrity issue documentaries?

I’m excited and honoured to welcome some of the world’s leading voices in film, immersive media and activism to Sheffield this June, to discuss their expansive careers and creative work. Our guest speakers are pushing the boundaries of storytelling, with their unique approaches to form and style. Each talk or session will take audiences on a journey of discovery, exploration and reflection. Prepare to be inspired!

Highlights include:

Pratibha Parmar in Conversation - Globally recognised filmmaker and human rights activist director Pratibha Parmar joins us for an in-depth conversation about her prolific career. Pratibha's documentaries such as A Place of Rage have showcased the work of iconic women throughout history, as well as contributing to the visibility of marginalized LGBTQIA+ communities. Pratibha will discuss the making of in-Competition title My Name is Andrea, which explores the work of Andrea Dworkin, her creative approach to filmmaking and her inspirations.

ITV Interview: Ellie Simmonds - We are delighted to welcome Ellie Simmonds to Sheffield DocFest to speak about her upcoming ITV documentary exploring the link between disability and adoption. The number of disabled children in the care system with a disability is highly disproportionate to the rest of the population and Ellie has been investigating why.

Channel 4 Interview: Will Young - In recent Channel 4 broadcast Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert, singer Will Young discusses his twin brother's alcohol addiction, which lasted over twenty years until his death in 2020. Will joins us at Sheffield DocFest to discuss making the documentary, and his hopes for the impact it can have in reducing the stigma surrounding addiction.

Ukraine. Password: Palianytsia - In solidarity with Ukraine, Sheffield DocFest put together a programme in collaboration with Docudays UA, that includes work across our Film programme, Alternate Realities exhibition, Industry programme and Talks & Sessions. The programme will launch the British Council and Ukrainian Institute’s ‘UK/Ukraine Season of Culture’ with the World Premiere of 'One Day In Ukraine.’

Co-Creation: Collective Dreams, Co-Created Realities - This year we have partnered with the Co-Creation Studio at the MIT Open Documentary Lab for one of the festival's key themes: Co-Creation. We are delighted to be joined by Katerina Cizek, Artistic Director, Research Scientist and Co-Founder Co-Creation Studio, who will give a keynote presentation. She will outline the practices and philosophies of co-creation, according to the studio’s manifesto, and discuss with some of the artists whose works feature in the Co-Creation strand.

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Rebecca Ashdown Rebecca Ashdown

Solidarity with Ukraine

I originally wrote this piece for the Together Films blog on 24th February 2022, but wanted to share here too. Love and solidarity with all in Ukraine. x

In March 2019 I was overjoyed to visit Kyiv, Ukraine for the first time. I was invited to attend the DocuDays UA International Human Rights Documentary Festival, and present a masterclass as part of their industry programme. I’d had the pleasure of meeting some of the festival team the previous year in Warsaw at WatchDocs festival, as part of an incredible programme supporting human rights film festivals across Europe. 

I was immensely inspired by the creativity and vision of the festival programme. I met with courageous local filmmakers, activists, and artists, who generously shared their work and stories. 

I have such wonderful memories of my short time visiting this beautiful city and was welcomed with such warmth from everyone I met. A local journalist took me and a few other international guests for dinner at the hidden Ostannya Barykada Restaurant, to sample the local culinary delights. My taxi driver gave me a history lesson and impromptu tour on the ride back to the airport before I flew home. 

Today, on this dark day, I’m thinking of Darya Bassel, Olga Birzul, Iryna Shvartsblat, Daryna Nikolenko, Julia Kartashova, Yuliia Kovalenko, and the whole DocuDays team. 

All of us at Together Films stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and our colleagues and friends who continue their human rights and humanitarian work in these harsh circumstances. 

We regard their struggle with great concern, and we are inspired by their commitment and resilience. 

Sending strength, support, and solidarity.

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Rebecca Ashdown Rebecca Ashdown

DocuMentality - calling all documentary filmmakers!

I’m so excited to be working with my dear friend Rebecca Day on an important new initiative for the documentary community.

DocuMentality is an initiative that seeks to normalise a conversation about mental health and well-being in the documentary industry, and to provide best practice guidance and information for documentary filmmakers to become more resilient resources for themselves, their teams and the people who entrust them with their stories. The project is being led by Film In Mind and The D-Word, and supported by BFI Doc Society, American Documentary POV and Scottish Documentary Institute. 

Currently in the research phase, DocuMentality will result in the release of a free online mental health resource for the documentary community.

We are inviting filmmakers to participate in a series of focus groups and an online survey over the coming weeks. Please encourage your networks of documentary filmmakers to register their interest by March 9th at documentality.org and we will be in touch with further details. 

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Rebecca Ashdown Rebecca Ashdown

Wellbeing Facilitator Training

This week I’m starting Wellbeing Facilitator Training with 6ft from the Spotlight. A Wellbeing Facilitator (WBF) is a reasonably new role across the film, television and creative industries, working on set, studio or location to provide mental health support for crew, cast talent, contributors and all levels of production.​ The aim of the role is three fold:

  • Assist the production to prevent stress and mental health issues and meet its legal duty of care to protect the mental health and wellbeing of the crew and cast

  • Support the cast and crew on set to stay mentally fit and well

  • Assist all to create great content in the safest and most efficient way.

I’m looking forward to developing my knowledge and skills around mental health support, and sharing these practices in my work within the creative industries.

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Rebecca Ashdown Rebecca Ashdown

Cultural highlights of 2021

As 2021 draws to a close, here are a few of my cultural highlights of the past year:

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