A+E Networks, the parent company of Lifetime, has launched Lifetime’s “Broad Focus” initiative in partnership with Women in Film & TV UK. The initiative kicks off with a short film competition celebrating women behind the camera, a release announced.
The Lifetime Shorts Competition aims “to find, develop, and mentor future talent in the entertainment industry, with a specific focus on women. Driven by its mission to encourage and cultivate women’s talent in media and scout content leaders who are creating the best female-focused stories for television, ‘Broad Focus’ advocates and raises global awareness about the need for more women in influential content making roles throughout the media landscape.”
Heather Jones, the General Manager UK at A+E said, “This Lifetime Shorts competition is the latest pillar in A+E Networks’ Broad Focus campaign, providing aspiring female producers, writers, and directors with a platform to showcase their work. We’re thrilled to join forces with WFTV, who share our aim of celebrating and supporting a range of female voices, and we’re looking forward to seeing an exciting range of submissions.”
“A+E Networks’ new competition is exactly what we want to support, promote and celebrate,” said WFTV UK Chief Executive Kate Kinninmont. “It is a powerful commitment from a global broadcaster to encourage genuine diversity in filmmaking. It will give a wide-reaching platform to some of the fantastic array of new and aspiring talent that we know is out there. We’re really looking forward to working with A+E this year and beyond on the Lifetime Shorts Competition.”
Amanda Hill, Chief Creative Officer, International for A+E Networks, added, “We are thrilled to unite the bold efforts of ‘Broad Focus’ with Women in Film & TV UK for this important competition. With continued growth in our global audience, it’s imperative that we use the power of our reach as a media brand to break down the barriers of entry for talented women storytellers.”
The inaugural competition is open to UK-based filmmakers, including directors, producers, and writers, whose work is original content of no more than five minutes. Entries should be submitted through Lifetime’s website by October 16, 2016. The winner will receive a cash prize of £10,000, the equivalent of over $13,000 USD.
