The Team
Rachel Millward
CEO and Creative Director
Rachel co-founded Birds Eye View as a touring short film event in 2002, motivated by the statistic that only 7% filmmakers are women. She has since led the organisation to become the high profile national arts charity it is today.
Rachel heads up company development: from regional touring events and educational programmes, to innovative new projects like BEV Labs (Last Laugh) and the First Weekenders Club, designed to take Birds Eye View - and with it the best women filmmaking talent - to the widest possible audience.
Rachel graduated in Theology from Oxford University in 1999 and then took postgraduate studies at the African Gender Institute at the University of Cape Town. Before focussing solely on Birds Eye View, she worked as a researcher for independent television & radio production companies.
Rachel has written for the New Statesman, the Financial Times Magazine and the Guardian on women in film, and on the media representation of people with disabilities. She also writes regularly for the Guardian Arts Blog about women filmmakers. Rachel was nominated a “world changing woman” by the Guardian in August 2006.
rachel@birds-eye-view.co.uk
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Amy Mole
Managing Director
Amy has joined Birds Eye View from LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) where she started in the role of Operations and Finance Manager, and soon ending up as Acting up Executive Director too. Amy leads on all aspects of management from finances, to project delivery, including managing the team and making sure team BEV is the best it can be.
Amy has also worked on artistic strategy, reviewing business plans, associated development, communications and risk management strategies, as well as dipping her toes in bits of PR and Marketing.
Amy studied Drama and Theatre Arts from Birmingham University and immediately after graduating began working at BAC (Battersea Arts Centre). Amy was the first Manager to reinvigorate the venue as a business and increase profitability by 32%.
Amy will be steering the BEV ship and delivering the festival, whilst Rachel delivers something else!
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Tamsyn Dent
Development and Outreach Manager
Tam comes from Cambridge and studied English & History at Glasgow University. She has an MSc in Gender & the Media from the London School of Economics.
Her first job in TV was on a series of drama-documentaries for the BBC called Days That Shook The World. She then worked on Annie Griffin’s feature film Festival. After freelancing in Scotland, Tam moved to London to work in documentaries. She has also worked in the charity sector and abroad in Zambia & Argentina.
Tam's favourite films include The Talented Mr Ripley, All About Eve, Abre los Ocos, Cry Freedom and, from last year's festival, Caramel.
tamsyn@birds-eye-view.co.uk
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Emily Seed
Senior Programmer
Emily has a BA from Newcastle University and a much more recent MA from Goldsmiths, both in the fields of literature and film studies. After a few exciting stints in film festival volunteer teams, a couple of Arts PA roles and two years at the UK Film Council, she joined the Barbican Film team and has now been Cinema Programme Co-Manager at the Barbican Centre for four years, where she produces festivals and programmes special events. Emily is part-time in both her Barbican and BEV roles.
Emily lives in south east London and spends her spare time having adventures with her 18-month old son and keeping the cat off the laptop so she can watch those BEV screeners!
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Louise Forbes
Social Media & Marketing Co-ordinator
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Lucy Aronica
First Weekenders Club Co-ordinator
Lucy began her career a number of years ago in the industry working with the amazingly inspirational Film Producer Olivia Stewart and Director Terence Davies on The House of Mirth. Seven wonderful years later, she decided that instead of trying to make great films, she would now promote them and found herself working in the International Publicity Department for Harvey Weinstein's The Weinstein Company. After surviving two years, Lucy acquired the longest title in the world and became the Press Screening and BFI Southbank Press Office Manager for both the 2008 and 2009 London Film Festivals. In-between these contracts, she was the Entertainment Event Account Manager for Firmdale Hotels. A brief period of soul searching (yes) and travelling followed. Lucy is now very privileged to be working for Birds Eye View where she manages the First Weekenders Club - and doing what she does best - bossing publicists about! In her spare time Lucy also works in her local pub - being as ever, a true professional!
office@birds-eye-view.co.uk
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