As we approach Underwire 2014, we’ve been getting in touch with some of our alumni to find out what they’ve been working on since they showcased at the festival. This week we caught up with Lynsey Miller to hear about her exciting next steps.

Writer and Director Lynsey Miller has screened her films in competition at several editions of Underwire Festival. In 2010 Hip Hop Hooray was nominated in the screenwriting category, whilst in 2012 Paper Mountains was nominated for best production.

What was your experience of screening at Underwire?
Very positive, it was a great opportunity to meet filmmakers and discover their work. And also a chance to meet directors whose work I had admired from afar. I think one of the best things about Underwire is its recognition and championing of not only writers, actors and directors but also editors, cinematographers, composers and sound designers. It’s always great to be introduced to new talent and possible future collaborators. I always particularly love the choices in the Best Cinematographer category and have been fortunate enough to work with Annika Summerson and Chloe Thomson, both of whom are previous winners in the category.

Several years on from screening your work at Underwire 2010 and 2012, how has that recognition benefited you? Did any opportunities arise from showcasing at the festival?
It’s always great to get recognition for your work, especially from your peers and for your film to reach a new audience. The end product is always the result of a lot of hard work from everyone involved and to have that recognised is really the icing on the cake. Plus it’s always fantastic to see your work on the big screen. I was fortunate enough to be selected as one of 2014’s Screen International Stars of Tomorrow, something that would never have happened without the recognition from festivals such as Underwire.

What have you been up to since?
After Paper Mountains, I was selected as one of the directors on Channel 4’s Coming Up scheme on which I was paired with the writer Vivienne Franzmann to work on COLOUR. We then paired up again on LIZARD GIRL for BBC/EBU. I also produced FATHER, a short film for BBC, written and directed by Moira Buffini. The film won Best Screenwriting at Underwire 2013.

Most recently I shot some 2^nd Unit on SUFFRAGETTE the new feature film by director Sarah Gavron. In addition to developing my Film and Television projects, I also direct commercials most recently for Sony and Facebook.

What are you currently working on?
I’m currently developing a number of projects including CONCEPTION, which is currently in development with iFeatures, a TV series with Claire Wilson for Endor Productions and In-laws, a TV sitcom. I’m also developing my script TRACKS through The Network scheme run by Creative Scotland.

How important has screening at festivals been for you?
Hugely important, it’s great to get your work out there to as wide an audience as possible and festivals provide a platform to reach an audience that may previously have been closed to you. My work has screened a lot throughout Asia and that is something that started with screening at one festival in South Korea. Festivals are also a great opportunity to meet other filmmakers and to discover films that you wouldn’t necessarily otherwise have seen due to them not having a cinema release in the UK etc. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit some fantastic places, including Sweden, France and Taiwan, as a guest of festivals and they’re always great fun.

Do you have any advice for craftswomen currently submitting their work to film festivals?
- Be persistent. A knock back isn’t necessarily reflective of the quality of your film.

- Do your research; submitting to festivals can become an expensive business. Have a look at the type of films festivals have previously programmed and target your submissions accordingly.

- If your work is selected, make sure you provide the festival with the highest quality screener possible. It’s great to have the opportunity to see your film up on the big screen and you want to show your work in the best possible light.

Would you like to see more support and celebration of craftswomen in the film industry?
Definitely. I was recently reading a piece by Jemma Desai on the 10 great British films directed by women which traced the history of female directors in the UK from the 1920’s to present day. We’ve come a long way but when you look at the statistics there’s still a lot more work to be done. Although I’m of the belief that this would more easily rectified by simply employing more women in directing, writing, producing and HOD roles rather than producing the endless lists, panels and studies highlighting the inequality.

That said, I think it’s an exciting time for female filmmakers in the UK at the moment. There are a lot of established female directors producing really interesting work and those making the leap from shorts to features such as Eva Webber, Esther May Campbell and Ruth Paxton. Cinematography wise too, there’s a growing number of female DOPs getting the recognition they deserve. A number of my favourite DOP’s are women such as Agnes Godard, Ellen Kuras, Reed Morano and Natasha Braier, not because they are women but because they excel in their field. Hopefully we can get to a place where female filmmakers are so commonplace that festivals celebrating female filmmakers separate from male filmmakers are no longer necessary.