East London post house, VET, has partnered with Underwire since its inception, producing the programme files that we screen each year to ensure that every film is shown at its best on the big screen. VET also sponsors the Best Editor Award, as they work with and train up many female editors working in the industry, and offer free training or post prizes to successful filmmakers.

Joan Leese, Director of VET, recalls how during a conversation with founders Gabriella Apicella and Gemma Mitchell, she was delighted to hear that the pair were setting up a film festival with a feminist perspective, as feminism was a term that was not as prevalent at that time. The thought of a festival that would encourage young feminist filmmakers was something Joan was immediately keen to support.

Underwire has earned the continued support of VET, as they respect how seriously the Underwire team takes its mission to support a community of women filmmakers, and see that a great festival is delivered year on year.

Joan and the team at VET very much believe that a platform for women is still necessary today, particularly as over the last few years there has been a noticeable decline in women working in the industry in the UK.

When selecting the winner of the Best Editor Award VET is looking for an edit that has made a significant impact on the way that the story has been told. Often it can be the most invisible edits that are the most effective in enhancing the film.

Best Editor Award winners to date:

The first winner was Peta Ridley for Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul. Peta has since gone on to Co-Edit the BAFTA nominated documentary Virunga.

Ling Lee won in 2011 with Himalayan Sisters which VET’s Director Joan Leese felt showed a “mature and confident editing style. The pace of cutting is led by the content of the shots, not by an artificially imposed speed. The editor has examined the footage and let the shots dictate how long they should stay on screen.” Ling has since been working on moving image installations and shorts supported by the Scottish Documentary Institute.

Prano Bailey-Bond won in 2012 for editing Unravel a short documentary about textile workers in Panipat, a town in Northern India where unwanted textiles from the West are recycled. Prano has won numerous awards since for her compelling documentary and horror shorts and inventive music videos and is currently completing Nasty.

Angela Feeney won for Spine in 2013 – “Spine casts a fresh perspective on what it means to come-of-age and be a man, in modern-day England, whilst eloquently touching on the brutality of cage fighting, the taut nature of familial betrayal and the loaded notion of machismo”.

And in 2014 artist filmmaker Charlotte Ginsborg won for Opponent (pictured above), a film that fuses boxing and dance to present two very different expressions of masculinity.

Now in its 6th year Underwire is yet again looking to showcase the best female talent in the UK that is making awe inspiring and well-crafted films such as the ones mentioned above. If you have a film with a female editor (or other HoD) or strong female character at its centre, submit your film to Underwire to be in with a chance of winning an award and receiving support from an industry specialist such as VET. Deadline: 31 July.