SUZY GILLETT






   



 



︎     ︎    ︎   ︎   ︎  ︎

Consultancy 



Script and Edit Consultant


I have decades of experience reading and writing reports on scripts for major European funding agencies as well as giving feeback on rough cut edits for European Production Companies and individual writer/directors.

I can do a scene by scene breakdown and skype or a report with key issues.

I can watch a rough cut / assembly and offer pertinant feedback.

“I’m more than impressed”  
Recently asked to feedback  on a script to tweak prior to application for production funding - just heard they got their funding.

“thank you for your relevant yet empathic feedback.”
please write to me at gillettsuzy(@) gmail.com for consulting on your feature script or treatment (documentary and fiction) or rough cut edit.





We Are UK Film

Curator of Talks at the UK Pavilion in Cannes
2022 & 2023 


Curating the industry panels in Cannes to promote the work of the BFI and partner organisations. 





https://www.weareukfilm.com/news/uk-industry-events-cannes-2022

2023 programme to be announced..... 



Focus 2021 & 2022
Content Curator 



https://focus2022.com/focus-2022/pages/programme
I curated the content programme with over 50 industry panels with over 170 speakers for the annual Focus - The Meeting for International Production https://www.tlgfocus.com/programme/
and chaired the “in conversation with Ita Obrien”, the UK’s leading intimacy co-ordinator. 








Films Skills and Talent Development 



Working with film schools and companies in the screen industries –  to develop, finance, create and run talent development programmes, from early career to executive level. Producing events, films and collaborations.

• Building partnership projects including across private & public sectors

• Identifying skills gaps & needs , for individuals, teams & companies

• Creating learning experiences with clear, measurable outcomes

•  Empowering new talent through mentoring, training & guidance

• Understanding client & audience/end-user needs

• Writing proposals, bids & pitches

• Managing departments & teams, including budgets, resources & staffing



                    

  select clients





2023 
RR Cafe



creating a new international lab for curators in partnership with Ad Arte and Short Waves Festival 






https://shortwaves.pl/en/2023/02/r-r-cafe-breaking-new-ground-in-film-curating-2/



Short Waves Festival June 2021, Pozan Poland
Creative Curating as Collective Collaboration







Barbican
Young Film Programmers


I've spent the past seven years leading tri-monthly evening meetings between September-March facilitating the Barbican Young Film Programmers to curate Chronic Youth. I was approached by the Barbican in 2014 to devise and run an educational programme that would empower young people to develop skills in event management, marketing and curating, working as a team and building their own network and community. Alumni include T A P E Collective.

Course Leader 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.
The Barbican Young Film Programmers 
https://www.barbican.org.uk/take-part/young-creatives/young-film-programmers



&

Course Leader 
Barbican Emerging Curators Lab
2020 & 2022 & 2023



The fruit of our labour:
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2020/series/emerging-film-curators-2020




https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2022/series/emerging-film-curator-2022

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co8RfEpogY5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

&

Film Mentor


Barbican

Subject to Change


I was Film Mentor for Oliver Cross, Destiny Adeyemi, Timalka Kalubowila & Leo Long

https://www.barbican.org.uk/take-part/young-creatives/subject-to-change-new-horizons

https://sites.barbican.org.uk/newhorizons/#group-Destiny-Adeyemi-72saWSHfKs

First Cut Lab

consulting on editing at final stages Vilnius, Slovakia, Switzerland


 including  ‘AYA’ screened in Cannes 2021. 

Creative England


I was the iFeature Lab Producer 2019/2020
Devising and producing the framework, content and selection of  industry trainers for 3 residential labs running alongside the development of 12 feature scripts supported by BFI and BBC FILMS.

http://ifeatures.co.uk/in-development-201920.html

StoryLab August 2019



October 2019 meetings with distributors, sales agents and exhibitors.



Lagos Film Lab


British Council


2019/20 UK / NIGERIA I was the Creative Consultant,  Facilitator and content advisor for Lagos Film Lab. 
Transferring knowledge to empower Nigerian based producers to run Script Development Labs in Lagos for feature films.

In partnership with Creative England.

ScreenSkills UK


Film Associate 2016
(UK-wide Strategic Skills Body for Screen Industries - Investment, Training, Careers & Research) Fixed-term contract to support Creative Skillset to create impactful training to hit diversity targets.
Projects initiated and supported include THE FILM CREW.

Scuola Holden 


2015-2019 Turin, Italy
I devised and ran training in film distribution and festival event creation.
And was their International Scout for trainers and students. 





UNATC BUCHAREST


I teach a documentary summer workshop at Romania’s National Film School
 



ESAV Marrakech


Teacher Experimentation in Documentary 
(BA + MA Film and Graphic Design School, Marrakech, Morrocco)
Scout for trainers.
Since 2017 I deliver an annual curriculum module in documentary filmmaking to MA level students. 



2021



2017
2019

2023

Directors from ESAV 

Les Arcs Film Festival


From 2010-2019 I was the Co-manager of the Film School Village (now Talent Village) with Thomas Rosso, annually for nine years, to select and accompany emerging talent from across Europe to attend the Co-production Market at the festival in the Alps.



Festival International du Film Francophone, NamurChair for the Ciné Fabrique, film school networking event to celebrate 30th anniversary of the festival. Participating schools from around the world. 

EUROMED


Euromed BEIRUT MEDIA Expert, viability of the development of a joint masters between ESAV Marrakech, Alba, Beirut and the Tunisia University Film Dept. 

EU COMMISSION in the UK


EU Commission Representation in the UK Producer of over 20 short films to highlight cultural projects supported by the EUCUK, including 6 films about EU Orchestras that were at the time all based in the UK. 



Chamber Orchestra of Europe - Director Alexandru Gherman 

The Orgelbüchlein Project 

Swiss Film ZURICH

Consulting with First Feature Film directors, doc and fiction. 

So Film UK


I put together the UK team for the French Film Magazine to launch in the UK. Editor, writers, translators as well as special screenings of films. 



SO FILM screening a success, packed audience at the Ritzy Cinema for JIMMY P — with SO FILM UK, Andrew Simpsonand Julien Planté.

Horniman Museum Curated a day of African short films for their garden. 

Unifrance (Agency for the promotion of French Cinema) Delivery of their annual UK showcase, Rendezvous with French Cinema several years running, including all local logistics. 

Screen South 

(UK Screen Agency)
Talent Development Manager, scouting and supporting emerging film talent across the region, from Margate to Slough, via Brighton and Canterbury. 

Tokyo African Film FestivalAfrica at the Pictures
Print Co-ordinator
For several years I worked to support Kenji Shiraishi (Japan) and Keith Shiri (UK) in their important work screening African Cinema.


Keith Shiri, Alain Gomis, Suzy


 translation *written


French to English
- Subtitles 
Including : Abbas Fahdel’s Yara and Homeland, Iraq Year Zero
Pierre-Emmanuel Urcun & Jean-Baptiste Saurel‘s Demain C Loin

- Film Scripts / treatments:
La Roya by Juan Sebastian Mesa
Sous Le Beton Roy Arida


  interpreting
*consecutive speaking


French to English
FILM
- Press junkets
- FIlm screenings, festivals, on stage Q&A
including : Ladj Ly, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Djibril Diop Mambety, Sembene Ousmane, Alain Gomis, Cathrine Breillart, Bruno Dumont, Jacques Audiard, Gilles Lelouche, Audrey Tautou , Marion Cotillard, Jérémie Renier, François Ozon, Sandrine Bonnaire Nabil Ayouch....

MUSIC
- Press junkets
- festivals, on stage Q&A
    some musicians I have interpreted for : Salif Keita, Amadou & Meriem, Rachid Taha, Arditti Quartet...

ART
-Serpentine Gallery events:
Edouard Glissant / Paul Virillo / Jean Nouvel / Alain Robbe-Grillet / Carlos Cruz-Diez / 

TRANSLATIONS


BOOKS
The Young Girl Tiqqun
Chapter : The Asymptote of Chance by Birgit Polzer  Gerhard Richter 4900 Colours (uncredited!) Translation of Gauguin letters and post cards for Tate Modern Exhibition



Jacques Audiart



Suzy, Neary Adeline Hay, Jo Duncombe, Open City Doc


Suzy, Catherine Breillart, Isabelle Huppert, Claire Stewart, LFF.



Keith Shiri, Sandrine Bonnaire, Suzy 


  Hosting Q&As





Suzy & Mahamet-Salah Haroun at LFS


Q&A with Ana Ularu and Anca Damien, Rich Mix, East End FIlm Festival 2014 


Q&A with Ana Ularu and Anca Damien, Rich Mix, East End FIlm Festival 2014




Kristof Bilsen, Elephant’s Dream, Berthadochouse. Tuesday 9th February, 2016



  film juries





- Short Waves, Poznan 2021


- Gabes Cinema Fen 2020 
Cinemaubit, Bucharest 2013 & President of the Jury 2020 & 2021
Over 21 hours of short films in competition for 14 prizes. Zoom meeting of Jurors:


Cap Spartel Tangiers 2015


Lago Film Festival 2019

Lago Film Festival Jury with Suzy Gillett, Rachel Lang, Camilla Semino Favro and Szymon Stemplewski.





panelist - speaker 


 Locarno Open Doors Carthage Film Festival

 
  Carthage Film Festival Panelist. 


                                                               

     pundit



https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/voter/73

https://www.timeout.com/london/film/why-breathless-still-shines-at-fifty-1





CHAIR OF BOARD OF LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL




Mark

                         International Film Labs



Jean-Charles Hue talking to Suzy, Roy Arida and Pierre-Emmanuel Urcun (Stank.fr)



LOW BUDGET FILM FORUM



Low Budget Film Forum at Les Arcs 2010 from SUZY GILLETT on Vimeo.

From 2009-2014 I ran the annual The Low Budget Film Forum, a script development lab for low budget films for writer producer director teams graduating from European film schools. The lab was devised as a first step from film school to industry with a first feature project.

Financed by Creative Europe’s Media Fund.

The consortium of participating schools and festivals :
London Film School, London
dffb, Berlin
La Fémis, Paris
The Danish National Film School, Copenhagen
SZFE - The Hungarian National Film and Theatre University, Budapest
UNATC, The Romanian National Film and Theatre University, Bucharest

partner festivals :
Tiff - Transilvania International Film Festival
Les Arcs European Film Festival

Trainers included industry experts from across Europe
Cluj Napoca 2013



Team LBFF (missing a few) — left to right, with Doru Nitescu,Julie Tingaud, Luke Schiller, Brice Cauvin, Suzy, Kamal Aljafari, Ibolya Fekete, Johnny Andersen, Jacopo de Bertoldi and Ellis Freeman.
***

                                 international film labs


MAKING WAVES


From 2012-2014 Suzy devised and directed the Making Waves lab which was held annually during the Berlinale at the dffb.
The lab focussed on marketing distribution and festival exhibition using a hands on method to create a distribution strategy for case study films screening in the Berlinale.

Financed by Creative Europe’s Media Fund.

The consortium of participating schools and festivals :
London Film School, London
dffb, Berlin
La Fémis, Paris
ESCAC, Barcelona
UNATC, The Romanian National Film and Theatre University, Bucharest
Columbia School of Film  , NY

festival partner
Berlinale
Berlinale Talents

Lab locations : Hungary, Denmark, France, Romania, Germany
Creative Europe MEDIA Funded


2012-2015

  international film labs



In collaboration with Scuola Holden, Turin, Italy
Training Labs - Script Development, Packaging, Production.

 A4C -
ADAPTING FOR CINEMA

Adapting for Cinema (A4C)  took a book and adapted it in teams of three, a writer, producer and visual artist collaborating to produce a package of a viable treatment and visuals for the the book to be adapted into a feature film.

Financed by Creative Europe’s Media Fund.

The consortium of participating schools and festivals :
Scuola Holden, Turin
MOME, Budapest
London Film School, London

festival partner
Turin Film Festival

Trainers included industry experts from across Europe


  international film labs



FILM GARAGE 


Film Garage was a genuis concept by Simone Fenoil of the Scuola Holden - take genre ideas of thriller, horror and road movies and develop them into serious film projects. I was part of the team of  ‘mechanic’s who fixed the scripts until they were road worthy. 

The lab was devised as a first step from film school to industry with a first feature project.
Financed by Creative Europe’s MEDIA Fund.


partner festivals :
Courmayeur Noir In Festival

Trainers included industry experts from across Europe - hand photos by SG.






                        

                        Film Training



CHRONIC YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL


Barbican Young Film Programmers






Link to Letterboxd list of films in Chronic Youth
 

Since 2015 I’ve been the Course Leader of the Barbican Film Young Programmers, an annual seven month course in film curating. The final project is a real festival : The Chronic Youth Film Festival hosted by the Barbican Centre.

The Barbican Young Film Programmers are a group of film-buffs aged 16 to 25 who meet over four times a month to learn how to share their love and knowledge of film with real audiences.

As a Barbican Young Film Programmer you will be given the skills to put on a film festival at the Barbican.

Lead mentor Suzy Gillett has worked in film for over twenty years as a film curator, film producer and film educator. She is an expert in nurturing and empowering emerging international film talent.

She will be joined by Barbican curators and guest tutors from across the film industry. You will be encouraged to watch as many films movies as possible, working as a group to programme and market a film festival. You will then run the event over a weekend at the Barbican, contributing to event planning, marketing and the overall delivery of the festival. 

Previous participants have gone on to work at Mubi, ICA, Ritzy Cinema, Open City Doc Festival, Deptford Cinema and set up film clubs : Tape Collective



2016
Chronic Youth highlights

Güeros - Alonzo Ruizpalacios

Rude Boy - Jack Hazan

Mediterranea - Jonas Carpignano


2017
Chronic Youth highlights

Tower XYZ
Ayo Akingbade

Something Better to Come - Hanna Polak

Swagger - Olivier Babinet

Millenium Mambo - 
Hou Hsiao-Hsein &
Mia Hansen Love shorts








2018
Chronic Youth highlights

Summer 1993 Carla Simón

A Child in the Crowd - Gérard Blain 





2019
Chronic Youth highlights


Young Soul Rebels - Isaac Julien

Archive Films

Zine 








Barbican Young Programmer
Araba talking about 
Young Soul Rebels 



The Smalls video of the BYP 2019





Autumn 2020

3 & 4 October in Cinema - 3-13 October online : get your tickets!

https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/series/chronic-youth-film-festival-2020

Screentalk about Q’s Barbershop
https://youtu.be/5qY2yxD0cPA



Spring 2022
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2022/series/chronic-youth-film-festival-2022










                          curator



MOSAÏQUES FESTIVAL OF WORLD CULTURE


2004-2007


Mosaïques was the largest annual 10 day festival funded by the French Institute, I was given free reign to curate and to take risks in programming UK premieres of many first time directors, unknown at the time, but later to be celebrated worldwide. 

Highlight
Working with Julien Planté, Natacha Antonolini.

Venues: 
Ciné Lumière at the French Institute
(Institut Francais du Royaume Uni) Ritzy Cinema
  Peckhamplex
Picturehouse Greenwich
British Museum
V&A



*






INTERVIEW Link in French for France Culture:

Carnet Nomad - France Culture

                                                                 curator


WOMEN’S CINEMA FROM TANGIERS TO TEHRAN


In 2008 I co-curated Women’s Cinema from Tangiers to Tehran with James Neil of Parallax Media.
A 10 day festival with over 40 films, events and music. We also held a Film Symposium in partnership with the Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World (CASAW) at Edinburgh University. 


Venues:
Ciné Lumière
ArtZone
Cambridge Arts Picturehouse

Leighton House Museum
London Film School
Rich Mix
Ritzy Cinema

Letterboxed full list of films in festival


Additional Funding came from Creative Europe’s Euromed fund - Medscreen
and Film London
In partnership with Arab Media Watch 

Following the success of the festival ArteEast toured the whole festival across the United States at Universities. 






2004
Mosaïques
Highlights
 

Blissfully Yours - Apichapong Weerasethakul

Milles Mois - Faouzi Bensaïdi

Since Otar Left - Julie Bertucelli 

I Will Sing For You - Jacques Sarrasin 

The Agronomist - Jonathan Demme 

Untouched by the West - Raymond Depardon 

At Five in the Afternoon - Samir Makhmalbaf
2005 Mosaïques
Highlights


I Even Met Some Happy Gypsies - Aleksander Petrovic

Exiles & Les Princes - Tony Gatlif

Viva Laldjerie - Nadir Mockneche

Schizo
- Guka Omarova 

Les Statues meurent aussi & Sans soleil - Chris Marker 

Le Grand Voyage - Ismaël Ferroukhi 
2006 Mosaïques
Highlights


Une Matin bonne heure - Gahité Fofana 

Quand Les Hommes Pleurent & THe Sleeping Child - Yassmine Kassari

Nuit Noire, 17 octobre 1961 - Alain Tasma

La Trahison
Philippe Faucon

Saratan - Ernest Abdyshaparov

A Perfect Day
Khalil & Joana Hadjithomas 

Be With Me - Eric Khoo
2007
Mosaïques
Highlights


Glue - Alex dos Santos

Alan & Samir
Yann Demange

Bye Bye Africa & Darratt - Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Transilvania - Tony Gatlif

Rome Rather Than You - Tariq Teguia

Wesh Wesh, What’s Up & Bled Number 1 - Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche

Highway - Sergei Dvortsevoy

Battle of Algiers - Gillo Pontecorvo
2008 Women’s Cinema from Tangiers to Tehran  Highlights 
Caramel - Nadine Labaki

The House is Black  - Forough Farrokhzad

The Silence of the Palace - Moufida Tlatli

Leila and The Wolves - Heiny Srour

Like Twenty Impossibles - Annemarie Jacir

Bitter Water - Maysoon Pachachi

Inch’allah Dimanche - Yamina Benguigui






                                                                    curator



Marrakech Biennale 2012



I curated the Film section of the 2012 Marrakech Biennale

Highlight
Masterclass with Hicham Lasri and Mohamed Bakrim following screening of The End

Venues across Marrakech


Mohammed Bakrim, Hicham Lasri, Suzy Gillett @ ESAVMarrakech


***

                                                   curator



Film Africa 2013


An annual 10 day festival I was hired to curate Film Africa 2013, the UK’s largest African Film Festival.

Highlight
Working with Ashley Clark who went on to become Senior programmer at BAM in NY.

Venues:
BFI Southbank
Ciné Lumière at the French Institute
(Institut Francais du Royaume Uni)
Ritzy Cinema
Rich Mix
South London Gallery
Hackney Picturehouse
University of Westminster

Flyer Film Africa 2013










Interview on Bird’s Eye View

https://www.birds-eye-view.co.uk/industry-insights-film-africa-curator-suzy-gillett/


Film Africa 2013
Highlights:

Sodiq - Adeyemi Michael

Black Girl - Sembene Ousmane

L’Afrance  &  Andalucia &
Tey - Alain Gomis

Babylon - Aladeddine Slim

Touki Bouki - Djibril Diop Mambety

Milles Soleils  - Mati Diop

A Screaming Man - Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

The Virgin the Copts and Me - Namir Abdel Messeeh

The Battle of Tabatô - Joao Viana

Demain C Loin - Pierre-Emmanuel Urcun