Rachel Millward

Rachel founded Birds Eye View as a positive response to the fact that less than 10% feature film directors and 15% screenwriters are women, with the core belief that until we have a balanced perspective on screen, we can't achieve equality in society. The Birds Eye View Film Festival runs annually in London in International Women's Week in March. It is a celebratory showcase of the diverse work of international women filmmakers, including feature films, documentaries, short films, fashion films, music videos, multi-platform/internet based work, Q&As, masterclasses and debate. 2011 Highlights included the UK premiere of Oscar winning In A Better World by Susanne Bier, Tiny Furniture by Lena Dunham and Countdown to Zero from Oscar nominee Lucy Walker. Sound & Silents is our special strand of new music commissions highlighting women's contribution since the beginning of cinema. We commission female artists to create new live scores to early silent films. Musicians to date include Imogen Heap, Natalie Clein and Zoe Rahman. The Festival now attacts a live audience of 12,000 and reaches an online audience of 650,000 through online and broadcast channels. Contributors and supporters include Rosamund Pike, Zoe Wanamaker, Thandie Newton, Livia Firth, Lucy Walker, Susanne Bier, Gurinder Chadha and many more.

Birds Eye View also runs specialised training labs for emerging female talent, which have so far brought three comedy feature films and three feature animations into development with our partner production company Warp Films. http://www.birds-eye-view.co.uk/1732/training/training.html

Rachel has been named a Woman To Watch by the Arts Council England, and is currently a fellow on the prestigious Clore Leadership Programme.