Jo has worked with early-career filmmakers throughout her professional life, showcasing short film at festivals and creating international opportunities for filmmakers in her role as Senior Consultant for New Talent Programmes with the British Council’s film department. She is passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices and talents in the screen industries.
In collaboration with BFI NETWORK, Jo helped to set-up a new fund to support UK based filmmakers to attend training labs around the world to further their international experience and contacts. She currently manages the Travel Grant Fund for British Council Film, supporting UK based filmmakers to attend over 55 festivals worldwide. Jo has strong relationships with festivals and labs around the world, and regularly attends major screening and training events to promote the work of early career filmmakers.
In 2022/23, Jo designed and creatively produced a new free-access resource for short filmmakers in collaboration with British Council, the BFI and BAFTA called The Short Film Toolkit. Spanning film festival strategies, and case studies, to funding and marketing recommendations, the digital Short Film Toolkit demystifies the boundless world of shorts. It illustrates that there is no one size fits all approach, alongside the importance of networks, where to access funding and what areas of promotion to invest in, key film festivals, alongside building relationships with peers and creative authenticity. Genres including documentary, animation, fiction, experimental & artist moving image, XR and immersive are all explored. You can take a look at the Toolkit here: https://film.britishcouncil.org/resources/short-film-toolkit
In 2024, Jo will be a mentor for We Are Parable’s Momentum programme, in partnership with Film 4 and Sony Pictures. Momentum is a 6-month professional development programme for Black filmmakers and content creators.
Jo has also developed and hosted training workshops for early career filmmakers for clients including the BFI, BAFTA, The National Film & Television School and various film festivals.