2024 Mentee Bios

  • Ali Naushahi

    Ali is a Series Director/Producer & Screenwriter. With a background as a classically trained actor, she possesses a keen eye and an ability to draw out authentic performances both from talent and everyday contributors.

    She loves both pure documentary and scripted drama directing and often gets to marry her love of both in the many drama-documentaries she has directed.

    With her dual British-Pakistani heritage, and northern working class roots, Ali is drawn to the stories of those on the margins of society, and her unique perspective helps bring a deeply empathetic approach when connecting with the subjects of her films/scripts.

  • Alice Coulson

    Alice started off her career working on shiny floor shows, such as The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent. She moved to Manchester over a decade ago where she now lives with her husband and two young children.

    She’s worked as a Producer on various Ob-Docs such as Ambulance for BBC One and Educating Manchester for Channel 4. She loves her job and the variety of people she gets the opportunity to meet with each new project. Her goal is to become an experienced Edit Producer and to, obviously, win a BAFTA!

  • Anupreet Bains

    Anu is an ambitious aspiring producer with 10 years experience in Fact and Fact Ent. Her credits include The Apprentice, Come Dine With Me The Professionals and Save Our Squad with David Beckham.

    Before working in TV Anu was a Radio Presenter and Producer for 10 years on a host of stations including Radio Jackie and produced on Eddie Nestors show on BBC London. Anu is passionate about finding great characters with amazing stories. She feels privileged to be able to bring unique stories to the fore and give them a voice.

  • Charlotte Smith

    Charlotte is a versatile and accomplished Executive Producer specialising in Fact Ent, Reality and Popular Factual formats. In her 20+ years working in TV, she also has experience in Obs Docs, True Crime, and Specialist Factual. Her credits include Love Island, The Apprentice, The Circle, Sport Relief, and Come Dine with Me and Killer at The Crime Scene.

    Charlotte also worked for a broadcaster for two years. As the Channel Exec for BBC One, she supported the then Channel Controller, Charlotte Moore. In this role, Charlotte helped manage the content and the entire BBC One brand, across its many departments.

  • Cherry Sandhu

    Cherry has been working in reality and entertainment TV for 16 years. Following an MA in Television and Radio Journalism, Cherry went on to be selected for an ITV traineeship and has since worked her way up to a Series Producer level specialising in reality, challenge and entertainment television production.

    Recent Netflix credits include Squid Game: The Challenge, Love is Blind UK, Too Hot to Handle and Snowflake Mountain. Cherry also regularly conducts consultancy work within Development projects focussing on reality and challenge formats as well as guest speaking at various television festivals and TV networking events.

  • Claudia Webster

    Claudia is a Grierson Award-Winning and Bafta Nominated Director and Series Producer, specialising in primetime, popular factual and documentary projects. Recently, she’s Series Produced The Dog House and Drag SOS (C4) and edit produced Idris Elba’s Fight School (BBC 2), and Amanda and Alan’s Italian Job (BBC 1).

    A passionate storyteller, she’s known for her warmth and humour, having directed First Dates and First Dates Hotel (C4), Gypsy Weddings (C4), Stacey Dooley Investigates (BBC 3), Liberty of London (C4), The Apprentice and Young Apprentice (BBC 1), Delboys and Dealers (BBC 1), and The Tiny Tots Talent Agency (C4). Claudia’s goal for 2024 is to expand her network into the premium factual space.

  • Deniz Kevalali

    Deniz has over 13 years professional experience as a Film Editor, specialising in short and long-form drama, television docu-series, and commercials for both TV and online.

    Her Senior Editor credits include the feature ‘Crimean’ (2014), and Title Sequence Editor on the most recent ‘True Detective’ series (Night Country, HBO).

    In the arena of commercials and branded content, her clients have included Sky, Coca Cola, Vodafone, Manchester United and Formula-E, working with some of the UK's most prestigious content agencies including Superunion, TBWA, Cheil and Publicis.

  • Eleonora Mignoli

    Eleonora goes by Leo, is an Italian-born, Manchester-based neurodivergent and queer screenwriter.

    With a knack for world-building, Leo works across various mediums to blend high-concept ideas with character-driven stories, creating commercially successful shows with a meaningful message. A BAFTA Member, BFI funding recipient, and a participant in several prestigious talent schemes, Leo is busy with multiple feature film commissions and developing a multi-platform IP for a US-based company. She has been writing animation for an online streaming channel with 18M+ subscribers, and her RomCom ""Steal Your Heart,"" produced by Reel One Entertainment, is streaming on Amazon Prime US.

  • Georgina Bobb

    Georgina boasts a stellar track record as a production manager in the UK television industry. With 15 years of multifaceted experience, she's an award-winning professional renowned for her tenacity and expertise. As a Wonder Women TV Mentee and Breakthrough Leader, Georgina is primed for her next role, available immediately for work arrangements.

    Her comprehensive skill set includes managing multiple productions, handling finances, and leading teams of all sizes. Georgina's dedication to excellence is evident in her work, from coordinating acclaimed live music performances and factual productions to overseeing international productions for major networks. She also works as a career coach and trainer in employability and production management.

  • Jacqueline Baker

    Jacqueline specialises in developing true crime and factual entertainment content. Recent development credits include Outsmarting (Channel 4) and My Super-Rich Holiday (Channel 4). She has also secured funded development with major broadcasters and SVoDs, including ITV and Netflix.

    In addition to her creative skills, she is a passionate advocate for discovering new talent and promoting diversity in the TV industry. Jacqueline served on the BAFTA DEI Committee for two years and had the privilege of presenting evidence to the DCMS Committee in the House of Commons.

    She possesses exceptional casting and story-producing skills, further enhancing her credentials in the industry. For her next challenge, Jacqueline hopes to lead a development team and produce her own documentary ideas.

  • Katie Crawford

    Available for work - Katie is a highly accomplished Snr Edit Producer / PD.

    She spans documentaries and popular factual and uses her 20-years experience to bring clarity and creativity to every project.

    She’s skilled and trusted in the edit and is excellent with people, creating supportive and collaborative environments to get the best out of contributors and the team.

    With so much experience, Katie is raring to Series Produce. As a regional mum with a hearing impairment, she is passionate about inclusivity and is looking for a longer-term TV home where she can pour her energy and be supported in her career progression.

  • Katrina Inkster

    With 19 years experience in the TV Industry and aspirations of moving to Series Director roles, Katrina has the authoritative ability to deliver on every step of Production.

    As a BAFTA Scotland Features winner in 2023, her work reflects a specialist capacity to produce beautiful narratives, no matter the subject or environment, knowing when to step in and when to step back, gaining the trust of any talent, contributor or crew with ease.

    Katrina is based in the Scottish Highlands and originally from the Shetland Islands. Recent projects include The Traitors, Love it or List it and Ice Airport Alaska.

  • Louise McNab

    Former Commercial Director at the UK’s largest producer of British content, BBC Studios, Louise was responsible for the end-to-end Global Sales business within Distribution. Responsible for bringing the regional businesses together to align to a global vision, building profitable customer partnerships and content strategies, in partnership with Production.

    Louise was the commercial lead steering BBCS content strategies and £250m content investment spend per annum, championing customer focussed, profitable deal making across Scripted, Unscripted and Children’s genres. Louise gained a deep-rooted international perspective of the business and forged trusted internal and external stakeholder relations up to C-suite.

    After nearly 10 successful years at BBC Studios, Louise decided to leave BBC Studios and focus on her next challenge and career move within the TV industry.

  • Louise Pirie

    Award-winning & BAFTA nominated documentary director /producer who makes films about stories that matter. Her BBC film ‘Breadline Kids’ changed policy & kids’ lives and her follow-up ‘From Syria to Scotland’ was an elegant portrait of Syrian refugee families who re-located to the safety of a Scottish island.

    Under Louise’s direction ‘Davina McCall:Sex, Mind & the Menopause’ for Channel 4 was an impactful, society changing, RTS & AIB nominated film. Her passion for ob-doc storytelling, respectful relationships with surgeons & patients in medical settings has brought the most exclusive access and jaw dropping, cutting-edge operations to our screens.

  • Makon Bassala

    Having grown up in-between France and the UK and having a Camerounian heritage, has given me the joy and privilege of learning and living in a multicultural household and countries. This lived experience is very much infused into my films and the work I aspire to create. Whether that be in the music, actors, location and costumes choices...To the amazing directors whom have come from these places and inspire me daily. Diversity in all forms is a wonderful thing which I endevour to reflect in my films as it only enriches us all.

    With 15 years experience in documentary filmmaking on a variety of shows such as, Emma Willis Delivering Babies (RTS WINNER), 999 What’s Your Emergency (BAFTA AWARD WINNER), Hunted (BAFTA NOMINEE), Great British Menu, The Murder of Sadie Hartley (RTS AWARD WINNER). I’ve earned the reputation of being a creative and editorially minded director who’s able to manage crews, multiple location shoots, as well as dealing with contributors in emotionally charged environments.

  • Michaela Storm Moir

    Michaela Storm Moir is a Scottish documentary director who specialises in high-end films. Starting out in TV production 15 years ago when selected for BBC's Trainee Programme, credits since also include Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky, National Geographic and Discovery Channel.

    She’s worked in-house at the BBC, Ridley Scott Films, Grain Media, 02 Filmes (Fernando Meirelles), and the Economist. She loves using the characters unique point of view as centre, as well as bringing drama storytelling to documentary, creating immersive, unfolding character-focused stories.

    As a Director, her passion is bringing marginalised voices to the mainstream with a journalistic flair, and storytelling in a visually engaging way. She aims to work on unique, innovative films. Recently completed projects include a high-access series with the Natural History Museum for C5 called ‘World of Wonder’, and a documentary on the rise of women’s rights in the Middle East.

  • Michelle Eagleton

    Michelle is an experienced TV and Radio presenter with over 20 years background in broadcast journalism. Her career has seen her interview a number of high-profile celebrities including Sir David Attenborough, Cher and Dame Joan Collins.

    Michelle has extensive presenting experience in live broadcasts and is currently the official red carpet reporter for the Royal Television Society Awards North West along with hosting the Drivetime show on the regional commercial station, Happy Radio.

    She is passionate to bring positive stories to the screen and puts those she interviews at ease with her warmth, infectious energy and northern charm.

  • Natalie Zinbung

    Starting off her career at the age of 19 as Production Assistant, Natalie's first set experience came from the set of Stephen King's 'Evil Never Dies' when it was filming in Australia. Natalie navigated her way into the Locations world and became Australia's youngest Location Manager at her time, branching out from TVC's to TV Drama, Photographic Stills Campaigns to Feature Films. Natalie then went on to being a Line Producer for an international television series that filmed in Queenstown, New Zealand, becoming the youngest Line Producer to recieve a grant from the New Zealand Film Commission.

    Natalie has recently full-time worked for The Walt Disney Studios here in London for 3 years, assigned to Marvel Studios where she has just wrapped on her fifth Marvel production - 'Deadpool & Wolverine' in February.

  • Naveed Chowdhary-Flatt

    Naveed is an Executive Producer/Director, and Showrunner. A BAFTA Award-winner, Naveed spent the last 25 years crafting her skills across a wide variety of genres, including specialist documentaries. Delivering content to a variety of broadcasters (Apple TV, BBC, Channel 4, Sky, ITV and VICE USA), Naveed has worked with high profile talent, as well as winning the trust of people featured in authored documentaries.

    Most recently, she has worked in collaboration with The Kings Foundation producing Bill Bailey’s Master Crafters: The Next Generation for Sky Arts, and the soon to air 'Backstage with the London Philharmonic Orchestra' and is currently in production with a high profile sensitive access feature for ITV1 and another specialist factual doc series for Sky Arts.

  • Nicola Leddy

    Nicola is an established Shooting Producer/Director with over 12 years experience across broadcast TV and online documentaries. She has a wealth of experience in producing sensitive access observational documentaries, negotiating relationships with large organisations and working closely with vulnerable contributors.

    Her sensitive access documentaries include working with survivors of sexual assault, anorexia, cancer, and institutions covering maternity wards, custody suites and ambulance services.

    She has prime-time credits across major broadcasters, including BBC One, BBC Three Channel 4, Channel 5, and National Geographic.

    Nicola’s passionate about telling women-led, society changing stories and this year, she’s developing and producing her first feature for festival release.

  • Rachel Dupuy

    Rachel is an award-winning Documentary Director. Her self-shot emotionally resonant films challenge perceptions and tackle complex subjects with nuance and authenticity, through intimate and compelling human stories.

    She directed and produced the BAFTA, Grierson and Rose D’Or award winning ‘THE SCHOOL THAT TRIED TO END RACISM’ (Channel 4) - a groundbreaking exploration of unconscious racial bias. She recently made her first, critically acclaimed, feature-length documentary, ‘ANOREXIC’, which has been shortlisted for Grierson, Broadcast and Bulldog awards.

    As a French, Spanish and Mandarin speaker, Rachel has filmed all over the world and has credits across observational specialist factual and talent-led films.

  • Rebecca Coley

    Rebecca is an award-winning director who works mainly in documentary and fiction, and is interested in creative ways of storytelling and is often attracted to challenging subjects and likes to explore the nuance and complexity of being human.

    Rebecca’s feature documentary POINT OF CHANGE is currently on the film festival circuit and picked up five awards at the first four festival screenings in 2023 and will be released in late 2024.

    Rebecca has made many award-winning short films, including narrative shorts PRETTY BITCH, HARD TO SAY, JACK BLOND + PANTS and the documentary STEAMERS, which was commissioned by Channel 4 as part of the cult late night 'Shooting Gallery’ screening platform for new talent.

  • Remi Morrison

    Remi is an experienced Producer with experience across several genres including Scripted, short form content, unscripted and feature films

    She is a champion for women in the media and loves telling female‐led narratives as well as stories that celebrate dual heritage – among her early projects is an online factual series of inspirational interviews with women called Breaking Out of the Box. Remi’s hugely varied career started in media comms with Global Radio promoting Capital FM and Heart FM appeals, and she has worked for FOX Channel on UK releases for Generation Kill, Family Guy and Breaking Bad;

    Remi runs her own company Red Cactus Media and has also freelanced for other companies and is open to working in a full time position in a company.

  • Ruchika Tagore

    Ruchika is a powerhouse in the TV industry, with a remarkable journey that began in editorial and production management. After eight years in the field, she made a game-changing decision to transition into development – and everything just fell into place! Since then, she has skyrocketed through the ranks, earning the titles of Development Executive & Head of Development. Her expertise has been sought after by a wide range of production companies across multiple genres, where she has created content for linear, SVOD, digital, and social media platforms.

    Known as the 'ultimate ideas machine' Ruchika is hailed for her ability to generate groundbreaking concepts that disrupt the status quo. While Ruchika boasts a stellar track record in entertainment, quiz shows, gameshows, and factual programming, her true superpower lies in cast-led reality, reality formats, and celebrity-led factual entertainment. She made her mark in the industry by creating and casting the iconic show 'Angels of the North' for BBC3. Projects like 'StevoTheDadMan' and 'Mukbang Dates' for Snap showcase her versatility and ability to adapt to new platforms.

  • Sarah Granville

    An experienced script editor with a talent in development from writers’ rooms through to post-production. Sarah’s career has united a love of great writing with a rich foundation of working in the broadcasting sector.

    Establishing her scripted career on the Alice Seabright original drama CHLOE for Mam Tor Productions, Sarah has since gone on to work closely with other emerging and established writers including Steven Knight. With a keen focus on unheard voices, Sarah is committed to making her way into leadership roles where she can drive positive change.

  • Sarah Connor

    Sarah Conner is an experienced Producer & Director used to managing multiple stake holders and leading large creative teams of up to 25 people. She has directed multiple simultaneous shoots and multicamera shoots, in complex, & extreme environments. Credits range from blue chip natural history [Blue Planet III, Obama’s Our Great National Parks, Blue Planet II, Frozen Planet II], high end presenter & contributor-led science programmes, and expedition & front line obs docs.

    Sarah has established shoot shares, manages rights/IP negotiations, additional funding from relationship to contract, taken multiple edits through offline to delivery, comm record to final mix, managed creatives to produce complex GFX, and worked with composers to produce bespoke soundtracks. In recent years she has specialize in marine and polar habitats utilizing her outdoor skill-set but previously worked globally from deserts to cities.

    Her passion for science and the natural world led her career changing from academic science to TV in the hope of not just entertaining but inspiring others to engage and wanting to learn more to help driving positive change. She also support the industry towards having a more inclusive and healthier working environment.

  • Soul Nazemi

    Soul is an experienced editor who works on multiple genres, such as observational, science and technology, crime & justice, factual, and archive. As an editor, she is always looking for projects that challenge people to think about the world in new ways. She is known for her dedication and drive on each project, bringing her vast experience and expertise to every film she cuts.

    Some of the highlights of her career include collaborating with BAFTA-winning director Joe Plomin on 'Undercover: Britain's Immigration Secrets' where she contributed with additional editing. She also worked on 'Mugabe at 90' (Our World), which featured President Mugabe's first interview with the BBC after a hiatus of 14 years, and 'Secret and Deals: How Britain Left the Middle East', an archival and drama recon collaboration between BBC News Arabic and BBC News Persian that uncovers the secrets behind the decolonization process.

    Soul is proficient in editing various languages, including Arabic, Chinese, and Urdu, earning her the nickname ""the Rosetta Stone of editing"" from a producer. Soul became a proud member of BFE (British Film Editors) in 2018.

  • Sylvia Mukasa

    Sylvia is a Production Manager for the BBC Studios Natural History Unit and in a 25 year career, has worked across titles ranging from Human Planet to Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History and Blue Planet 2.

    Sylvia loves working with teams to positively inspire an audience to take action or to think differently about our world. She is excited to be joining the Wonder Women mentoring programme as she is keen to build her confidence and develop sustainable strategies to take on more senior roles. She is a passionate advocate for production management and supporting new talent across the industry.

  • Tulasi Das

    Tulasi is a Producer and Director creating character-led documentaries on global social and environmental issues.

    Born in the Netherlands, she moved to London when she was selected for B3's Talentlab to develop her interactive documentary centred on empathy. She was one of 12 filmmakers selected for the BBC's Production Trainee Scheme.

    Since then, she has worked across the Documentaries slate, working on Natural History, Current Affairs, Political History and Independent documentaries. More recently, she directed and shot a short documentary surrounding Abortion in Mexico.

    She was a finalist for Fast&Factual, won an audience choice award, and amassed millions of views online. She has worked on shoots in Singapore, India, Cyprus, Ethiopia and many other countries. Currently, she is Story Producing for a RAW TV Documentary.

  • Taira Akbar

    Taira is a documentary producer/filmmaker focusing on narratives that advance perspectives. Started career at the BBC on The Tower: A Tale of Two Cities and The £800M Railway Station, developed a dexterity for long-form documentary, went on to independently produce feature-length documentary When Two Worlds Collide.

    When Two Worlds Collide debuted in January 2016 at the Sundance Film Festival and landed the Special Jury Prize for Best Debut Feature, a Cinema Eye Nomination and Producer Award for Best Documentary Award Political, TheWIFTS Foundation International.

    Since then, Taira has worked on multiple independent ventures, including Ford-Foundation/ Doc Society funded documentary set in the US capital about the revival of Martin Luther King’s 1968 Poor People’s Campaign. She is currently in development with her next independent feature and seeking opportunities to re-emerge as a UK based filmmaker in an environment that will provide an infrastructure to work at the capacity of a producer within development and production teams.