Guiding Lights Mentor Film's Rising Stars

Top names from the world of filmmaking are taking on a new mentoring role to help support the next generation of UK film talent. Guiding Lights pairs established names, including writer  and producer Michael Kuhn, with 26 of the hottest new talents in the UK for 12 months of mentoring, advice and support.

The initiative is part of A Bigger Future, the UK film skills strategy, a joint project between Skillset and the UK Film Council funded by national lottery money and industry investment.

Director of Film at Skillset, Judy Counihan said: “Over 12 months these new talents will learn from the best and most experienced practitioners working in the UK film industry today.  It is an amazing opportunity for young professionals to further their careers and for the industry to help nurture the new talent needed for future success."

Welcoming the joint initiative, James Purnell MP, Minister for Film, said:
“Mentoring is an excellent way to tap into the invaluable knowledge and skills of people with a vast working experience. And it's a rewarding way of sharing that experience and developing the people working alongside you. The film industry has embraced this idea through the Guiding Lights scheme and should be congratulated - as should Skillset and Lighthouse for creating and delivering this groundbreaking and innovative project.”

It's intended that Guiding Lights will smooth the way for new talent coming in to an industry that often appears to be a stop-go, where newcomers regularly have problems breaking through glass walls. These are areas Skillset now seems poised to tackle.

"Our film industry always seems to suffer from a cycle of peaks and troughs," Skillset's Judy Counihan says. "Guiding Lights is just one of many initiatives Skillset and the industry is working on to help build stronger foundations for the next generation of filmmakers.”

THE MENTORING PAIRS