Mia Bays: Virtual Masterclass

Mia Bays is an Oscar-winning, twice BAFTA-nominated Producer who has been in the industry for almost 30 years and, in that time, has worked on over 50 shorts, documentaries and feature films, including Scott Walker: 30th Century Man, Letters from Baghdad with Tilda Swinton, and Ill Manors.

She is also the Director at Large for Birds’ Eye View, a not-for-profit that centres the female perspective in film and campaigns for gender equality in all film spaces. We were introduced to Mia by one of our students, Anniston, as they have worked together in the past, and we were extremely grateful to be able to have a Masterclass with Mia on Monday 18th May.

Mia shared her presentation “How to Make a Little Go a Long Way: A Low Budget Life” with the attendees of the Masterclass, detailing her background and how this gave her a fresh perspective, and how her experience in distribution and international sales experience has given her an advantage across the rest of her career. She then gave her top tips for filmmaking and producing, before posing questions to the group.

Mia also highlighted the importance of word-of-mouth when promoting equality in film. Birds’ Eye View started the Reclaim the Frame movement, and it’s their mission to bring ever-greater audiences to films by women by offering their energy, influence and passion to the films they centre, aiming to inspire as many people around the UK to join in watching them, in cinemas or at home. You can learn more about Reclaim the Frame by visiting their website here and we really recommend signing up to be an influencer for the movement. It’s free, it only takes a few moments to join, and you’ll also receive discounts and goodies for taking part!