Honorary Trustee - Robbie Ryan Oscar Nominated Irish cinematographer whose work spans over 106 film projects, including feature-length, short films, commercials, and music video
“I wish I had courses like this when I was starting out in film”
Alison McCloskey began her career in film education in 2002, as the main tutor and coordinator for Youth Animation and Media, running free filmmaking workshops for children and teenagers in South East London.
Under her leadership, YAM produced 200 short films, animated works and award winning community documentaries. She established YAM on Rye in 2006, the first festival in the UK to exclusively showcase films made by young people. As the Director of the Flipside Youth Film Festival, she trained young adults to plan, programme and deliver pop up screenings in schools and youth clubs across London. Alison is currently an active member of the Youth Cinema Network, an organisation connecting youth film festivals and educators worldwide. She has been a member of the international jury for several of these festivals as well as speaking at conferences and symposia on media education. She sits on the Board of Directors at Fresh Film Ireland and is an International Co-Producer for Honning Film in Oslo, Norway.
In her work with young people, Alison encourages a regard for cinema as an art form and as a vehicle for social engagement and personal empowerment. She emphasizes the responsibility of young filmmakers to innovate and reinvent the medium in the context of a dominant, commercially driven industry, resulting in homogeneous output in which their voices are largely underrepresented.
Alison McCloskey / Managing Director
Alex Shipman is an award winning filmmaker, BFI Film Academy and NFTS Craft Skills Residential Alumni. Alex is now a self-shooter/camera operator working in documentaries and EPK. She has worked on documentaries for BBC, Wellcome Trust and The Guardian on subjects of Mental Illness, gun crime in Birmingham and teenage homelessness. She also shoots EPK and BTS on many different scale productions, ranging from shooting BTS on VHS, Super 8 and 16mm for Channel 4 to covering the making of Mickey 17 (2024) and Wonka.
Her ambition has always been to direct, she has made numerous music videos and short films which have screened in festivals around the world. Her last fiction short, “Inside,” won the Straight 8 “Best 8” Cannes Film Festival award and was championed by filmmaker Mark Jenkins. In 2020 she finished an independent feature documentary about her mum who is a boxer and her latest short documentary is about women's experiences in night clubs visualised through a dance routine and is currently on the festival circuit. Alex loves working in experimental ways, whether that be in smaller than average teams or different camera formats such as film or even Gameboy camera’s!
Aside from her filmmaking she teaches courses to young people and acts as a mentor outside of those courses. She has taught on the BFI Future Film Academy for the past 6 years as well as short courses for Eastside Education, Princes Trust, Iconic Steps and mentored for Into Film and Screen Skills.
Alex Shipman / Company Director
Trustee’s
Youth Trustee’s
Jason de Vyea, RUNCREATIVE.TV
Originally from west London, Jason spends his time between the UK and Barcelona. His Sky Sports 1 documentary ‘Black & Blue’ told the remarkable life and experience of the first-ever black footballer to play for Chelsea F.C., during an era where racial discrimination, bigotry, and violence was hailed as “A truly historical document” - Daily Mail. His most film works include the 2019 film ‘Breaker’ which he Produced and was released theatrically July 2020 in North America, and his latest feature film 'Persona' 2025. He’s also known for his commercial work; with brands such as adidas, British Airways, Samsung, Red Bull, John Frieda, and working with artists Bryan Ferry, Tinie Tempah, and Above & Beyond. He was creative director at Total Rock (Classic Rock, Prog Rock, Metal Hammer, magazine), and spent the years 2020-2023 working with Renault/BWT Alpine F1 team, working closely with two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso; Managing, and directing the teams on-track filming/test days. He currently has a historical Formula 1 feature, finishing development, and entering packaging stage.
Aurora Shannon, Senior Colourist, is credited on over 160 feature films and major episodic TV shows including Dune, First Man, and Blade Runner 2049.
Her interest in film was sparked with the making of her first short film Noise as part of a summer youth programme. Shannon went on to study at Lewisham and Ravensbourne Colleges alongside Youth Animation and Media (YAM) under Alison McCloskey, before starting her career at Soho Film Lab in 2008, which she developed further at Company 3 and DNEG.
Throughout her career, Shannon has tutored and mentored young filmmakers and graduates with YAM, Ravensbourne College, and the BFI as part of the Future Film Academy with McCloskey. She reflects on the importance of youth film education:
"Where I grew up in South East London, no one had any money or a successful career. You could see that people did, but over there. Education was the bridge to that, and youth programmes the opportunity to explore and develop an interest. Many of my peers have built successful careers in film, TV, VFX, design, publishing, and fashion. I strongly believe that the creative industries are an important and viable career path for young people of all backgrounds, and youth programmes a vital gateway to opportunity."
Narena Modeste
Works in Education at the BFI
Peggy Pollard
London based emerging writer director for theatre and film. A recent graduate from University of Bristol with a degree in Theatre and Performance Studies. Alumnus of BFI Film Academies and D&AD New Blood Shift. Recent work includes writing and staging three productions in Bristol, all with sold out runs..
Alafiyah Rehmanji
Alumni of BFI Film Academy and working as a Production Assistant
