Liz Harkman

Liz Harkman is a driven & enthusiastic creative consultant with a wealth of experience in running small charities and project consultancy within the screen and festival sector. She has a love of culture and the arts and a long term passion for film & festivals.

Liz has developed the ability to work on multiple projects at the same time with excellent attention to detail, efficiency and time management skills. She works well both as part of a team and autonomously and has experience of working locally, nationally and internationally.

She lives in Bristol, UK with her husband and two sons.

Experience and Skills

• Impact, Reporting & Evaluation
• Event Production/Management
• Project Management
• Festival Producing/Directing
• Short Film Programming
• Festival Submission Strategies
• Strategic Development
• Research
• Marketing & Audience Development
• Volunteer Strategy & Management
• Development & Fundraising (grants, trusts & foundations, sponsorship)
• Fund application assessments (both UK and International)
• Business Development
• Financial Management
• Bookkeeping

Film Hub South West, UK
New Release Strategy – Evaluation Consultant
11/2020 – Present
Consultancy to design and deliver evaluation for the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN) New Release Strategy 2020-2022. FAN has been supporting four new release films each year to help exhibitors across the UK engage with more diverse audiences and programme more titles that might be perceived as being ‘risky’ or ‘too challenging’.

Ffilm Cymru, UK
Ffolio – Evaluation Consultant
03/2020 – Present
Consultancy to deliver evaluation for year one of Ffolio, a partnership between Ffilm Cymru, BBC Wales, BBC Arts and the Arts Council of Wales. Ffolio offers training, mentoring and BBC commissioning opportunities to creatives, with a demonstrable track record in another discipline, based in Wales and without a professional director’s credit within film or TV.

Film Hub Midlands, UK
Major Programmes – Evaluation Consultant
05/2019 – Present
Consultancy to design and provide evaluation of the BFI FAN Major Programmes project delivered by Film Hub Midlands. First phase focus on three seasons: Comedy Genius, a BFI ‘Blockbuster’ season running October 2018 – January 2019, Film Feels: Obsession, a FAN-led season running in June & July 2019 and Musicals, the Greatest Show on Film, a BFI ‘Blockbuster’ season running October 2019 – January 2020. Second phase focus on Film Feels: Connected, a FAN-led season delivered in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic in July & August 2020 and the next Blockbuster TBC 2021.

Bristol Festivals, UK
Executive Director
10/2016 – Present
Bristol Festivals is an umbrella organisation established to support the sustainable and strategic development of Festivals and Events in Bristol, UK, with a remit to support the city’s festivals and its reputation for festival variety and excellence. Responsibilities include day to day operations of the organisation and the Bristol Festivals Hub (including rental spaces to five organisations and 8 individuals), management of Development Coordinator, board development and strategic direction, membership management & training and development, to ensure the organisation continues to celebrate and strengthen the city’s vibrant events culture.

FLiCKERFEST Short Film Festival, Australia
International Selection Committee
11/2014 – Present
FLiCKERFEST Short Film Festival is Australia’s leading short film festival, based on the world famous Bondi Beach in Sydney. Liz supports the Festival Director with viewing and selecting titles from the international submissions.

Fundraising

Liz provides fundraising consultancy to those applying for funds from Creative Europe, specifically the MEDIA Audiovisual Fund for Film Festivals , Film Audience Network (FAN), Arts Council England (ACE) and the British Film Institute (BFI).

Having worked as a funding assesor for Creative Europe in 2017 and 2018 and Film Hub South West she has a good understanding and knowledge of what assesors are looking for and how best to approach your application. She has recently supported two regional cinemas with successful applications to the Cultural Recovery Fund distributed by the BFI.

Strategic Mentoring

Liz provides strategic mentoring to all types of festivals, specialising in Film Festivals. She can provide a one-off focused session on any element of festival development or delivery providing a sounding board for advice/guidance on a specific issue. Or she can work strategically over a longer period of time, producing key tasks, goals and objectives.

Previous Mentoring clients have requested support with the following;

• Organisational set-up
• Board Development
• Staff structure & Recruitment
• Policies and governance
• Strategic Development
• Fundraising

Festival Strategy

Film Festival Strategy Workshops
Liz provides a 2.5 hour workshop for short filmmakers about developing a festival strategy, programmers tips and festival myth busting.

Film Festival Strategy Review
Aimed at short filmmakers who have already developed a festival strategy and have a film at pre-production or as a rough cut. Liz provides a viewing of the film and a review of the festival strategy and budget (I believe that the producers need to do the work of devising a strategy themselves as it is a useful exercise, makes them think objectively and realistically about their work and helps them develop an understanding of the festival landscape and even build some contacts).

For more information contact Liz on worldismyoyster

Current roles;

Encounters Festivals, UK
Board Member
04/2018 – Present
Encounters is the UK’s leading International Short Film Festival showcasing new and emerging short film talent from around the world.

Previous roles;

Babybank Network, UK
Treasurer
03/2019 – 11/2020

Afrika Eye, UK
Advisory Board 2016 – 2017

Bristol Samba, UK
Chair of Board 2015 – 2016

Take One Action Film Festival, UK
Board Member 2010 – 2012

Pardi di Domani Programmer
Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland
Mar 2016 – Oct 2020
Liz was a member of the programming committee for Pardi di Domani across five editions of Locarno Film Festival, an A List film festival based in Switzerland. The Pardi di Domani section showcases the best new talent in short filmmaking from across the globe.

“I had the chance to work with Liz for two years in the short film selection committee of the Locarno festival. In addition to her programming skills and her sensitive and precise look at the films that made up the selection, I noticed that Liz also had many skills and qualities concerning her knowledge of the economic constraints and the programming stakes of a festival. I was also able to discover British short films thanks to Liz’s research with emerging filmmakers.”
Charlotte Corchete, Head of Selection Committee, Locarno Film Festival 2020

Project Manager
Watershed, Bristol, UK
Jan 2015 – Mar 2017
Provided Project Management for the Film Audience Network to develop and apply for Programme Development Funding from the British Film Institute on behalf of the nine Film Hubs. Successfully achieved funding of over £400,000 to support approximately 70 organisations across the country to deliver activity between October and December 2015 in partnership with the BFI for their LOVE Blockbuster season, and £300,000 between October and December 2016 for their Black Star Blockbuster Season. Provided Project Management of the delivery phase of the season working closely with the BFI, Cinema For All, Independent Cinema Office and Film Hubs.

Links;
BFI LOVE Blockbuster Case Study
BFI LOVE microsite
BFI Black Star microsite

Freelance Creative Producer/Project Manager/Consultant
04/2014 – 01/2015

Previous clients include: Creative Europe, Bristol 2015: European Green Capital events programme – Associate Producer / Watershed Future Documentary Sandbox – Festival and Markets Development Producer / Afrika Eye – Breaking the Silence – Tour Producer.

Festival Manager
FLiCKERFEST, International Short Film Festival, Bondi Beach, Australia
Oct 2013 – Mar 2014
Managed all aspects of the day-today operations of developing and delivering the 10-day festival and 50 venue state wide tour. Provided support and management to the Festival Director in the Business Development of the organisation. Managed a small team of three with regular interns, volunteers and professional contributors to deliver a 10-day annual International short film festival on Bondi Beach, Australia with the aims and objectives to showcase best new short film, animation and documentary from across the globe to a public audience.

Managing Director
Encounters Festivals Ltd
April 2008 – Sept 2013
Managed all aspects of the day-today organisational business, fundraising, strategy and development. Recruited and managed a small team with regular interns, volunteers and professional contributors. Developed and delivered a 6-day annual International Short Film and Animation Festival in Bristol with the aims and objectives to showcase, develop, nurture and support new film and animation talent from across the globe.