Meet professionals: in these sessions, we talk to those whose job it is to fund, programme and distribute documentary films.

At the first session you will meet Jess Gormley, Executive Producer of the Oscar, BAFTA & EMMY award-winning Guardian Documentaries, to discover what they look for in a selected documentary short film, how they work with filmmakers and how they go about finding an audience for the film.

Jess Gormley, Executive Producer of Guardian Documentaries. Jess has worked in documentaries for 15 years and at the Guardian since 2014; specializing in journalistic documentaries for TV, cinema and online, with projects screening at the Houses of Parliament, as well as key international film festivals.

Guardian Documentaries are an expression of the Guardian’s core editorial purpose and ethos. They curate and commission films from around the world for the global audience and are committed to telling contemporary stories with unique artistic vision that have the power to provoke, surprise and engage audiences with the changing world we live in. Their films provide a window into the lives of the people behind the headlines. Guardian Documentaries have won critical acclaim, including an Oscar in 2021 for Colette, an Oscar nomination for Black Sheep in 2019, and a 2022 BAFTA Film Award nomination for The Black Cop. Additionally, their films play at prestigious film festivals around the world including Cannes, Tibeca, Sundance, Sheffield DocFest and more. Guardian Documentaries are committed to creating films that spark insightful conversations with audiences.