Today, we’re delighted to welcome the very first cohort of Female Founders: Introduction to Investment: a brilliant group of women building ambitious screen businesses and stepping into a new phase of growth.

This new Creative Enterprise programme is designed to open up the world of investment, creating a supportive space where founders can explore, question and better understand their options. At a time when female-led businesses remain underrepresented in funding, this cohort represents a powerful step forward, bringing together talent, creativity and ambition from across the industry. 

Over the coming weeks, these founders will learn, share and grow together, supported by expert mentors, industry voices and each other. They’ll hear real experiences from both founders and investors, gain insight into different funding routes, and take time to reflect on what investment could mean for their own journeys.

More than anything, this programme is about confidence and clarity. We’re excited to see this cohort shape the future of their businesses and the wider screen sector.

This year's Female Founders: Introduction to Investment is proudly sponsored by the British Business Bank.

Now let's meet the Female Founders: Introduction to Investment 2026 Cohort:

Aneet Nijjar - Other Parties

Aneet Nijjar is the Co-Founder and Director of Distribution at Other Parties, a UK-based film and TV company focused on formally daring and culturally disruptive cinema.

With over a decade of experience across international sales, acquisitions, and theatrical marketing - including roles at Protagonist Pictures and as a graduate of the Inside Pictures leadership scheme - Aneet has developed a "creative-first" approach to the industry.

Her work at Other Parties spans distribution, development, and production, where she champions a curated mix of new talent, international titles, and repertory restorations for audiences worldwide.

Angela Peters - City Lights Film Festival LTD

Angela is the founder of the BIFA qualifying City Lights Film Festival and a founding member of the Association of Independent Film Festivals (AIFF). A Backstage writer as well as several other publications, Angela is also an international actress who has acted in numerous cinema and festival-screened feature films, television and shorts, with credits on ITV, BBC, Netflix, Prime, Sky, Apple TV and more. And when she isn’t hosting the festival and monthly events, she’s usually in a studio voicing TV, audiobooks, film parts, and commercials.

Anne Beresford - Artemisia Films

Anne Beresford is an independent film and television producer and co-runs Artemisia Films.

Much of her work is at the intersection of film, music, theatre and dance. She works with established and emerging film-makers, often co-producing both within the UK and internationally.

Her recent credits as producer include the feature film CHUCK CHUCK BABY (BFI/BBC Film/Ffilm Cymru) and DELIVERANCE (BFI/Film 4 Futuretakes). Other films include the Prix Italia winning viral hit SWAN LAKE BATH BALLET, the opera film PETER GRIMES ON ALDEBURGH BEACH and the feature film MOUTH TO MOUTH starring Elliot Page.

Anne s currently financing the feature documentary STORMFRONT about British sailor Pip Hare and is in formal development for Ffilm Cymru on the new feature film by CHUCK CHUCK BABY writer-director Janis Pugh.

In addition to her work as producer, she is a visiting lecturer for University of the Arts and is a director of the Ortbit cinema and Arts Centre in her home town of Wellington, Shropshire.

Emma Grazette - Blue J Pictures

Emma Grazette is a film and television producer based in London, with a focus on commercially driven stories that centre under-represented voices. She is currently developing a feature with BBC Film alongside a wider slate of international co-productions, and recently completed the BFI-backed Matchmakers Global South Lab. She was associate producer on the feature The Birthday Party, which premiered at Locarno in 2025, and her credits include Death in Paradise for the BBC. She holds an MA in Producing from the National Film and Television School as a BAFTA scholar, and is represented by Casarotto Ramsay.

Foz O'Dowd - Public Display of Affection Films Ltd

Fozia is an award-winning Producer, member of BAFTA Connect, member of PACT’s Producer Policy Group and former MIPTV Producer to Watch. Adjacent to producing Fozia is Treasurer of film charity, Reclaim the Frame.

Fozia’s producing and production experience covers studio to independent across both film and tv and HETV. Prior to producing Fozia spent 7 years as a production accountant where she worked on notable projects with directors that include Oliver Parker, Simon West, Mira Nair and the Bafta winning You Don’t Know Me.

Jennifer Matthews - Cariad Productions

Jennifer Matthews is a producer, actor, and founder of Cariad Productions.

She is member of Times Up UK, ERA 50:50, and Screenskills Widening the Lens, a Cannes Young Filmmaker, and an Arts Emergency Mentor. She has produced for Virgin EMI, Odelay, Napier Films, and 1UP.

Joanna Crow - PANACHE PICTURES LTD

Creative and strategic in equal measure, Joanna brings fresh ideas to every project. Joanna is an experienced Film & Television Drama Producer, delivering primetime critically-acclaimed shows that include psychological thriller ‘Chloe’ (starring Erin Doherty), Rapman’s Bafta-nominated ‘Supacell’ and Agatha Christie’s ‘Seven Dials’. Having worked for many years as a 1st AD (The Great, Devs, Giri-Haji, Sanidton) before moving into Series Producing, she combines a wealth of practical filmmaking knowledge with Creative storytelling passion and skills (NFTS graduate).

Julia Munder - RO Pictures 

Julia Munder is the CEO and co-founder of RO Pictures, where she leads business strategy, audience growth, partnerships, and IP development. Her background spans theatre operations, television journalism, digital marketing, and creative production. She combines commercial strategy with hands-on experience in building audiences for original screen IP. Through RO Pictures, Julia is developing Tales from Davidstown as a multi-format franchise across audio, comics, YouTube, Patreon, and games, with a focus on sustainable growth, direct audience relationships, and long-term commercial value.

Katy Stockdale & Phoebe Sinclair - SincStock Ltd

Based in Bristol, SincStock is an early-stage startup born from "boots on the ground" TV production experience. Founded by industry veterans and an experienced developer, the company tackles a major back-office headache: archive logging and retrieval. SincStock transforms this laborious, error-prone manual task with an intuitive platform that eliminates administrative bloat and spreadsheet workarounds. By removing version confusion and preventing costly "budget shocks at picture lock," it eliminates reporting anxiety—giving production teams their time back to focus on more creative endeavours. The team is currently building their MVP for early product testing.

Lotty Holder - Cloudburst ltd 

Lotty is an independent producer and writer who creates work that is, political, entertaining and asks audiences to question the world around them. During her career she has won the André Ptaszynski Prize for Producing and the Offie for Best Audio drama for her original Play Red Breast.

Natalie Samantha Adele Edward-Yesufu - Transition Stage Company

Natalie Edwards-Yesufu is an award-nominated producer, classically trained actor, entrepreneur, and audience consultant with a 360° cross-discipline command of the creative sector. Renowned for formatting ideas and building the teams that deliver them, she produces film, theatre, and large-scale events that galvanise communities and turn emerging talent into commercial IP. Rooted in Birmingham with global ambition, she is founder and CEO of Transition Stage Company and creator of EnterStageWrite — Amplified, the UK's biggest screenwriting and playwriting competition — taking writers from page to stage to screen. Nominated for the Duke of Edinburgh TV Inclusion Award with Disney, she also lectures across UK and US universities.

Rosa Brough - 7FIFTY 

Founder and Creative Director of a digital video production company passionate about documentary-style content that elevates brands, products, and destinations through authentic storytelling and digital distribution.

Drawing on over a decade of broadcast television experience, I lead a talented team that brings stories to life with cinematic quality and strategic purpose.
My approach combines traditional documentary filmmaking techniques with innovative digital marketing strategies, creating compelling content that engages, entertains, and educates audiences, moving beyond conventional advertising to build genuine brand connections. This unique blend of storytelling and digital expertise enables brands to cut through the noise in a crowded marketplace, leveraging content that resonates deeply and drives meaningful engagement.

Since founding the business in 2021, I have built a strong reputation of trust and authenticity within the hospitality and digital industries.

Sheila Marshall

Sheila Marshall is a shooting producer-director, writer, editor and screen creative with over 20 years of industry experience across film, documentary, comedy and drama for cinema, broadcast, independent, corporate and charity sectors. With a background in script supervision, production and talent development, including at Baby Cow Productions, she brings wide industry knowledge to her work as a founder. A recipient of an Arts Council England Develop Your Creative Practice grant, she is now focused on developing and producing original IP for screen and stage.

Tanya Temple-Harris & Amy Osborne - Say More Studios

Tanya Temple-Harris is a Creative Producer, writer and co-founder of Say More Studios, with a broad and non-linear career spanning iconic music videos, scripted television, children’s content and award-winning short film production. Her work is shaped by a deep interest in human behaviour, emotionally intelligent storytelling and finding better, more sustainable ways of working within creative industries. Drawn to projects that feel honest, complex and culturally relevant, Tanya brings curiosity, warmth and a strong instinct for creating environments where people feel seen, heard and able to do their best work, without burnout being treated as the inevitable price of creativity.

Amy Osborne is a producer, creative director and co-founder of Say More Studios whose work sits at the intersection of storytelling, experience design and human-centred experiences. With a background spanning immersive events, independent production and creative development, she is particularly interested in how considered environments and collaborative processes can shape the way people feel, connect and communicate. Amy is drawn to projects that invite participation, spark conversation and create meaningful emotional impact, with a particular focus on building sustainable creative practices that support both bold ideas and the people behind them.

 

Female Founders: Introduction to Investment is part of Creative Enterprise programmes.