Creative Connexions: Digital First Content Strategy Across Youtube & Platform Commissioning

Is YouTube the new TV?

Date: Wednesday 18 March

Venue: Film City Glasgow, 401 Govan Rd, Glasgow G51 2QJ

Timings: Please arrive at 2.45pm 

Session: 3.00 - 5.00pm

followed by a networking reception until 6.30pm

Is YouTube the new TV?

Digital-first content is no longer a side experiment or marketing add-on; it is a fully-fledged commissioning ecosystem with its own economics, audience behaviours, data models & creative grammar.

For traditional TV indies, however, entering this space requires more than simply uploading clips or repackaging broadcast content. Sustainable digital strategy demands a different development mindset, production workflow, talent model and monetisation framework.

This session focuses on how traditional TV & Film companies can operate a digital-first strategy & work in partnerships with digital-first companies.

Moderator:

Ashe Hussain, Programme Director (FOCUS), & Co-Director (HORIZONS-2 & Creative Connexions)

 Speakers:

Lara Sword, Head of Factual Network, Night Train Digital

Lara Sword is Head of Factual at Night Train Digital, where she leads content acquisition and distribution strategy across YouTube and social. With over 15 years in digital acquisitions and TV distribution, she specialises in maximising revenue from archive and factual content, developing owned and operated YouTube channels, and building partnerships that bring established IP into the digital-first space.  Lara has been at the forefront of the shift from traditional broadcast to platform-led monetisation.

Anthony Browne, Interim Head of Content for BBC Three

Anthony Browne is an award-winning creative leader dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional broadcasting and the future of digital content.

In 2015, he co-founded the RTS award-winning BBC The Social, the BBC’s first social creator project, and has since spent over a decade leading large-scale multidisciplinary teams. As Head of BBC Scotland Productions and a member of the BBC Scotland Executive team, he oversaw output across TV, Radio, and Digital at one of the BBC’s largest production hubs.

Since 2025, he has operated at a strategic level across the BBC, leading a YouTube pilot project across the Nations, driving the responsible adoption of AI tools across BBC Content, and helping launch a Digital Accelerator in the North East of England.

He is currently Interim Head of Content for BBC Three, shaping the channel's YouTube strategy and championing the new voices and stories that matter to young audiences across the UK.

Mark MacDonald, Co-Founder, Ferry Media

Mark MacDonald has spent the last decade building YouTube and social media strategies for some of the biggest shows on TV - from his role as Global Head of Social Media at Banijay Entertainment, overseeing brands like Survivor, Big Brother, and Masterchef.

Prior to this Mark was one of the founding members of Little Dot Studios, the pioneering company established in 2013 to help TV companies embrace social video. Clients included ITV, Channel 4, Discovery, Amazon and Netflix.

Charlie Hyland, Digital Commissioning Editor, C4 Comedy

Charlie works within C4’s digital & social commissioning team, focusing on developing & commissioning digital-first content for Channel 4’s online platforms. His work supports emerging creators & independent producers in developing content that reaches new audiences across YouTube, social platforms & C4’s digital ecosystem. 

Please note: spaces for this event are limited and Glasgow-based companies will be prioritised.

Creative Connexions forms part of the Glasgow City Council Business Growth Programme and is funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. The programme is managed and delivered by Film City Futures.

GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION

Accessibility:

If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: hello@filmcityfutures.com

Privacy policy:

By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties.

Photography notice:

Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required. IF you do not wish to be photographed please let us know.

COVID-19 statement:

Please do not attend in-person events if you, or anyone in your household, has had any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past five days prior to the event.

Creative Connexions: True Crime

REGISTER NOW FOR THE NEXT IN THE CREATIVE CONNEXIONS SERIES OF EVENTS, FOCUSSING ON TRUE CRIME WITH A PANEL OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS.

Date: Thursday 12 March
Venue: Film City Glasgow, 401 Govan Rd, Glasgow G51 2QJ

Timings: Please arrive at 2.45pm 

Session: 3.00 - 5.00pm

followed by a networking reception until 6.30pm

True Crime remains one of the most commissioned, internationally saleable, & platform-dominant genres, yet it is also one of the most complex to originate, structure and deliver responsibly.

Behind every successful single or series sits a rigorous process: sourcing stories, securing rights, navigating legal frameworks, assessing risk, and determining whether the material is best realised as premium documentary, returning factual, limited drama, or a hybrid form.

In this session, we will explore:

• Sourcing and assessing stories 

• Rights and legal framework 

• Defining & developing the story 

• Key components of successful true crime 

• Duty of care and ethics 

• Scripted vs unscripted approaches 

We will also examine what differentiates True Crime from other factual or dramatic genres. Unlike lifestyle, history or even general documentary, True Crime carries inherent legal sensitivity, public interest implications & long-tail reputational consequences. It demands heightened editorial judgement, careful compliance, & a strategic understanding of how far a narrative can be shaped without crossing legal or ethical lines.

At the same time, the genre is evolving rapidly. Streamers and broadcasters continue to commission True Crime at scale, but with increased caution around ethics, representation, and risk. Podcast-to-screen adaptations, international co-productions and event-style limited series have expanded the commercial opportunity while legal scrutiny & audience expectation have intensified. For companies entering or expanding within the genre, understanding this shifting landscape is critical.

About the Speakers

Moderator:

Ashe Hussain, Programme Director (FOCUS), & Co-Director (HORIZONS-2 & Creative Connexions)

Speakers:

Matthew Gordon, Executive Producer

Matthew Gordon is an award‑winning television executive producer and factual specialist with over two decades of experience creating & delivering high‑profile documentary, factual entertainment & true crime programming for UK broadcasters & global streaming platforms. 

Most recently, Matthew served as Head of Contemporary Factual at Woodcut Media, where he executive produced a wide range of notable series and documentaries including ‘Becoming Ian Brady’, ‘Murder in the Red Light’, ‘World’s Most Dangerous Prisoners’, and ‘The Suitcase Murders’. His work spans both limited series & long‑running factual brands, combining investigative storytelling with carefully managed production processes. These projects have been commissioned by platforms and broadcasters including Prime Video, Channel 5, Discovery, Sky Crime and Warner Bros. Discovery.

He is a founding member of the Association of True Crime Producers, where he helped develop industry guidelines around compliance, ethics, & duty of care in true crime storytelling. These guidelines have since been adopted by numerous production companies and broadcasters, reflecting the increasing importance of responsible approaches when working with sensitive real‑world stories.

Matthew has been included in Realscreen’s Global 100 list of leading factual producers and his productions have received nominations & awards from organisations including the True Crime Awards, the Content Innovation Awards, & the Royal Television Society. 

In addition to his broadcast work, Matthew runs Spontaneous Media, a small creative agency producing video & photographic content for businesses, charities and organisations. Through this work he collaborates with talent both on and off screen while developing digital content for platforms.

Matthew began his career after completing a BEng (Hons) degree at the University of Aberdeen.

Mark Hedgecoe, Head of Rogan Scotland

Mark Hedgecoe is a senior television executive and documentary producer with more than 30 years’ experience across factual programming, documentary features and premium current affairs. He is currently Head of Rogan Scotland, the Glasgow-based arm of Rogan Productions, where he oversees development and production of the company’s Scottish slate.

He joined Rogan in 2021 to launch Rogan Scotland, reporting into the London headquarters and spearheading the company’s expansion into Scotland. His role involves identifying and developing documentary stories originating from Scotland, building relationships with commissioners and funders, and overseeing productions from development through to delivery.

Before joining Rogan, Hedgecoe held senior roles at BBC Studios, where he led Pacific Quay Productions in Glasgow, one of the BBC’s key factual production hubs. During this period he worked closely with BBC commissioners and production teams to deliver factual series and documentaries across science, history, arts, religious programming and daytime and observational films.  

Across his wider career he has worked extensively in documentary and factual storytelling, with credits spanning investigative films, science and history programming and long-form documentary, as well as factual drama.

At Rogan Scotland, Hedgecoe has focused on building a wide-ranging slate of high-end documentary features and limited series that often combine investigative journalism with cinematic storytelling, aligning with Rogan Productions’ reputation for award-winning documentaries for broadcasters and global platforms.

Recent true crime related documentaries from Rogan:

Rogan Scotland

• Body On The Beach, a series about the drowning of Swedish woman Annie Borgesson at Prestwick Beach for BBC Three/BBC Scotland

• The Man in the Mask: An Orkney Murder, a series about the murder of a Bangladeshi waiter in an Orkney restaurant, and the subsequent police investigation, trial and conviction, for BBC Scotland & BBC Two.

Rogan Productions Films

• Grenfell: Uncovered, investigative documentary examining the events and failures surrounding the Grenfell Tower disaster, for Netflix.

• The Search for Nicola Bulley, documentary exploring the disappearance and investigation of Nicola Bulley, for BBC One.

Louise Lambert, Co-CEO, Reviewed & Cleared

Louise Lambert is Co-CEO of Reviewed & Cleared, a media law firm advising on all the legal issues that may arise in the creation and publication of content.  Louise is a specialist content lawyer, working across all media platforms including TV, film and podcasts.  She undertakes a broad range of work, from pre-acquisition opinions to legal and compliance support throughout the duration of a production, be it scripted or unscripted.  She also advises on duty of care, fair dealing and provides legal opinions for the purpose of obtaining E&O insurance.  Her true crime experience includes The Long Shadow (New Pictures/ITV), Con Mum (Forest/Netflix), Death in Bollywood (Grain/BBC) and Megan Thee Stallion vs Tory Lanez: Five Shots (Optomen/Discovery).  Reviewed & Cleared also has a team of business affairs lawyers, who advise on everything from film finance, to contracts and chain of title, as well as title searches and opinions, employment and AI.

Please note: spaces for this event are limited and Glasgow-based companies will be prioritised.

CREATIVE CONNEXIONS FORMS PART OF THE GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS GROWTH PROGRAMME AND IS FUNDED BY THE UK GOVERNMENT SHARED PROSPERITY FUND. THE PROGRAMME IS MANAGED AND DELIVERED BY FILM CITY FUTURES.

General event Information

Accessibility:

If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: hello@filmcityfutures.com 

Privacy policy: 

By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties. 

Photography notice:

Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required. IF you do not wish to be photographed please let us know.

COVID-19 statement:

Please do not attend in-person events if you, or anyone in your household, has had any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past five days prior to the event.

FOCUS On: Strategic PR & Market Positioning

FOCUS On: Strategic PR & Market Positioning

Wednesday 11th March, 1 - 2pm 

Online via Zoom

Join FOCUS for this exclusive webinar with Marketing & PR expert, Holly Miller on how to use PR and market positioning to grow your indie. 

This webinar will provide valuable insights into successful marketing campaigns and will equip you with practical strategies to build your company’s reputation and reach, including making the most of festivals, markets, online and beyond. 

The event will cover: 

• PR & Marketing strategies for your indie (including UK & international festivals and markets, and timelines)

• How Percy and Warren build campaigns around development, greenlight, production & release of projects. 

• Practical guidance on forward planning, lead-in times, & common pitfalls

• How to think about and plan your project’s campaign, including what assets, messaging, talent availability, and other things to consider.

Don’t miss this info-packed session, register your free place now using this link:

About the speaker:

Holly Miller is co-Founder and Director of Percy & Warren, an award-winning PR agency. We specialise in all things film and TV, including strategy & profile raising for production companies, distributors, tech providers, animation companies, studios, facilities, post houses and more.

We run PR and marketing for briefs such as:

• Attracting new clients, distributors, co producers and buyers

• Repositioning into new markets and specialisms (e.g. from film into TV)

• Production and co-production strategy

• International distribution, sales and acquisitions

• Funding and sales

• Festival and market strategy

• Rebrands and branding

• Introductions to new markets

• Internationalising and global business development

• M&A

From concepts to campaigns, creative to coverage, we create ideas which captivate our clients and their audiences.

general event information

Accessibility:

If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: hello@filmcityfutures.com 

Privacy policy: 

By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties. 

Photography notice:

 Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required.

Creative Connexions: Pivoting Across Scripted & Unscripted

Register now for the first of our CREATIVE CONNEXIONS sessions:

Date: Monday 9 March
Venue: Film City Glasgow, 401 Govan Rd, Glasgow G51 2QJ

Timings: Please arrive at 2.45pm

Session: 3.00 - 5.00pm

followed by a networking reception until 6.30pm

Should your company pivot, and if so, why now?
The traditional separation between scripted and unscripted production is softening.  Across the UK, we are seeing more production companies working fluidly between scripted & unscripted, as a way of protecting IP, broadening development pathways, & keeping ideas alive in a tightening commissioning market. 

This session explores the practical decision-making behind a pivot. When does expanding your slate strengthen your IP position? When might it dilute focus? How do you recognise when a factual idea has the potential to become scripted IP (or vice versa)? And what does that shift mean for rights, development spend, talent attachment & commissioner conversations?

We will explore:

• Identifying when a pivot makes strategic sense 

• Recognising transferable ideas 

• Rights and development implications 

• Financing and risk profile.

• Talent and team structures

• Commissioner conversations 

We will also examine what differentiates scripted and unscripted at a structural level. Scripted typically carries longer development cycles, higher upfront investment, talent-driven packaging, & greater financing complexity. Unscripted can offer faster turnaround, repeatable formats & lower risk thresholds, but often with different IP and backend models. Understanding these structural differences is critical before attempting to operate across both.

For companies considering whether to pivot or how to do so without destabilising their core business, this discussion offers an insightful, strategic, & operational look at what it genuinely takes to expand across genres successfully.

Speakers:

Caroline Levy, Series Producer & Consultant

Caroline Levy is a BAFTA-nominated Producer & Exec Producer with extensive experience across both scripted and non-scripted television. She has delivered high-profile projects for broadcasters and platforms including BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky Studios, Paramount, FX and Showtime.

Most recently, Caroline produced the second season of The Undeclared War for Channel 4, NBC Universal and Peacock with Playground Entertainment. She is also the creative lead of BFI & TRC’s International Horizons Scripted, supporting high-end producers across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Previously, Caroline held senior leadership roles at Paramount and BBC Studios, overseeing more than thirty UK scripted productions and executive producing flagship titles including Silent Witness and Doctor Who. As a freelance producer and executive producer, Caroline has worked on an array of successful dramas including Channel 4’s Deadwater Fell starring David Tennant, action romcom Sky’s Hooten & the Lady and BAFTA nominated Channel 4’s The Mill.

Across her career, she has combined creative leadership with strong commercial oversight, navigating production, financial and strategic negotiations at the highest level.

Toby Stevens, Head of Objective Media Group, Scotland

Toby Stevens joined Objective Scotland in 2013 as Series Producer for BBC Three’s Killer Magic. Appointed Head of Objective Scotland in May 2014, he has Executive Produced the ratings success Now You See It for BBC One and both It Was Alright in the 70s and The 50 Funniest Moments of 2014 for Channel 4.

Starting his career in London in 1993 he worked on Room 101, They Think It’s All Over, eight series of Have I Got News For You and was the producer of the first 68 shows of The Weakest Link, before moving to BBC Scotland in 2001. Whilst there his extensive Executive Producer credits across Entertainment, Factual and Events included Comedy Connections, Glamour’s Golden Age, Dear Diary, Movie Connections, The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Comic Relief’s Naughty Bits and That Was the Week We Watched.


Derren Lawford, Executive Producer, Creative Strategist and founder of DARE Pictures

Derren Lawford is an award-winning executive producer and creative leader whose career spans scripted-adjacent factual, premium true crime, talent-led formats, and global documentary co-productions. With over 20 years’ experience, he has built and scaled creative businesses, secured over 300 hours of IP, and led teams delivering ambitious content across UK and international markets.

He has held senior editorial and commissioning roles at BBC Three, Panorama, BBC Worldwide and as part of the launch commissioning team at London Live. As Creative Director at Woodcut Media (2014–2022), he helped grow the company’s scripted and unscripted slate through commissions, co-productions, and private equity investment, navigating the commercial and creative realities of expanding across genres.

As founder of DARE Pictures (Broadcast Emerging Indie of the Year 2025), Derren combined creative instinct with sharp commercial strategy, offering first-hand insight into when and why companies pivot, how projects migrate between genres, and what it really takes to protect and scale IP across an evolving commissioning landscape.

Gavin Smith, Commissioning Editor Scripted for BBC Scotland 

Gavin has worked in scripted television for most of his career having spent 14 years at The Comedy Unit where he started in development and worked through various roles before becoming Creative Director. In 2018 he moved to the BBC to take up the role of Scripted Commissioning Editor for BBC Scotland. 

 Since joining Gavin has worked as co commissioner of scripted series across comedy and drama including Half Man (BBC Scotland/BBC One and HBO), Dinosaur (BBC Scotland/BBC Three and Hulu), Only Child, (BBC Scotland and BBC One), Guilt (BBC Scotland and BBC Two), Granite Harbour (BBC Scotland and BBC One), Still Game series 9 (BBC Scotland and BBC One), Limmy’s Homemade Show (BBC Scotland and BBC Two), as well as exec for many locally broadcast BBC Scotland scripted series including The Chief, Queen of the New Year, Stevens & McCarthy, Scot Squad and The Scotts.

Victoria Musguin Rowe, Executive Producer (Unscripted) & Factual Consultant (Scripted)

Victoria is a BAFTA and Grierson award-winning development executive and executive producer, specialising in high-end true crime and social justice documentaries. Her unscripted credits include the BAFTA-winning The Shamima Begum Story, the double Grierson award-winning Stephen: The Murder That Changed a Nation, and the Broadcast Award-winning, RTS-nominated Love & Hate Crime. Over the past decade, she has also drawn on her extensive network of barristers, law enforcement and criminals, to originate factual drama ideas and consult on scripted series. Her recent consultancy work includes research for the Emmy-nominated The Gentlemen and advising on the factual accuracy of a trial based storyline, in the BBC Three/Netflix drama A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Please note: spaces for this event are limited and Glasgow-based companies will be prioritised.

Creative Connexions forms part of the Glasgow City Council Business Growth Programme and is funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. The programme is managed and delivered by Film City Futures.

GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION

Accessibility:

If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: hello@filmcityfutures.com 

Privacy policy:  

By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties. 

Photography notice:

Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required.

COVID-19 statement:

Please do not attend in-person events if you, or anyone in your household, has had any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past five days prior to the event. 

FOCUS On: SPVs

FOCUS On: SPVs

With Damian McParland (Lee & Thompson)

📆 Tuesday 3rd February 2026, 1.00 - 2.00pm

📍Online via Zoom

Join FOCUS for this exclusive webinar, focussing solely on SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) aimed at producers and founders who are either setting up project SPVs for the first time or looking to better understand best practice as the company’s slate grows. 

Led by Legal Director of Film & TV at Lee & Thompson, Damian McParland, this session will take a detailed look at SPVs including:

• When and why SPVs are used in film, TV and animation production 

• Key legal, financial and structural considerations when setting up an SPV

• When to seek legal support and advice

• Managing multiple SPVs efficiently for your slate

• International partners and co-production structures

• Long-term exploitation and rights strategy

There will also be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions in a Q&A segment following the presentation. 

About the speaker:

Damian is a Legal Director in the Film & TV Group at Lee & Thompson and advises on matters related to the development, production, financing and distribution of film and television projects.

Before joining Lee & Thompson in 2019, Damian gained experience across the film, television and gaming sectors during his time as Legal Counsel at Wellcome Trust.  He led on Wellcome’s entertainment and media projects, including Carol Morley’s “Out of Blue", Sarah Gavron’s upcoming “Girls Untitled" project, Craig Roberts’s “Eternal Beauty", Cathy Brady’s “Wildfire and Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice”.  In addition, Damian also advised on Wellcome’s IP, transactional and commercial matters.

Damian trained and qualified at a City firm following the completion of his LLB at the University of Oxford and LPC at The University of Law.

GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION

Accessibility:

If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: hello@filmcityfutures.com 

Privacy policy: 

By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties. 

Photography notice:

Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required.

ANNOUNCING HORIZONS-2

Submit your application now to take part in HORIZONS-2

HORIZONS-2

HORIZONS-2 is an accelerator programme aimed at Glasgow-based start-ups and emerging production companies, designed to support business growth, and ensure participants are well prepared to navigate the challenges of a rapidly evolving media landscape.

The programme is aimed at companies working across film, TV, animation, podcasts, radio, commercial/branded content, digital and short-form video, visual arts and theatre, as well as service-provider companies seeking to develop their own content and IP.

Priority for places on HORIZONS-2 will be given to Glasgow-based companies, in line with the programme’s objectives and funding criteria.

Please read the HORIZONS-2 application guidelines in full before applying.

PLEASE NOTE:

Applications for HORIZONS-2 are now closed.

HORIZONS-2 is part of Glasgow City Council's Glasgow Business Growth Programme and is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will be delivered by the team at Film City Futures.

Announcing HORIZONS-2

 Submit your eligibility check now to apply in January.

Following the success of HORIZONS in 2024, we are launching HORIZONS-2 for 2026. This is an accelerator programme aimed at start-ups and emerging production companies, designed to accelerate growth and ensure participants are well prepared to navigate the challenges of the rapidly evolving media landscape. 

If you are a Glasgow-based company working in the creative industries, HORIZONS-2 could be for you!

HORIZONS-2 is being run by Film City Futures and is aimed at Scottish companies creating content with the potential to be exploited across the wider creative industries sector in Scotland, the UK and internationally.

Potential participants may include companies who have experience of working in film, tv, animation, podcasts, radio, commercial/branded content, digital and short-form video, visual arts, theatre; as well as service-provider companies that are looking to create their own content and IP.

HORIZONS-2 will be a catalyst for growth, innovation, and inclusivity within the Creative Industries sector in Scotland. It will empower entrepreneurs, strengthen the ecosystem, and position Scotland as a dynamic hub for media production and innovation, ultimately benefitting the cultural, economic, and creative landscape and enabling companies to compete effectively at an international level.

The project offers:

• Skills development

• Ideas exchange and collaboration

• Access to expert guidance

• Greater levels of innovation

• Greater access to non-public funding channels

• Increased visibility for Scottish entrepreneurs

• Networking opportunities with established business and creative companies

12 - 14 companies will be selected, and HORIZONS-2 will run from January – March 2026. The programme will consist of a series of seminars and workshops delivered over 6 to 8 days in total, led by senior executives and trainers from across the creative industries.

Each participating company will be assigned two mentors for the duration of the programme: one to focus on company business/leadership, and the other on creativity, development, and innovation.

The programme provides a safe and supportive space for participants to have discussion with seminar leads and peers, enabling participants to build networks, exploring synergies and identify potential collaborations.

We particularly encourage diverse-led companies to apply. By diverse-led we mean companies that have Heads/MDs of the company with diverse backgrounds, as well as companies that can demonstrate strong EDI approaches, systems and voices through their work, processes and access.

How to apply:

To check your eligibility for the Programme please see criteria here:

https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/5656/Glasgow-Business-Growth-Phase-3

Applications will be done in two stages.

Stage 1 – To check eligibility please complete Glasgow Business Growth Application Form: 

https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/5653/Glasgow-Business-Growth-Application-Form

Please have the following documents ready before starting the form:

·       Proof of trading address

·       Copy of lease (if business not liable for Non-Domestic Rates)

·       Any other relevant supporting information

Stage 2 - applications for HORIZONS-2:

This will open in early January, with a link to the Guidelines, our HORIZONS-2 Application Form and EDI Monitoring Form. FYI - These completed applications will be required around mid-January. Please ensure you complete the form above ASAP in order to be able to apply in January.

---

 For questions about the HORIZONS-2 programme, please contact hello@filmcityfutures.com

HORIZONS-2 is part of Glasgow City Council's Glasgow Business Growth Programme and is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will be delivered by the team at Film City Futures.

The Final Cut: 2025 in Review, 2026 in Focus

The Final Cut: 2025 in Review, 2026 in Focus

join focus for our final event of 2025, a talk from k7’s clare thompson analysing trends, failures and opportunities in the screen sector, followed by festive networking drinks.

📆 Wednesday 10th December 2025, 4.00 - 5.15pm

📍 Film City Glasgow, 401 Govan Road, Glasgow G51 2QJ

After another challenging year for the screen sector, K7 Media's Clare Thompson will outline the key viewing, content, tech, financial trends that shaped and impacted us all in 2025 and highlight the practical opportunities indie should be aware of in the UK and globally in 2026.  This special FOCUS seminar will look at what has shaped all sectors of the industry in the last 12 months, who has thrived or struggled, plus strategies for success going forward.

From shifts in commissioning priorities to emerging buyers, evolving funding models, new tech tools and fresh revenue sources across scripted and non-scripted, this session from FOCUS offers a clear snapshot of where we stand now and where our strategies should be for next year to ensure we have a successful and sustainable Scottish indie sector.

As well as offering invaluable insights into the industry and a chance to look at the year in review across the sector for indies and producers, this talk event will be followed by festive networking drinks. We hope to see you there!

About the speaker: 

Clare Thompson is Non-Executive Director of the UK’s leading TV consultancy K7 Media, regularly writing and presenting on global content trends, the international non-scripted formats market and branded entertainment for their broadcast and production clients around the world. She spent her early career producing and developing entertainment and reality, much of it at ITV, where she ran the company’s in-house development team for several years. Since then, Clare has helped TV companies big and small to hone their ideas and creative strategy, running development and pitching workshops, team training sessions and channel commissioning projects for broadcasters and indies, including via Channel 4’s Emerging Indie Fund and Indielab in the UK, and internationally in the US, Europe and Asia.

General Information:

Accessibility:

This event will be held in the seminar room at Film City Glasgow which has step free access and is wheelchair accessible. The area for networking drinks after the talk will be held in the cafe. Accessible toilets are available in the venue. If you have any further accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: hello@filmcityfutures.com

Privacy policy:

By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties.

Photography notice:

Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required.

COVID-19 statement:

Please do not attend in-person events if you, or anyone in your household, has had any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past five days prior to the event.

If you have any access requirements for attending this event, please contact us: hello@filmcityfutures.com

FOCUS Business Lab: Legal and Business Affairs

Apply now for our business lab, focussed on the essentials of legals for producers

We are proud to announce the return of our FOCUS Business Labs, beginning with a two-day Legal & Business Affairs Lab taking place on 6th & 7th November in person in Glasgow. The lab is designed to give Scottish indies, across both Scripted and Unscripted genres, the tools they need to navigate the complex world of media law. 

Across the two focused days, participants will gain practical insights from leading legal experts on everything from rights clearance and talent agreements to investment structures, co-production deals, and distribution contracts.

The lab is aimed at emerging & established Scottish indies with some experience in handling legal issues during company set-up, development, production, distribution, and other areas of content creation.

The Lab will cover the following topics:

• Creative legal essentials

• Budgeting for legal services

• Development, IP, and ATL agreements

• Sales and distribution agreements

• Investment and funding agreements

• Negotiation and deal-making

• Business Affairs insight from key funders 

• Case study – Financial / Legal Closing

confirmed speakers so far:

• Jenny Parker - Level Law

• Sara Vandore-Mackay - Reviewed & Cleared

• Lynn Richmond - BTO Solicitors

• Jen Paton - BTO Solicitors

• Damian McParland - Lee & Thompson

• Michael Maquieira - Lee & Thompson

• Business Affairs representatives from Screen Scotland

• Business Affairs representatives from BBC Scotland

• Arabella Page Croft (Black Camel Pictures)

• Elspeth O’Hare & Jennifer Gilroy (F22 Films)

• Plus other speakers TBC

This is a unique opportunity to build confidence in legal decision-making, understand when and how to engage legal expertise, and gain clarity on the specific types of legal support your company and projects may require. You will hear directly from practitioners who work across film and TV, while applying and strengthening that knowledge directly to your business context. 

Participation fee: £100

Spaces are limited, and early applications are encouraged.

Key Dates:

Application deadline: Friday 24 October, 5pm

Notification of successful applicants: Monday 27 October

Invoices issued: Wednesday 29 October

Payment due: (before) Tuesday 4 November

HOW TO APPLY

Companies must complete a short application form at the link below. The deadline for applications is Friday 24 October at 5pm.

Please also complete a short equal opportunities monitoring form.

For any questions regarding the business lab or if you need this information in a different format for accessibility reasons, please email events@filmcityfutures.com

An audience with John McVay, Pact

FOCUS On: An Audience with John McVay, Pact

book now for an insightful evening with John McVay, DEPARTING CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF PACT, INTRODUCED BY CLAIRE MUNDELL AND CHAIRED BY JEN TOPPING.

📆 Wednesday 22nd October 2025, 5.30 - 6.30pm

📍 The Social Hub, 15 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1TQ

Join us for an insightful evening with John McVay, the driving force behind the growth of the UK independent production sector from a niche cottage industry into a £3.6 billion powerhouse—thanks to his championing of IP rights, tax incentives, and pioneering Covid-era support schemes.

The session will be  introduced by Claire Mundell, founder of Synchronicity Films and Pact Council National Representative for Scotland, and chaired by Jen Topping, FOCUS consultant.

John McVay, Chief Executive of Pact, recently announced he will be leaving the organisation after nearly 25 years at its helm. John started his media career in Scotland and across his career he has worked with countless indies and producers across the country. 

This is an exclusive event organised by FOCUS inviting you to hear from John and his insights for Scotland-based producers after a career at Pact. There will also be an opportunity for a Q&A for you to ask John any questions.

The event itself will last approximately 1hr 15 minutes, including Q&A, followed by networking and drinks.

We anticipate this event will be well attended so we encourage you to book early when registrations open on Monday 30th September. Tickets will be free, but since spaces are limited, Scottish indies and producers will be prioritised for spaces. If you can no longer attend this event please contact us immediately so that we can release your ticket.

About the speakers:

John McVay OBE is the Chief Executive of Pact, the UK’s leading Trade Association for Film, TV, Animation, Children’s and Digital production companies.  John contributes to many UK government and international policy fora on the creative industries, broadcasting, trade and investment.  John has extensive experience of policy development across all aspects of broadcasting and television production and leads on all Pact policy development in the UK and Europe.  He also maintains excellent relationships with all of the UK’s major political parties and the devolved assemblies and parliaments.  John is currently; a Board member of the Creative Diversity Network, a member of the Creative Industries Council (CIC), an industry advisor to the AHRC Creative Industries programme, Industry board member of the British Film Commission and a board member of the Creative Cities Convention.  

Claire Mundell is an award-winning Founder and CEO of Synchronicity Films, a scripted and feature film production company. Claire’s most recent production is THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, a double Emmy nominated, 6-part premium limited series adaptation of the Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller for Sky Atlantic, Peacock, Stan, All3Media International and NBCU, which aired in the UK, US, Australia, and many other territories globally. Two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and Kara Talve composed the score for the series, and the series features an original song by Barbra Streisand – “Love Will Survive”.

In 2023, Claire won a BAFTA for Best Scripted at the BAFTA Scotland 2023 Awards for Synchronicity’s adaptation of Andrew O’Hagan’s acclaimed novel MAYFLIES, which Claire executive produced for BBC One. 

With Synchronicity, Claire has established a scripted indie with a reputation for critically acclaimed IP. Other company credits include the BAFTA and RTS-winning BBC One/ABC series THE CRY, a psychological thriller starring Jenna Coleman. Other current projects include Graeme Armstrong’s blistering debut, THE YOUNG TEAM. Films include the BIFA-winning and BAFTA-nominated ONLY YOU by Harry Wootliff, Andrew Haigh’s celebrated WEEKEND, and Karen Gillan’s directorial debut feature THE PARTY’S JUST BEGINNING.

Jen Topping is a consultant working with production companies, broadcasters, arts organisations and creators to help them grow their businesses in this age of tech disruption. Her clients have included 100+ independent TV, film and content production companies; Channel 4’s Emerging Indie Fund; as well as organisations such as the Booker Prizes, STV News and Beano Studios. Over 3,000 industry professionals subscribe to her weekly newsletter businessoftv.substack.com, which covers the TV and media trends producers need to know so they can plan for the future. Previously, she worked at the Microsoft studio making interactive TV for Xbox and was at Channel 4 for seven years working across 4oD, multiplatform TV shows, channel4.com, YouTube and social. She started her career as a BBC news trainee. She has an MBA and a professional certificate in executive coaching from Henley Business School. She was vice chair of BIMA, the trade body for the British digital industry.

General Information:

Accessibility:

The theatre venue at the social hub has step free access and is wheelchair accessible. The area for networking drinks after the talk is on the first floor and is accessible via the lift or stairs. Accessible toilets are available on both floors. If you have any further accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: hello@filmcityfutures.com

Privacy policy:

By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties.

Photography notice:

Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required.

COVID-19 statement:

Please do not attend in-person events if you, or anyone in your household, has had any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past five days prior to the event.

If you have any access requirements for attending this event, please contact us: hello@filmcityfutures.com