Representation matters. I grew up in small town 80s England, racing dirt bikes with my brothers. Parents, teachers and peers always exclaimed, “But you’re a girl…” I was 11. I wondered why people kept telling me this, like a girl shouldn’t be doing what I was doing, like a girl couldn’t be the lead character in her own adventures. 

I remember the day my dad bought a VHS player and took us to the local video store, we fell in love with movies, we wanted to be like the action heroes we saw on screen, but there were no girl heroes. I’ve dedicated my career as a writer director to changing that. As I became educated about privilege and unconscious bias (including my own) I understood the importance of seeing empowered marginalised characters on screen.

You are the hero of your own story, regardless of your gender, race, sexuality or class. My industry is not a gentle place; it's tough, but dear future marginalised filmmakers so are you, write your stories, shoot your indie films, make them so full of heart and beauty they can't be ignored. To steal a famous movie quote, “If you build it, he will come” — meaning your audience but I’m changing it to, “If you build it, she will come”.