The Reel Women

Tag: Producer

  • Lada Egorova

    Lada Egorova

    “Go make your own projects. Never wait for someone to approve of your project. Just because someone rejects your project doesn’t mean you should give up. You just haven’t found the right team yet.”

    Producer, Director, Writer — @lada.egorova_

    What pulled you into film and TV in the first place?

    The day I went to a movie theater as a kid and felt totally immersed into the story of the film that was playing on the screen. The power of stories to immerse you, inspire you and make you forget about the world for a moment and care about someone else’s story.

    What do you think the industry gets most wrong about women like you?

    That we are not as tough as men in terms of being able to work in the film industry. Which is totally false, women creatives are always the most organized and efficient on set. We are often given lower budget projects because men refused to take them and we are expected to “make it work” which we do always. We always pull it off, come with incredible ideas to bring a project to life, we never complain. We are as tough and skilled as men.

    What does success mean to you?

    Being able to financially be stable in my career, having the power to bring stories that I want to be seen on screen and support other filmmakers by helping them get their projects be made and seen.

    What are you most proud of that most people don’t know about?

    My streaming app Pocket Cinema that I have cofounded. It launches mid August 2026. It was created by me and my cofounder, two young creatives who are coming from the indie film world. Two Gen-Z who got tired of waiting to be greenlit and who wanted to make series too. So we created this platform where we aim to release elevated genre series in vertical formats as well as horizontal. Stories that push the filmmaking techniques, series made by a diverse cast and crew, series made by other indie filmmakers who are as passionate as we are about bringing stories to the screen.

    What keeps you going when the industry makes it hard?

    My love for movies and stories. A great movie will always inspire me again and make me want to get back into writing and creating.

  • Alison Wesley

    Alison Wesley

    “Get a partner who can say the hard things you can’t. Sometimes it would’ve been nice to have a lioness alongside me to help strengthen my soft words.”

    Producer, Writer, Actor — @the.mural.film

    What pulled you into film and TV in the first place?

    I have always loved stories that people can see themselves in. My background was in writing music and books, but two years ago, a script fell out of me. Literally. I was driving when an idea came to me. I had to pull the car over, cancel my plans and voice record all of it at once. I was inspired to write it after a vandalism to my husband’s restaurant because when something happens that I wish I could’ve handled differently, a story emerges. This film is basically my wish for how it could’ve gone.

    I put it up as a staged reading and afterward, our Director approached, wanting to direct if it ever became a film. The same day an investor appeared as if by magic.

    So, why am I in film? Magic.

    What do you think the industry gets most wrong about women like you?

    In my opinion themes that speak to women can often be obvious or dramatized when it’s the little things, the subtle things that we might not even notice in our lives that make it difficult to truly feel seen or heard. In my film, this is a big theme: the feeling the need to apologize for oneself, even subtly. Getting out of the way, smiling at strangers, etc. I love films that highlight these daily life aspects that might seem small but add up so quickly.

    I have personally found that the industry favors the big things and they also might not take me seriously because I am new, full of hope and optimism and that somehow reads as weak or in need of lots of help. It’s been nice to produce my first feature (along with writing, acting and a million other things) to prove to some of them that, I’ve got this. Me, and an amazing team of course.

    What does success mean to you?

    Action. To me, the outcome doesn’t matter but holding an idea that never sees the light of day is failure. Acting on it, in any way possible, is success.

    What are you most proud of that most people don’t know about?

    The most proud moment I’ve had on this production was at the wrap party when a few very experienced crew members told me, this was the most organized set with the best food options ever. Out of all the things, making sure we had good food (our story is set in a café after all!) was priority!

    What keeps you going when the industry makes it hard?

    Trust. The way everything has happened in my life, film or otherwise, has had a flow. The minute I feel that I’m pushing the river I know I need to pivot. I have to trust wherever ideas come from, the people who believe in them enough to back them and me, and the process.

  • Lizzie Worsdell

    Lizzie Worsdell

    “You don’t have to know everything.”

    Actor & Producer, Founder of Eldub Films — eldubfilms.com

    What pulled you into film and TV in the first place?

    I wanted to act ever since my mum took me to see a production of Scrooge at the Oxford Apollo when I was about 4 years old. I then was an actor until about 2018/2019 when I decided I wanted to pivot towards producing. I saw a gap in the industry for women both behind and in front of the camera and I wanted to tell female focused stories and show a side of society that isn’t normally explored onscreen. I wanted to tell the stories I wanted to see and wanted to have a bit more control over what was created and what I worked on. Alongside acting I had worked as a celebrity assistant and so I had a lot of transferable skills. Producing lets me bring together talented creatives and help turn ideas into something that can genuinely connect with an audience. During the pandemic I did a Masters at Raindance in producing, set up my own production company Eldub Films and the rest is history.

    What do you think the industry gets most wrong about women like you?

    That life is over at 30 and that there are no interesting stories to be told about women later in life. There is more to us than falling in love and menopause.

    What does success mean to you?

    Success to me would be making the projects that I have chosen to make and am proud of. Being recognised for this and being a respected voice in the industry. Being able to help other women in the industry move forward.

    What are you most proud of that most people don’t know about?

    That despite everything I’ve been through in my life, I’ve never given up. I have looked after myself for a very long time even when it’s felt impossible.

    What keeps you going when the industry makes it hard?

    My belief that my turn is coming. People want to hear the stories I’m telling and I will get my chance eventually. It has to be someone, why shouldn’t it be me. Plus the incredible other women I meet in the industry and the incredible stories they have and their support.

    Anything else you’d like to share?

    You can find out more about her work at eldubfilms.com or lizzieworsdell.com. She’s always looking for female voices and collaborators with a story to tell.