Film Oxford is a film and creative arts charity which has been providing training and activities for over 30 years. We have had great success in running community projects with local & national partners. We attract people from all over the UK and beyond, and also support local filmmakers, artists, digital creators and young people through a programme of training, creative support, networking and exhibition: Learn, Network, Create and Exhibit.

Film Oxford works with complete beginners, emerging talent, artists and industry professionals and is committed to supporting socially and economically marginalised groups. We are a non-profit company and registered charity (1041014) which has run under several different names – and at other premises – since 1975.

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Executive

Film Oxford is run on a day to day basis by an Executive made up of employees and representatives of the Trustees and Members.

Geron Swann. Centre Director geron@filmoxford.org

Geron came to Film Oxford via the Trades Council in 1987 and has been with the organisation ever since! He is fundraiser, project manager, Summerscreen festival co ordinator, Location Oxfordshire manager and general spokesperson for Film Oxford.

Gary Shenton. Production Development production@filmoxford.org

Gary has been at Film Oxford for almost 10 years. Working in his role as Production Development Manager he has produced or overseen the production of over 40 short films, many of them getting national and international festival exposure. In addition, he has exec produced features including the highly acclaimed ‘Anyone Can Play Guitar’ and the award-winning ‘Thank You Skinhead Girl’. As well as supporting production Gary organises network events and supports local festivals and screenings.

Richard Duriez. Adult Training, Shadowlight Artists, Finance, IT & Office Manager. office@filmoxford.org

Richard has worked at Film Oxford for more than 15 years. He has over 10 broadcast credits to his name for documentaries (Producer, Director, Editor, Researcher). He has produced numerous non-broadcast productions for NGO’s and non-profits as well as short films and two features. He manages Film Oxfords programme of adult training courses, that train over 300 people per year. He founded, fundraises for, and manages the multi-award winning Shadowlight Artists group with artist Chris Oakley (professional artists with learning disabilities). He also runs Film Oxford’s finance’s, IT and other activities.

Evie Sherry-Starmer. Course Administrator office@filmoxford.org

Evie’s professional background is in university administration. In 2015 she retrained as a jewellery designer-maker working in silver and gold and is currently developing her first collections inspired by medical history, human anatomy and memento mori.

Trustees

Film Oxford is managed by a group of dedicated volunteer trustees:

Candida March (Chair)

Candida is Chair of Metro Safety, a fire and health and safety group, and Team Coach of Oxford HR, an executive search and leadership development consultancy serving the international aid and social enterprise sectors.  Previously she was a policy advisor and international trainer on gender relations and women’s empowerment for Oxfam, and has co-written books on the subject. She is also a professional coach, as well as trained in facilitating mindfulness and personal development through movement. She works with Film Oxford because she is passionate about supporting all people (and particularly people from marginalised groups) in finding their own unique possibilities for growth, purpose and contribution.

Mark Gunther (Treasurer)

Over 25 years of experience in charity/not for profit finance. I have volunteered as youth worker, festival/event steward and union treasurer, secretary, chair and representative. I’m a long term supporter of Oxford United which is how I first came to know Geron; and, having lived the majority of my life in Oxford, an Aunt Sally athlete! My 2nd awareness of Film Oxford came when a colleague, for whom I had played roles in short spoofs, was screened at the then Zodiac. Looking forward to working with Executive, Management Committee and members to ensure the continuing success of all the Projects and Productions that Film Oxford is involved with.

Mark Ralph-Bowman

In East and West Africa during the 70s, Mark was engaged with theatre as art form and development tool.  From 1984 – 2011 in Oxford he worked in Further Education teaching and managing Media and Performing Arts.  From 1998 -2003 he also ran Taking Part, an independent training company working with engineers, tenants’s associations, priests, independent consultants and NGOs.

John Twycross

John Twycross is a senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes University with over twenty years of professional practice in film, television and interactive production. His current work explores emerging media forms incorporating the fields of animation, film, art and media.

Deaglán Brennan 

Deaglán is a University Student studying Digital Film Making at the SAE Institute Oxford. Looking to venture into a career in Screenwriting, Deaglán succeeded in being paired with BAFTA Award-winning Screenwriter Adrian Hodges for a BFI mentoring programme, and also managed to secure a place as a writer for the National Film and Television School Craft Residential. Alongside these, he is currently working on several other projects outside of University.

Kate Longworth

Kate Longworth has a background in charity fundraising and communications. Currently head of fundraising at Oxford-based charity The Art Room, she has previously worked with organisations including the Oxford Playhouse, the Ashmolean Museum and Cowley Road Carnival. She is passionate about enabling access to the transformative power of education and the arts.

Michail Schiastney

I have been engaged in film production since I was 12 mainly through the use of group projects with friends. My adventures with Film Oxford began with the Sumerscreen 2010 project where a group of us produced short news stories which were broadcasted live for 15 minutes from, which interest in film production only grew greater. This led to being a part of the Digital Youth since the beginning of the group.