Sunderland graduate chosen for Women in Film and TV mentoring scheme
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A University of Sunderland graduate who is making waves in the north-east film industry has been specially selected to take part in Women in Film and Television’s (WFTV) 2025 Four Nations Mentoring Scheme.
Designed for mid-career women working in film, television, and creative media, the six-month programme brings together mentees from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to receive one-to-one mentoring with senior industry professionals, peer-to-peer training and tailored career and personal development workshops.
It is designed to accelerate mentees’ careers in an industry where women remain underrepresented in leadership roles.
Among those selected for the programme is Sunderland’s own Carley Armstrong.
Carley, who graduated from the University with a First-Class Honours degree in Media Production, has worked in theatre, television and film production for over 25 years, working on high-end TV dramas and films for companies such as Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Warner Bros, Sony and Paramount.
She has also written and produced her own films across the UK, with several of her projects currently on the festival circuit. Carley, who is also a freelance producer working independently for various production companies, has multiple films and TV shows in development through her own north-east based production companies, True Moon Pictures and Mack’Em Productions.
Carley is one of seven women from the north of England to be selected for the programme, with that cohort being supported by Screen Alliance North and BBC North.
“Being selected is life-changing for me,” Carley said.
“I am so excited to be representing the north-east and I am honoured to be being mentored by one of the greatest leaders of our time. I am really looking forward to seeing where this takes me, and I am extremely grateful of the continued support of the University of Sunderland and WFTV UK.”
Last year, Carley worked alongside internationally acclaimed north-east actor and producer, Craig Conway, on his directorial debut Little Red, a horror-thriller that reimagines the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairytale.
Produced by House54 in association with Newtown Entertainment, Little Red was filmed in Scotland and the north-east, including the University of Sunderland.
Due to her long-term investment and relationship with the University, proud alumna Carley contacted academics as soon as she started working on Little Red about using the University’s Priestman Building on City Campus as one of the filming locations and involving Media Production and Screen Performance students in the process.
Lee Hall, Head of the School of Media and Creative Industries at the University of Sunderland, said:
“As well as role modelling the distance you can travel with talent and hard work, Carley is absolutely committed to creating opportunities by opening doors and building confidence.
“Carley has been an inspiration to students at the University of Sunderland and it’s great to see yet another example of her positive impact on film and TV production.
“This is vital work to improve representation in the screen industries and Carley is a perfect mentee.”
The programme’s mentors for this year include Cecile Frot-Coutaz from Sky, writer and actor Charlie Covell, location manager Emma Pill, Bad Wolf’s Jane Tranter, Quay Street Productions’ Nicola Shindler, Merman’s Rebecca Parkinson, Film Producer Soleta Rogan, Cinematographer Sophie Darlington, Suanne Rochester from Wild Child Animation, Hello-Halo’s Wendy Rattray and Netflix’s Senior Manager for Production Training and Industry Engagement EMEA, Alison Small and Content Creative, Jon Mountague among others.
Helen Bullough, who is Carley’s Mentor Producer on the programme, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming Sunderland’s Carley Armstrong onto the North of England cohort for the Women in Film and Television Four Nations Mentoring Scheme 2025.
“The scheme is a cornerstone of WFTV’s mission to champion and support women in the screen industries and we have an incredible line up of mentors ready to inspire and guide talented mentees like Carley.”
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