BFI Introduces Wellbeing Facilitators For All Funded Projects

deadline.com:

The BFI is to introduce Wellbeing Facilitators on all the films it helps fund as it battles to overcome the industry’s long-running issues with mental health and bullying.The role will champion and facilitate a positive working culture and provide an independent point of contact for any issues related to stress, bullying and harassment, discrimination and adult safeguarding.In collaboration with mental health support organization 6ft From The Spotlight and using funding from the National Lottery, all projects backed with BFI Film Fund production funding will see the Facilitator introduced.The BFI initially introduced the role onto projects in production in 2021 and will help train new Wellbeing Facilitators in the likes of mental health risk policy and dealing with bullying and harassment, alongside 6ft From The Spotlight.Other core Wellbeing Facilitator responsibilities will include advising producers and heads of departments on how to prevent stress and mental health issues from arising and implementing the BFI’s Bullying & Harassment Guidance and Principles.The BFI stressed the role will be “independent from the core [production] team” and Head of Inclusion Jennifer Smith said the goal is for Wellbeing Facilitators to be “normalized” across the industry.“Turning the tide on poor working practices in our industry is a collective endeavor and one we are all responsible for,” added Smith.“The introduction of the Wellbeing Facilitator builds on our existing Guidance and Principles to prevent bullying, harassment and racism and provides additional invaluable support to producers and heads of department to put wellbeing front and centre of their productions.”The move comes almost a year after Kidulthood creator Noel Clarke