Interviews with Kehittämö mentors: Mette Damgaard-Sørensen
Over the course of her twenty-year career, script consultant and project developer Mette Damgaard-Sørensen has witnessed significant changes in the industry, with storytelling now embracing voices from increasingly diverse backgrounds. At the same time, she has become more aware of her own position within the field.
Having led the New Danish Screen funding programme for a total of ten years, Damgaard-Sørensen is now serving as a mentor for Kehittämö’s new season. In the podcast, she discusses the types of creators sought for film development programmes and the kinds of works that are worth investing in. Interviewer: Pamela Cohn.
Interviews with Kehittämö mentors: Nayeem Mahbub
Script consultant Nayeem Mahbub has experience particularly in the making of documentary and animated films. Having built his career as an editor, Mahbub now focuses on feature-length fiction in his current work.
In his mentoring, he aims to draw on his diverse background in filmmaking, for example, by approaching fictional characters with the perspective of a documentarian.
Mahbub emphasises the importance of asking questions in the mentoring process. By formulating answers, a mentee who is seeking direction may discover what they actually want to say with their work. Interviewer: Pamela Cohn.
Interviews with Kehittämö mentors: Gitte Hansen
Gitte Hansen is an independent film consultant who focuses on the development, production, financing, and distribution of documentary films. She has always been interested in people and stories. As a mentor, she loves it when dedicated filmmakers are open and ask a lot of questions.
According to Hansen, mentoring is not just about how the mentor sees the filmmaker and the film, but about how the filmmaker and the mentor see each other and what they can learn from each other. Knowing and sensing the other person is an important starting point in the mentoring process. Interviewer: Pamela Cohn.
Interviews with Kehittämö mentors: Karol Griffiths
Karol Griffiths works in the film industry as a development consultant, script editor, writing mentor, and producer. At best, a mentor becomes like a family member who supports the filmmaker holistically. A mentor is a mirror that helps new talents in the industry find their deep voice as filmmakers.
As a mentor, Griffiths asks a lot of questions and conducts various exercises. She believes it is essential to know the characters of the film thoroughly so that they are believable and their reactions are genuine. In the mentoring process, Griffiths helps filmmakers find the truth behind the characters and the story. Interviewer: Pamela Cohn.
Interviews with Kehittämö mentors: Grant Keir
Grant Keir works in the film industry as a teacher, mentor, script consultant, and producer. He develops and produces films for international markets through his own production company, Faction North. He believes that mentoring is valuable for every filmmaker and feels privileged to work as a mentor.
As a mentor, Keir always aims to create a trusting relationship with the filmmaker. The mentor is an important resource for the filmmaker. He never judges the filmmaker but strives to help them move forward through questions. The audience’s emotions after the film is what Keir believes guides the filmmaker on their journey toward the final goal. Interviewer: Pamela Cohn.
Interviews with Kehittämö mentors: Françoise von Roy and Franz Rodenkirchen
Françoise von Roy and Franz Rodenkirchen are experienced script consultants who serve as international mentors in the Kehittämö program. Their company, Solice23, helps various filmmakers develop the storytelling of their films. As mentors, they assist filmmakers in finding confidence and trusting their own voice.
A mentor is never in an authoritative position over the filmmaker; at its best, mentoring is a reciprocal and respectful form of communication. Von Roy and Rodenkirchen appreciate long-term mentoring programs like Kehittämö, where mentors and filmmakers get to know each other better. According to them, deeper connection between the mentor and the filmmaker holistically advances the project. Interviewer: Pamela Cohn.
AI (Microsoft Copilot) was used for translating these episode descriptions.