Women in Film and Television was created to level out an uneven playing field. "We are a networking organisation because of the emphasis in this industry on who you know," says Helen Ugwu, PA to Kate Norrish, director of the organisation's London chapter. WFTV was set up in Los Angeles by a group of women in the media who realised that men had more opportunities to network, and consequently their careers were progressing faster. It is a mark of the organisation's success, and the industry's failings, that 26 years later it has 40 chapters worldwide, of which the London office is the third largest.
The group's members range from senior executives, lawyers and accountants to writers, actors and make-up artists. Members must have a year's professional experience working in the film and television industry - this ensures the organisation's credibility within the business, says Ugwu, 34.
She has been interested in film since her student days working part time at her local Rio cinema. "When I finished college I worked for a season for London Bubble Theatre Company and then for four years at the Actor's Centre, a training centre for professional actors," she says. After a stint as the office and studio manager at an umbrella organisation for theatre and dance companies, she joined WFTV earlier this year, attracted by working for an organisation that supported women.
The organisation holds between six and 10 events a month, one of which is held in a bar and is simply an opportunity for members to meet each other and exchange information. "We also arrange events where members meet people who might be from outside the organisation who can give advice on a certain aspect of the industry. This might involve visiting a film lab or meeting a television commissioning editor."
Many of the events are organised by the members, and listed in a monthly events brochure which Ugwu coordinates. This can get quite frantic and a lot of time is spent on the phone, chasing up copy. Once the brochure has gone out there will be a couple of days' respite when Ugwu can catch up with the rest of her work and then she will be bombarded with phone calls from members booking places on events. "I also find the venues, unless it's specifically a lab visit or a preview screening, because there are people in the organisation who have access to those facilities and are able to help out."
WFTV also organises larger events open to non members, such as Shooting From the Hip, a forum held earlier this year to discuss the contribution of black and Asian women to TV and film. This combined screenings and seminars and was an invaluable chance to share information.
But the biggest event of the year, held last week at the Dorchester Hotel, is the annual awards ceremony, this year presented in association with Carlton Television. Designed to celebrate the achievements of women in the British film and television industry, the ceremony has been running for nine years.
"There are eight awards, which cover all aspects of the industry, and although previous winners have included Dame Judi Dench and Katharine Hepburn, it is also a great opportunity to pay tribute to the hidden talent behind the camera which rarely receives public recognition," says Ugwu. This year, the awards were hosted by the actress Meera Syal and among the winners were Nicola Schindler, producer of Queer as Folk and winner of the award for New Talent.
"For the past three years, winners of our awards have gone on to win Oscars. In 1996, Rachel Portman was the first woman to win an Oscar for best original score for Emma and last year Sandy Powell won an Oscar and a Bafta award for the costume design of Velvet Goldmine."
Ugwu was in the office early to collect the actual awards and then had to dash off to the Dorchester to put out place names for 500 guests. It takes a great deal of work to make sure such an event goes off without a hitch, she says, insisting that her visit to the Dorchester a couple of weeks ago to sample various dishes and wines was all in the name of work.
Nearly a decade after its establishment in the UK, WFTV has almost 1,000 members in this country. "Next year will be very exciting as we'll be celebrating our 10th anniversary and there's a possibility that the awards will be televised," says Ugwu. "We'll also be hosting WFTV's international summit, which is the first time it's been held outside the States. I get a great kick out of working for organisation that really is making a difference for women."