SDG Filmfest 2022

Dr Ben Harbisher

Coventry University

Ben Harbisher is Associate Professor Media Production at Coventry University. He currently teaches video and post-production in addition to supervising Doctoral projects. As a researcher, he has been published in Critical Discourse Studies (2016), Surveillance and Society (2015), Journalism, Power and Investigation (2019), and Surveillance in Action (2018). His research interests include state and corporate surveillance, social movements, political and media discourse. He is the founder and editor of the International journal of Media Discourse with Professor Stuart Price, and Principal Investigator for the #SDGFilmfest. Forthcoming publications include Power, Media and the Covid 19 Pandemic: Framing Public Discourse. Harbisher, B. and Price, S. (2021). London: Routledge, and Social Control Policies in Times of Pandemics. Hellman, M., Kettunen, T., Salmivaara, S. and Stoneham, J (eds). (2021). London: Oxford University Press.

David Bispham

Filmmaker and Director

David is an accomplished filmmaker with credit across a range of television and cinema releases. How works include Wonder Woman (third assistant director: second unit), The Cleveland Kidnappings (TV Special documentary) (first assistant director), EastEnders (TV Series) (third assistant director – 9 episodes), and Holby City (TV Series) (third assistant director – 39 episodes, 2009 – 2018) (second assistant director – 20 episodes, 2011 – 2016) (first assistant director – 4 episodes, 2021 – 2022).

John Coster

Documentary Media Centre

John Coster is a UK based Journalist and Educator. He is the Founder of the Documentary Media Centre that organizes events, education-based activities and workshops using documentary film, photography, audio and new media at the ‘intersection’ of real people, real places, real events.

He also runs the annual Doc Media Festival programme of free events and workshops on the theme of global citizens. John is passionate about development, delivering guest lectures at schools and universities across the world.

He lectures at De Montfort University on the Communication Arts BA (Hons) and Media Production BSc (Hons) courses.

Rhys Davies

De Montfort University

A Senior Lecturer in Film at De Montfort University, Rhys Davies has over 15 years’ experience as a filmmaker, with theatrical release and worldwide distribution of his films. He was an Assistant Director on two Oscar long-listed short films, and writer for BAFTA winning Sleepydog Productions for their slate of productions for the North American television market. His practice-based research includes sustainability in filmmaking, 360-degree filmmaking to enhance immersion in the horror film narrative, adaptation of folk takes into indigenous horror films, and the importance of documentaries to Sustainable Development Goals in a post truth world. His current research focus is on filmmaking without borders, with a specific focus on oral histories.

Andrew Trigg

LSPR

UK national Andrew Trigg is a multi-talented filmmaker who has made dramatic films and documentary-style films for television channels, corporations, aid projects and governmental clients in the UK, USA, Australia, and Indonesia. He aims to tell world-class stories that engage audiences, explain issues and inspire positive action.

Andrew is currently working on “Getting Better All the Time”, a documentary film about stroke recovery that he shot in the UK throughout 2017 and that he is now editing for a UK release.

Andrew was educated at Imperial College London and the University of Warwick. He trained in filmmaking at Sydney Film School, and has worked as director, cinematographer, and editor on projects for organisations as diverse as NET TV, The Indonesia Channel, USAID, Chemonics, Accor Hospitality, Clean Up Indonesia, UNICEF, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, Yamaha Musical Instruments, Ephindo Energy, Risco Energy, Prime Plaza Hotels and Resorts and Coca-Cola.

Andrew is also an accomplished theatre director and actor, and he teaches Theatre Directing as well as TV, Film and Video production at the London School of Public Relations.

Richard Irwin

Nottingham College

Richard is a Lecturer in Digital Media and Film Making at Nottingham College, Nottingham, England, where he leads degree programmes in Digital Media and Motion Graphics. He currently teaches across a range of courses including Photography, Film & Television, and Graphic Design, and has been a full time Lecturer since 1994. Richard started out as a professional Photographer in the 1980’s, but as an early adopter of digital technology he started experimenting with video production and digital photographic techniques as soon as computer technology made it possible, and this led on to him incorporating 3D, VFX and animation in his teaching practice.

Richard has travelled widely, firstly as a nature documentary photographer, but also on behalf of Nottingham College, helping forge links between institutions from San Francisco to New Delhi. Outside of his teaching career, Richard’s main interest is sustainable wildlife conservation, and recording changes to natural history. He has worked as a countryside ranger in the UK, and currently volunteers with Wildlife Trusts on conservation and sustainability projects. His focus is on the recording and preservation of delicate eco-systems under pressure from climate change and changes in land use. He is as happy knee deep in a muddy pond studying dragonfly nymphs as he is teaching 3D computer graphics.