Episode 20 - Victoria Thomas - “Survivor”

Black FilmmakersUK FilmmakersEducatorswomen filmmakers

Apr 23

April 23, 2021

In this episode, I speak with filmmaker and educator Victoria Thomas. In our conversation, we chat about her latest project, Born in New York, Raised in Paris, her teaching at the London Film School, the production company she founded, the Polkadot Factory, and the challenges of navigating a documentary and narrative film industry rooted in a white supremacist work culture that is resistant to change. Because just like many Black women, Victoria finds being in these spaces can be taxing and exhausting, to say the least, this episode’s song is Destiny Chid’s “Survivor.”

Victoria’s Bio

[Image Description: Victoria is pictured from the torso up and sits in front of a starry, black background that is just out of focus. Her hair is slightly longer than shoulder length. She wears a red and black top and red lipstick. She smiles at the camera.]

Victoria embarked on writing and directing when as a news journalist, she accidentally on purpose filmed a drunken fight, syndicated out of context nationally by media outlets in the UK as evidence of Britain's late-night alcohol drinking problem, getting out of control. Seeing the power of video stories to spark conversation, she enrolled for an MFA to figure out how to do it properly.

She is now focused on developing work as a Writer/Director. A video she shot on impulse whilst on holiday, resulted in a short documentary that was an Official Selection of Rotterdam Film Festival 2016 and won the Best Non-Scripted Short at Triforce 2016.

Her spec feature script Street Food, which has received development funding from Screen Scotland, is selected for the Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and Oprah Winfrey backed Writers Lab NYC 2020, and IFP Week 2020.

She is in post-production on Born In New York, Raised In Paris, a feature documentary that chronicles the role of hip hop in empowering disenfranchised youths in France to highlight and protest police brutality, which has received funding from Screen Scotland.

She was one of nine directors selected for the inaugural Sharp Shorts 2020, an opportunity for Scotland's most exciting emerging creatives to shake up the form and distinctively stamp the nation on the filmmaking map.

As a producer, her films have screened at festivals internationally and broadcast on TV. With a passion for politics and comedy, her films tend to combine these, often using satire to explore or comment on sociopolitical dynamics. She graduated from the law school of the University Of Birmingham before completing an MFA in Film.

She is a voting member of BAFTA Scotland and is the Course Leader for the Masters of Arts (MA) in International Film Business at London Film School. She serves as a juror for the BIFA's and is an alumnus of the UK's National Film & Television School. She is previously selected for Berlinale Talents, the Jihlava Documentary Film Festival’s Emerging Producers program, and EAVE.

About the Polkadot Factory

Based in Scotland, and down in history as its first black-owned/led production company, Polkadot Factory was founded with the ambition of building a dynamic, international-facing production company outside London. We are interested in telling stories authored by women, that explore identity, belonging, and otherness, whether that be in a bold comedy, a crime drama, a thriller, or a documentary.

About Born in New York Raised in Paris

Born In New York, Raised In Paris, chronicles the role of hip hop, in empowering disenfranchised black and Arab youths, in France, to highlight and protest police brutality.

About the London Film School

For over 60 years London Film School (LFS) has been the place for emerging creative talent to hone their craft, find their voice and engage directly with the vibrant UK screen industries. With a student cohort from every corner of the globe, LFS has always been a cultural hub where fresh voices, experiences, and perspectives rub shoulders with tradition and history. The story of the film has played out here at Shelton Street – the pull of celluloid, alongside the push of the new and the emergence of a digital world. Here, we take both seriously to celebrate a tradition of innovation.