ABOUT US

Festival Director and Student Short Programme Lead

Claire has worked in Film, TV and video production for many years and was part of the team that launched the FilmFour channel back in 1998, where she discovered her love of short film through the Short Attention Span Cinema strand. She produced The Shooting Gallery with Mark Kermode, profiling filmmakers and introducing new short films to a late night audience on Channel 4.  She’s dedicated to bringing international short film to a new audience in Suffolk and determined to encourage investment in local young talent. 

Festival Director

Rachel spent ten years in London working for ITV, working her way through the ranks to become Producer/Director on a number of factual and entertainment programmes. Since moving back to Suffolk she has worked as a Suffolk-based location manager and location scout. She works part-time for Screen Suffolk, the county’s official film office, supporting and promoting filmmaking in the county.  More recently Rachel has become a lead trainer for Set Ready, a training and employment programme that supports the next generation of film and tv talent as they take their first steps into production and on to set. With her work for Suffolk shorts her aim is to raise the profile of filmmaking in East Anglia, and to create a fund specifically for that purpose.

Festival Director

Neil is the Manager at The Riverside cinema in his hometown of Woodbridge, Suffolk. He is researcher for The Criterion Collection in New York having worked on every release since 2013. Neil is festival advisor and consultant to Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic and Cinema Reborn in Sydney, Australia. Neil has worked on Aki Kaurismäki’s new film and is also a contributor to Sight and Sound.

Narrative Programme Lead

Clio is a Producer, currently at creative agency Mother. She is passionate about storytelling through short form visual content. Over 6 years she has continuously developed and refined her craft in advertising, working across an eclectic mix of clients from PlayStation to John Lewis. A stint at Somesuch also provided valuable exposure to the other side of the coin working on campaigns for the likes of Nike, Amazon and McDonalds.

East Anglian Film Programme lead 2025

Joshua Dickinson is an actor, writer and director. His independent film work includes Dry River (2021), Redcon-1 (2018) and The Mirror (2014). His first short film as a writer/director ‘Spiral’ is in development with Paradox House. As Head of Filmmaking for Young Film Academy in London he delivers courses on screenwriting and filmmaking, he also teaches screen acting at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Unique Perspectives Programme Lead 2025

Rob Bevan was a founding partner at online drama production company XPT, and director of BAFTA-winning Online Caroline, he also co-founded NoHo Digital. Rob began his interactive media career in the late 1980s creating educational CD-ROMs for Apple’s Renaissance project and The MultiMedia Corporation, the BBC’s former Interactive Television Unit. He is a member of the BAFTA British Short Film category longlisting group.

Advisor - policy

Christine Howell is a specialist in policy and security, having been Senior Director of Policy and Security at Oracle for 16 years. Christine advised us on our application to be incorporated as a CIC and is working on general administration of the festival with a particular focus on equality and diversity.

AV Technician and Student Liaison

Brad has a solid foundation in both the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking. His work as an AV Technician at University of Suffolk, and as a Course Facilitator with the BFI Academy, highlights his commitment to honing his craft and contributing to the wider film community. Brad’s is the crucial link between Suffolk Shorts and the student team working to help shape the festival.