Meet our RISE Producer Programme 2025 cohort!

The BFI Doc Society RISE Producer Programme 2025 offers individually tailored guidance and training for 6 UK-based producers, aimed at breaking down socio-economic barriers of access and sustainability for emerging first time feature documentary producers.

For the second iteration of the programme, we selected the following cohort from a UK-wide open call for applications. These participants will benefit from flexible modes of support and development sessions centred around bespoke 1-2-1 consultancies, group presentations, and market introduction.

We are excited to work with these excellent emerging non-fiction producers and look forward to seeing the impact of the programme on their career.

As part of the programme the six producers will be in attendance at Sheffield DocFest from 18 - 22 June.

If you want to meet them there or otherwise get in touch, please email sanne@docsociety.org

Andy Wilkinson

Andy is a filmmaker based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Over the past number of years Andy has worked primarily in factual television with a variety of independent production companies on programmes for the BBC. Currently, Andy is producing Rabie Mustapha’s debut feature documentary June 1982: A Massacre, with development funding from AFAC and selected by IGNITE-Docs. He is also producing Ross McClean’s short film The Organist, funded by Northern Ireland Screen and works with Little Ease Films as a development producer.

Andy's participation in the programme is supported by Northern Ireland Screen.

Arij Al-Soltan

Arij is a Midlands-based British Iraqi producer whose work seeks to offer alternative narratives and provoke a sense of self-introspection. She is drawn to bold, emerging talent, collaborating with filmmakers who bring innovative aesthetics and nuanced narratives to the screen.

Her recent short film, Beneath a Mother’s Feet, produced in partnership with BFI Network, Mont Fleuri Productions, and writer-director Elias Suhail, has garnered multiple international awards and continues to resonate with audiences worldwide. Her current documentary project, The Sixth Story with director Ahmed Abd, is in development with support from the Doha Film Institute and recently participated in its prestigious industry programme, Qumra.

Other credits include the critically acclaimed, Rose d’Or-nominated Channel 4 drama series Baghdad Central, Paramount+ anthology of short films In Bloom and documentaries Korean Lovers in Baghdad and Safia, as well as short fiction film Tabbouleh & Pie.

Dermot O'Dempsey

Dermot is an Irish Creative Producer based in Newcastle Upon Tyne. He is currently Development Producer at Shudder Films / Mother Tongues, and his recent credits include the Irish Language Feature Film Kneecap, which won an Audience Award at Sundance in 2024, before going on to win a BAFTA for Best Debut Feature. Upcoming Productions include: Learning to Breathe Under Water, a heartfelt comedy-drama directed by Rebekah Fortune, starring Rory Kinnear & Maria Bakalova, and Something Familiar, a revelatory documentary debut from Rachel Close supported by BFI Doc Society.

Prior to his role at Shudder Films, Dermot was a freelance creative producer and production manager, working across a range of different mediums including television, animation, commercials, music videos and short films, including titles supported by BFI NETWORK, Screen Scotland, and The Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Ilinca Calugareanu

Ilinca is a Scotland-based Romanian filmmaker and producer working across creative documentary and hybrid storytelling. She is the founder of Seaweed Pictures, an Edinburgh-based production company dedicated to bold, cinematic documentaries by women and gender-expansive filmmakers. Ilinca's work has screened globally, with titles on Netflix, HBO, Arte, Hulu, The New York Times, and The Guardian. She is a Berlinale Talents Alumna, Sundance Institute | National Geographic Fellow, and a 2023 Chicken & Egg Award recipient. Ilinca is currently developing her own work while producing new projects by emerging directors.

Toby Cameron

Toby is the Senior Producer and Founder of On Par, a micro-indie based in Cardiff whose work spans multiple platforms, including broadcast, cinema, digital, and advertising. With a focus on sustainability and positive storytelling, On Par prioritises the well-being of contributors and crew. They have won multiple awards for their work, including BAFTA Cymru and Drum Roses Awards.

Toby was part of BBC Wales' first New Directors Scheme in 2019, during which he directed and produced a four-part series that earned him the Best Breakthrough award at the RTS Cymru Awards in 2020. Over the past year, he has led an Innovate UK-funded R&D project exploring the viewing habits of 16-24-year-olds.

On Par's current slate includes one-off documentaries, feature films, and digital-first series, along with a funded R&D initiative into sustainable production, supported by a range of funders including public bodies, broadcasters, and brands.

Yemi Adegbulu

Yemi is a London-based British-Nigerian producer with experience in both feature and short films. She co-runs production company Sleepwalker Studios and recently worked as an associate producer on the feature film Dreamers, a BBC Film and Quiddity Films production. She joined this film through the BBC Film Associate Producer Programme.

Yemi’s other recent credits as a producer include: The Memory Boom commissioned by Phoenix Exeter, National Lottery Heritage, and the Radcliffe Trust; Goodbye Train commissioned by the Roundhouse; and The Ink Life, commissioned via Fresh Cuts by ITV.

In 2024 she was part of the IDFA group attendance hosted by BFI Doc Society to pitch and find opportunities for international co-productions. As an inaugural BAFTA Connect member, Yemi is committed to sharing impactful stories through film.