Carl Tooney President  and the team at the Film Festival International have supported my career in many different ways.

As President Carl Tooney is an inspiring figure who has been instrumental in helping my career as a film director flourish.

The nominations for the festivals are a wonderful recognition of the hard work of my team. As filmmakers receiving a consideration from such prestigious events has helped us rise to even greater heights.

The wins for our movie We Too Together at the Nice International Film Festival we’re humbling as  after the pandemic we were fearful we might never be able to be part of such an amazing event. The feature film is now streaming on Amazon Prime and our awards were part of the incredible journey that can make the difference between success and failures. Winning is a sign to the industry globally that our work can compete internationally.

Carl’s kind support of me and all my team is fabulous, especially considering how many other film makers from around the world he helps too. He is focused, considerate and thoughtful in arranging events which showcase our work.

The festivals are also an amazing way to network and meet other filmmakers. Sharing our stories of how we overcame incredible obstacles to create art is such a life changing part of the journey of being a filmmaker.

The nominees aren’t competitive as we are all cheering for each other as Carl creates such an amazing family atmosphere for his events too. By the end of the night we have created memories that last a lifetime and help us find the courage to go forward with our careers.

As a film maker you are always questioning if what you do is worthwhile so the validation of receiving an international nomination is so essential to help you believe in yourself as an artist.

No-one ever takes for granted the sheer amount of effort, planning and work the team put in to make the festivals fun and glamourous During the pandemic many awards festivals were online which is understandable, but sitting in a glorious room full of talented people and hearing your name spoken out loud is a thrill. Waiting for the winner to be announced is pure adrenaline. The moment you hear that you have won is surreal as time stands still as you try to be sure it is actually you. Also you get the chance to express gratitude to the whole team for making the movie possible Making any feature film needs an army of people so the award is a way of showing them how incredible and valued their work is too.

Carl’s teams at the festivals include talented professionals from around the globe too, ready to offer advice on the next step for your movie and career Having spent so much time and energy making a feature film sometimes it is hard to forget how important the right advice and plan for the distribution and sales is.  Industry veterans like Neil MacEwan, the former Warner Brothers Vice President, generously give their time at the festivals to help filmmakers like me elevate their projects.

I am deeply grateful to Carl Tooney and all his team. They have changed my career, my life and helped me believe in the power of dreams. There have been occasions it would be tempting to give up as a film maker without the essential boost that being a nominee from the festival delivers.

Thank you to Carl and all his team for making our dreams come true and helping us experience the joy of being part of the festivals’s nominees.