Midlands Movies Awards 2024 jury panel
Every season the nominations and eventual winners are chosen by an experienced jury made up of a wide-range of industry experts. Previous jury panel members include Shane Meadows (This Is England director), Debbie Isitt (BAFTA-award winning director of Nativity films), Steve Oram (actor/writer), Richard Billingham (Turner prize nominee & director of Ray & Liz), James Luxford (Radio Times film critic), Becky Adams (CEO Screen Northants), Dharmesh Rajput (Head of Birmingham Indian Film Festival) and Pin Cushion director Deborah Haywood.
Midlands Movies Awards 2024 Jury Panel
PARMINDER NAGRA
VIP JURY PANEL MEMBER
PARMINDER WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER OF 2024 BEST SHORT FILM CATEGORY
Parminder Nagra is a British actress best known for her star-making role as ‘Jess Bhambra’ in the film BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, as well as ‘Dr Neela Rasgotra’ in the Emmy Award-winning TV drama series, ER. Born and raised in Leicester, Parminder got her start after joining the theatre company, Hathi Productions, which led to various roles in theatre, television, and film. She is also well known for her appearances in THE BLACKLIST for NBC, J.J Abrams’ ALCATRAZ, and more recently, her starring role in the female driven medical series, MATERNAL, for ITV. Other notable credits include Netflix’s BIRD BOX, Marvel’s AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., and 13 REASONS WHY for Netflix. This past July, Parminder completed the second installment as the titular character of the ITV series, DI RAY.
Sophie Ivanova (Birmingham Film & TV Market) is an award-winning producer, actor, multi-platform businesswoman and owner of Inspirit Productions Ltd. She is one of three filmmakers that launch the Birmingham Film & TV Market, an industry event that connects commissioners and distributors with writers and producers at any stage of their career. Over the years, she has worked closely with several film bodies in the Midlands towards the mutual goal of strengthening the film infrastructure in the region.
Matt Tilt (What's In a Scene film critic) is a freelance film journalist and co-founder & editor of What’s In a Scene - a weekly newsletter exploring the greatest scenes in cinema history. From classics and cult movies to underappreciated gems, Matthew has in-depth experience of film history and criticism & is committed to raising the profile of regional indie filmmakers through regular reviews, interviews & festival coverage at Midlands Movies, where he shares his passion for the local film community.
Michael Ellis (Award-winning filmmaker) is a Birmingham filmmaker who has written and directed a range of short films, including Corrupt which won Best Short Film (chosen by Shane Meadows) at the Midlands Movies Awards 2021. He also won Best Thriller Short for his film Breakdown at the Padova 4th Wall Indie Filmmaker Festival. Michael graduated Birmingham City University and immerses himself in world cinema and sees film as a tool for highlighting social issues and positive change.
Lee Nabbs (Mockingbird Cinema) is the Cinema Programmer at The Mockingbird Cinema in Birmingham & responsible for scheduling films to ensure a diverse line-up for movie-goers. His experience and for film has established the cinema as a main hub for independent film in the Midlands. Lee is also a founding member of the Birmingham Youth Film Network & Reel Brum – networks which support local filmmaking talent by providing resources and opportunities to creatives.
Poppy Abbott (Nexus Cast & Crew Network) is an actor and writer based in Birmingham and her debut play Blackout was performed at The Old Joint Stock and The Old Rep Theatre in Brum before being adapted into a short film (supported by the Birmingham Short Film Fund). Poppy is also Head of Marketing for Nexus Cast & Crew Network CIC as well as the co-founder of Untamed, a community supporting creatives and performers. And she also works as an acting tutor and facilitator.
Michael Sales (Midlands Movies) is the founder and editor of Midlands Movies. Set up in 2013, Midlands Movies is a hub which showcases a wide variety of talent from the region’s film industry. Mike has regularly appeared on BBC Radio Leicester and Derby and has provided support for filmmakers on the BACK IN programme in Birmingham. Based in Leicester, Mike is passionate that the Midlands Movies Awards are once again a place to honour and celebrate the best local film-making creatives in the region.
