IWD: The importance of female mentors in our industry

On International Women’s Day, it is important to recognise and embrace our individual experiences, and while the gender balance is certainly improving, it is not equal yet.

I am proud of my career to date, and grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had, and I firmly believe that the way to have the biggest impact on making a difference for women coming into the industry is by showing them the best of all the fields we work in.

I have always been the only female finishing editor or colourist in any department I have worked in, and quickly learned how to navigate male-heavy environments.

While it has not held me back, it does not change the way it sometimes feels to be the only woman in the room. I have had extremely generous and kind male mentors over the years, and I would not be where I am today without them.

However, it certainly would have been empowering to work alongside other women at the top of their field and thriving in the jobs I was working towards.

It’s extremely important for me to be that female mentor and inspire my mentees as I wish I could have been inspired.

I actively strive to fulfil that role, and will continue to do so, as I believe that this is how women in the industry can make a huge difference, and I will continue to play my part as a mentor along the way.

Plus, it could mean we have a lot more female finishing editors and colourists as a consequence, and I think that would be absolutely fine.

As of 2024, I have delivered more than 60 episodes of Doctor Who, with most recent episodes being delivered in multiple HDR formats, to both the BBC and Disney.

In order to keep up with the growing scale and technical demands of the show, I took the opportunity to expand the online team by mentoring assistants and junior finishing editors in the technical intricacies and specific needs of a high-profile, long-form drama.

In recent years, the drama industry in Cardiff has grown enormously, which has allowed my skillset to develop with it.

I have added to my drama finishing repertoire shows like War of The Worlds and Sky feature film Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse. I have also been the colourist for BBC shows such as The Way, Lost Boys & Fairies, The Pact and Doctor Who.

Christine Kelly is a finishing editor and colourist at Gorilla.