FESTIVAL TEAM

Naomi has been with Borderlines since it began in 2003, as Festival Producer, Executive Director, then Festival Director in 2013. Previously she was a documentary/drama director-producer, with programmes and award-winning shorts on the BBC. Her grandfather built and ran a new cinema in the Puerto d’Andraitx, Mallorca, the Cine d’el Puerto, in 1940s Franco-era Spain. A real Cinema Paradiso.

On the staff since the 2009 Festival, Jo has tackled many film-related jobs: running the London Film-makers’ Co-op Cinema, writing for City Limits, The Guardian and Sight & Sound, teaching, directing a documentary on Super 8 film-making for C4, researcher on Derek Jarman’s The Last of England and a stint as one of the techies on the Flicks in the Sticks pilot.

Mikaela has been a Film Programmer for the Independent Cinema Office for two years, supporting a range of independent cinema's nationwide on the creation of culturally broad programmes for wide ranging audiences. Before this, she was the lead Programme Manager at the Showroom Cinema, a 4-screen arthouse cinema in Sheffield, where she was based for 5 years.

Heather is a film curator and critic with special interests in animation, folklore, puppetry on screen and feminist cinema. She currently programmes for the Independent Cinema Office, the World Animation Competition for Leeds International Film Festival and is a long-serving member of the Glasgow Short Film Festival competition programming team. She has also worked as a features programmer for Glasgow Film Festival since 2022 and as a writer, has bylines with Talking Shorts, The Skinny and Cineuropa.

Ella is an Assistant Film Programmer at the Independent Cinema Office. After completing a BA in Geography at the University of Manchester, she discovered her passion for cinema, moving on to work within various divisions in film distribution for three years at Paramount Pictures and independent distributor, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment. Ella helped programme the 2024 edition of the Chronic Youth Film Festival at the Barbican Centre and is currently working on programming an exhibition on migration and the making of the Black Country in the Midlands.

Sarah has a Bachelor degree in Film (with a feminist approach to film analysis) from Massachusetts. This is the third film festival she has worked with, and she is very keen to assist in bringing in an increasingly diverse audience to Borderlines. She has worked at The Courtyard for three years, and loves the festival every year. 

Angharad has a Bachelor degree in English Language and Linguistics from the University of Sheffield. Since then, she has worked in Publishing, TV Production and the Heritage sector. She loves all things cinema and some of her favourite films include Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Rear Window, Paper Moon and Anora. She’s local to the area and has been enjoying the festival for many years.

Alison has been the Festival's Press Assistant since it started. She sends out press releases and collates cuttings into the annual press book and is also a talented photographer. Alison has a soft spot for dance films; Carlos Saura films are a particular favourite along with Strictly Ballroom and old Gene Kelly movies.
 

Sandie has been involved with the Exhibition industry for more than 30 years and wears many hats.  She has been a supporter of Borderlines since its beginning. She is employed as Brand Ambassador for Ferco Seating Ltd. She is also on the Board of Governors for the Cinema Technology Community (CTC) and writes for Cinema Technology Magazine.  In addition, Sandie is on the European Executive Committee of Women in Exhibition (WIE). Sandie’s favourite films are Kills on Wheels, The Olive Tree and The World’s Fastest Indian.