Biography

Barbara Bargiel is a Polish - British Film Director & Scriptwriter living in London (UK). Her films are made with of all- female crew. She is a Bafta Connect Director working on debut feature. Barbara is drawn to unsung heros and their contemporary circumstances. How justice and empowerment can be served for them in fictional films. She feels comfortable making drama that leans towards another genre like comedy, thriller, horror. She dreams to direct a Western and Film Noir one day! 

In industry Barbara watched films for Bafta Yougo Students Awards as a Jury, North East International Film Festival as a Film Screener, Sunderland Short Films Festival as a Film Reviewer, Watersprite Film Festival as a Judge. She contributed her storytelling expertise to Iconic Steps, Dyspla, and other freelance Writer-Directors and Scriptwriters. 

Since 2013, Barbara directed several shorts, which showcased and won awards in film festivals worldwide. Big Syn International Film Festival (UN),  Birmingham Film Festival, Bifa qualifying Sunderland Short Film Festival, New Renaissance Film Festival, Oregon Short Film Festival, Short Sweet Film Festival- Comedy Festival in Cleveland and San Francisco Indie Short Film Festival, to name a few.

Based on scripts selected to Programmes: National Film & Television School Filmmaking Certificate, Sundance Institute Collabs in Directing & Writing; BFI Skill Up Mentoring for Writers- Directors with TripleC & Screenskills; WFTV Table Read.

Supported by charitable funds of: Screenskills Bursary (BFI- National Lottery Fund); Film & TV Fund- Sundance & Marche du Film Accreditation charges (1st feature development); Campaign Bootcamp Community Fund- NFTS fee.  Screen Argyll's ( Screen Scotland) Sea Change Professional Development Lab funded again by Film & TV Charity Fund & Screenskills Bursary ( BFI, National Lottery Fund).

Barbara's ambition is to see women progressing in the film industry and being given opportunities. 

#disbale #workingclass #neurodivergent #dyslexic #over40 #filmdirector #scriptwriter #filmindustry #film #motionpictures

Film Industry

• North East International Film Festival ( Biffa & Bafta qualifing) - Film Screener, shorts, tv series pilot and features ( 2024)

• BAFTA Yugo Student Awars Jury- shorts, animations ( 2024)

• Watersprite Film Festival ( Biffa Qualifing)- Screenplay and Film Judge ( 2023 for 2024 festival in March)

• Directors Forum- Feature Script Development Notes ( Autumn) 2023)

• Iconic Steps- Industry Script Feedback for Isaac Tomiczek Scriptwriting Mindfully in Roots & Shoots Charity ( Summer 2023)

• Bafta Connect, Directors UK, WFTV,  Female Film Club (BFI sponsored) Member

• Rising Women -Times Up UK participant. 

Filmography

 Accolades

2024

• Screen Argyll's ( Screen Scotland) Sea Change Professional Development Lab funded by Film & TV Charity Fund & Screenskills Bursary ( BFI, National Lottery Fund)

                                                                                2023

• First Feature- Bafta Connect 2023- 2026 Film Director working on debut feature, 2 weeks Writing Residency in The Arbroath Courthouse Charitable Community Trust in partnership with Hospitalfield in Angus- Scotland, Three Sundance Institute Feature Scriptwriting Collabs supported by Film & TV Charity Grant that covered Marche du Film - Cannes Pass.

Scripts:

• BREAK FREE- 15 pages, invited co- writer Pamela Selkirk ( 2024), rewrote script FREE

• Script FREE- based on it and applications selected to Three Directing Collabs & Three Writing Collabs of Sundnace Institute; WFTV Table Read June 2021- July 2022, official selection to 2023- Short Sweet Film Fest- Comedy Festival in Cleveland Ohio- USA

• Scripts- FREE, DONT MISS ME, MALADY- based on them and application selected to BFI Skill Up Mentoring for Writers- Director Triple C/ Screenskills

Films:

2022, Generic, 5 min, Drama; Camera - Sony

• Public Screenings: 

   * Piccadilly Light Spotlight Prize Finalist in The Big Sync International Film Festival, screened on the festival website 17- 26 Oct 2024. 

* Honorable Mention Award in New Renaissance Film Festival- Love Story- screening with Q &A  in the Close Up Cinema - 11th Feb 2023 ( off Brick Lane- London)

   *Nominee in Micro Short Category in Birmingham Film Festival- screening on IMAX Millenium Point with Q&A- 9th Nov 2022, Birmingham, UK

    * Paris Lift Off Festival- Official Selection- Screened Online 10th Oct - 7th Nov 2022

* Walthamstow International Film Festival- Winner in Drama Category- Truman's Social Club(UK, 12 June 2022- London Premier )

* Oregon Short Film Festival- Award Finalist in Category Best Relationship Drama - 14 Oct 2022- Clinton Street Movie Theatre ( USA- Premier)

• Selections:

    * Eastern Europe Film Festival - Winner- Best Sound Editing, (Romania, 2022);  

* Reale Film Festival- Winner Honourable Mention Award, (Italy, 2022), 

* San Francisco Indie Short Film Festival- Semi Finalist in Category Women Empowerment- (USA, 2022); 

2021, Hufen Ia- 3 min, Romantic Comedy, Camera- Cannon

• Her Ffilm Fer 48hr Welsh Film Challenge

• Broadcast: Hansh YouTube Channel & S4C Broadcast in collaboration with Iris Prize (2021,Wales);

• Festival selections & Ticketed Screenings:

* Sunderland Short Film Festival- Official selection in Category Young, Emerging, Student, (UK, 2021);

* Omovies International Film Festival- Official Selection in Category Gender Questioning in (Italy, 2021); 3 min

2020, Coch Gwir- 3 min, Horror, Camera- Mobile Phone- Huaweii Lite Pro

• Her Ffilm Fer 48hr Welsh Film Challenge

• Broadcast Screening- Hansh YouTube Channel & S4C Broadcast (Online/Welsh TV Channel 2021);  

2019, Martin & the Magic Muffins, 6 min, Romantic Comedy; Camera- Panasonic  

• Screenings: BFI Network South East Screening (Oxford, UK)  & Kino London (London, UK)

2014, Herstory- 10 min, Experimental Thriller, camera- Cannon 5D, Go-Pro & Sony

• Official selection in Category Experimental Film,  Cine Women Cahiers (France, 2015); 

• Public Screening: 

*Mama Lovely Film Salone on Process (2014), Queen of Hoxton, (London, UK)

2013, Poison-5 min,  Performance Film, camera- Cannon 5D

•  Public Screening:

 *Official selection in Category Video Art - Novas Artes Associadas, (Portugal 2014); 

Hobby

Barbara sings Alto in London' s choirs for over 10 years. She enjoys mountain and water sports. She likes to travel to unique places and meet local people through their storytelling.

Sung for Feral Choir, Trad Academy Sea Shanty Choir, Force Majore, Voicelab- Abba & Sister Sledge, Partenope- ENO outreach, Otto Cafe Experimental Choir , Frozen Lights- Fire Songs.