{"id":12774,"date":"2026-07-03T10:14:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T09:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/watershed.co.uk\/filmhub\/?post_type=guides_resources&p=12774"},"modified":"2026-07-03T10:14:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T09:14:52","slug":"xenia-glen-filmmaker-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"guides_resources","link":"https:\/\/watershed.co.uk\/filmhub\/guides_resources\/xenia-glen-filmmaker-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Xenia Glen: Filmmaker Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Xenia Glen is a Dorset-based multidisciplinary filmmaker working primarily as a\u00a0<\/span><\/span>writer-director<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Her path into filmmaking has been anything but conventional<\/span>\u00a0and yet\u00a0<\/span>she<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0achieved so much<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0from<\/span>\u00a0landing commissions,\u00a0<\/span>securing\u00a0<\/span>funding<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>making\u00a0<\/span>films that have\u00a0<\/span>screened at Oscar<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and BAFTA-qualifying festivals<\/span>\u00a0to inspiring the next generation of filmmakers<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0In this\u00a0<\/span>blog,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>she shares her reflections on overcoming industry barriers, building an ethical filmmaking practice, and developing her voice as a regional filmmaker.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

T<\/span><\/span>oday<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I spent hours working on a funding application for a film\u00a0<\/span>that\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0been passed on by two other funds. Third\u00a0<\/span>time\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0the charm? Maybe. \u2018Continue\u00a0<\/span>anyway<\/span>\u2019 has become\u00a0<\/span><\/span>a<\/span><\/span>\u00a0motto between my collaborators and me.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0been involved with film and TV since I was a pre-teen, when I got myself an acting agent (much to my mother\u2019s surprise). I went to the library, looked them up, reached out, and they signed me.\u00a0<\/span>Easy<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>peasy<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>That\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0where \u2018easy\u2019 ended…<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They signed me because\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I filled a gap<\/span>\u00a0\u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>they\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0have Southeast Asian actors on their book<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>. I\u00a0<\/span>realised<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>my ethnicity was considered \u2018different\u2019 in<\/span><\/span>\u00a0th<\/span><\/span>e<\/span><\/span>\u00a0industry<\/span>;<\/span>\u00a0a hard pill to swallow. My response was to get a camcorder at a car boot sale,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>repurpose\u00a0<\/span><\/span>skates in<\/span><\/span>to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a dolly and direct my mates\u00a0<\/span>in<\/span>\u00a0a low-fi version of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Takeshi\u2019s Castle<\/span><\/span>, of all things<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0I still have\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0kit<\/span><\/span>!<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The aforementioned camcorder, homemade camera dolly and Meeko – filmmaker\/dog<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Next, I made a<\/span><\/span>n\u00a0<\/span><\/span>animation edited on Windows Movie Maker. This taught me how many pictures go into one second of\u00a0<\/span>film<\/span>. I was mind-blown and hooked on filmmaking. But I\u00a0<\/span>didn\u2019t<\/span>\u00a0think I could make films for audiences<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0I just enjoyed the process of\u00a0<\/span>making<\/span>. It was\u00a0<\/span><\/span>play<\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I fell out of the education system when I was around 15<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0became displaced<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>started experimenting with screenwriting. Like my mother, I became a cleaner\u00a0<\/span>\u2013\u00a0<\/span>but I figured that if I was going to be a cleaner in Dorset, I might as well be<\/span><\/span>\u00a0one<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in London and try to get my\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u2018<\/span><\/span>foot in the door<\/span><\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0I made the move and winged it,\u00a0<\/span>fueled<\/span>\u00a0by teen spirit.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While my friends were at\u00a0<\/span>college<\/span>\u00a0I juggled shifts at Waitrose\u00a0<\/span><\/span>with<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>auditions<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0I got cast in an episode of<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a children\u2019s TV show<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>commercials. During a shoot I was surprised to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>meet<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a Southeast Asian woman in the camera department. This was 2010 and the filmmakers\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>encountered<\/span>\u00a0were\u00a0<\/span>mainly white<\/span>\u00a0men. Between\u00a0<\/span><\/span>my scenes,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>she allowed me to shadow her. The<\/span><\/span>\u00a0impact she had on me proves the importance of diversity in our industry.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>She suggested\u00a0<\/span><\/span>joining<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the filmmaker\u2019s community Shooting People (now sadly closed). I asked them for a job<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0landed an apprenticeship there when I was 18. I got involved with film<\/span><\/span>s\u00a0<\/span><\/span>advertised on the platform and this is how I learned \u2018<\/span><\/span>industry<\/span><\/span>\u00a0things\u2019 like\u2026 what the British Film Institute (BFI) is.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then,\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019ve<\/span>\u00a0had all manner of industry jobs<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>my last being a Development and Production Executive.\u00a0<\/span>But no matter what<\/span>\u00a0\u2018c<\/span>redibility\u2019\u00a0<\/span><\/span>those jobs<\/span><\/span>\u00a0gave my IMDb profile<\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0they didn<\/span><\/span>\u2019t actually feel\u00a0<\/span><\/span>like\u00a0<\/span><\/span>filmmaking<\/span><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>So<\/span>\u00a0I ditched London for\u00a0<\/span><\/span>my\u00a0<\/span>hometown<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to<\/span><\/span>\u00a0re<\/span><\/span>launch my career: I set up<\/span><\/span>\u00a0a production company<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Sleepwalker Studios<\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>started<\/span><\/span>\u00a0writing<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>directing.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Surprisingly,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>living in Dorset made<\/span><\/span>\u00a0filmmaking\u00a0<\/span><\/span>more\u00a0<\/span><\/span>accessible. My films\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Backbone<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0(BBC New Creatives),\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Memory Boom<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0(Exeter Phoenix, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival\u00a0<\/span>\u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Rebels with a Cause award nominee), and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Camel Before the Storm<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0(Natural England,\u00a0<\/span>Arts<\/span> and Culture) were commissions for <\/span>s<\/span>outh\u00a0<\/span>w<\/span>est<\/span>\u00a0filmmakers.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I connected with Watershed and BFI NETWORK\u00a0<\/span>South West<\/span>, and the hub supported me in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>several\u00a0<\/span><\/span>ways:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n