ANNETTE WESTWOOD

DIRECTOR / WRITER ( She/Her )

Annette Westwood is an award-winning director, writer and actor from the West Midlands in the UK. After graduating the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (BA Acting) Annette worked as a professional actor across film, television and theatre working on productions for the BBC, ITV & SMG.

Following her passion for filmmaking, Annette formed Midlands based film production company HAWKWOOD PRODUCTIONS, and working alongside her sister Emma, the Westwood Sisters produced their debut short film WHOEVER YOU ARE…, Annette making her film directorial debut & co-writing the script.

WHOEVER YOU ARE… won several awards on its film festival run, including award wins for Best Short, Best Indie Film, Best Inspirational Film & Best Director at UK & International Film Festivals. The film went on to receive worldwide distribution with American entertainment company IndieFlix, through its global streaming service.

Annette's next short film as writer/director, THIS LITTLE GIRL, was supported by BFI NETWORK with National Lottery funding. Filmed on location in the Midlands, THIS LITTLE GIRL premiered at BAFTA Qualifying Underwire Festival, screening at several BAFTA Qualifying and BIFA Qualifying festivals, with festival screenings including Flatpack Festival, Bolton International Film Festival, Women X Film Festival, EFN Short Film Festival, British Urban Film Festival and British Shorts.

Annette has also completed the BFI NETWORK Treatment Lab, being one of the writers to take part, gaining an oversight of the development process of writing a feature film treatment, along with participating in the BFI NETWORK Film Hub Midlands Directors Series.

The Westwood Sisters are currently in the development of their next production, an ambitious short film best described as folk meets found footage horror, set in one of the most iconic & legendary parts of the West Midlands.




EMMA WESTWOOD


PRODUCER / WRITER ( She/Her )

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Emma Westwood is a Shropshire, U.K based writer and award-winning filmmaker/producer. Emma studied Literature and Film at the University of Chester, where she obtained her BA degree specialising in adaptation. After graduating, Emma released her debut novel LOVING DECEPTION, a contemporary romance set within the world of filmmaking.

Emma since released multiple novels and novellas, in a variety of genres, including thrillers SILENCE IN THE SHADOWS, THE BOARDING HOUSE, TERROR IN THE DARK and her collection of MODERN IMMORTALS novels. This lead Emma to next working on her own historical comedy series and series of contemporary countryside romance novellas.

Along with her sister Annette, Emma set up production company HAWKWOOD PRODUCTIONS in 2017, and the following year they released their first film collaboration together WHOEVER YOU ARE..., with Emma in the roles of the film's producer and co-writer.

Following its UK and International festival run, WHOEVER YOU ARE... received worldwide distribution with American entertainment company IndieFlix through its global streaming service and gained media attention from the likes of the BBC.

Emma's following short film as producer, THIS LITTLE GIRL, was supported by Film Hub Midlands as part of BFI NETWORK with the film meeting the BFI Diversity Standards, passing The Bechdel Test and being awarded Albert Sustainable Production Certification as an Albert Carbon Neutral Sustainable Production.

THIS LITTLE GIRL premiered at BAFTA Qualifying Underwire Festival, in which it was nominated for the Best Producing Award, with THIS LITTLE GIRL receiving festival selections across the world including the inaugural Kingston International Film Festival, Semi-Finalist at BAFTA & Academy Award® Qualifying Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival and screening in 2022-23 season of Hollyshorts Monthly Screening Series at TLC Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood.