The annual UNIC Cinema Days has always served as a meeting point for our community of mentors and mentees. After a two-years break - during which these meetings took place online - the group finally reconvened in person in Brussels.
The session brought together participants from all five editions of the programme and was moderated by Monica Chadha, Independent Director.
The meeting was kicked off by Laura Houlgatte, UNIC who welcomed everyone and also announced the latest news with IMAX and Vista Group becoming its 2022 Champions. The floor was then given to the two ambassadors of the programme - Alessandra Pavan Bernacchi, IMAX and Sarah Lewthwaite, Movio – who highlighted their own and their companies’ commitments to mentoring and a more gender balanced industry.
During every get-together, UNIC invites an inspirational speaker to talk about their own path to leadership. We were incredibly lucky to have Tim Richards, Founder and CEO of Vue Entertainment and Chair of British Film Institute, joining us to share his experiences and career wisdom. It was fascinating to hear about his journey, the building of Vue (today one of the most successful European cinema company), his learnings, challenges and accomplishments along the way. Tim also didn’t shy away from giving concrete advice to the up-and-coming leaders in the room. To mention just a few:
- Persevere! You will hear a lot of Nos, but there is always a way!
- There are no stupid questions!
- Build your confidence!
- Don’t be afraid to hold your ground!
- Value your team and your talent!
Following this, mentors and mentees of the fifth edition shared their mentoring journeys so far, with their dos and don’ts. This part of the meeting is usually one of the most valued as it provides a space for mentors and mentees to exchange experiences and see what works and what doesn’t.
The last part of the session was dedicated to an open discussion on topics of interest to the mentees including but not limited to managing teams, working with difficult people, asking for a promotion, compassionate leadership, and personal branding.
At the end of the meeting, Diana Stratan of UNIC explained the next steps of the programme and reminded everyone that the applications for the 6th edition were open.
All in all it was another inspiring – and way too short! - session. The next get-together of the group will take place in June at CineEurope 2022.
If you want to apply as a mentor or a mentee for the upcoming edition, please contact dstratan@unic-cinemas.org.