JANE RAY, Director, Whicker’s World Foundation, UK

Jane Ray set up the Whicker’s World Foundation after she was persuaded to leave the BBC after 29 years. She and Alan Whicker had worked together at the BBC in London and on the island of Jersey throughout 1990s. Jane is an award-winning documentary director and investigative journalist in her own right. She is in demand as speaker and trainer at the British Film Institute, The National Film and Television School and New York University. Her own company, Cat Flap Media, has documentary work in development with the BBC, Channel 4 and Spring Films. She has worked as a panelist, mentor and decision maker for Greenhouse, GZ Film Festival, Doc/Fest, Crossing Borders, the BCPF in South Korea, Double Exposure (the Festival of Investigative Documentary Journalism) and the inaugural Dhaka Doc Lab.

INSTITUTE PROFILE

The Whicker’s World Foundation was launched in 2015 to support emerging talent in international documentary. It is financed through the generous legacy of UK broadcast journalist Alan Whicker. It is now overseen by his partner Valerie Kleeman furthering Alan’s vision to nurture and support new documentary talent from around the world to take the first step up a ladder which is increasingly difficult to climb. The Whickers seek to support original, access driven stories that take the audience into a new or hitherto unseen world. The criteria also include ‘Being personal, but not partisan’. Wit, flair and curiosity are always welcome. The Foundation has partnerships with Sheffield Doc/Fest, Chicken and Egg Pictures, The BFI and London’s Open City Documentary Festival. Last year Ray instigated the first Whicker Doc Edge Bursary for emerging talent from India and Bangladesh. The inaugural award was won at DocedgeKolkata 2019 by Vivek Chaudhary for “I Poppy.”