career
As the multi-hyphenate joins forces with BMW to mentor new filmmakers, Stylist’s Helen Bownass gets a creative masterclass
“Do not be afraid to disappear – from it, from us – for a while, and see what comes to you in the silence.” I often think about this quote from Michaela Coel’s rousing 2021 Emmy acceptance and , is one of the most driven, successful and innovative voices of our generation with an unparalleled power to communicate the feeling of being a woman and to force audiences to question the world. So when I learnt she was becoming a mentor, officially, I wanted to get in line. Coel, who will co-chair this year’s Met Gala and star in Amazon’s new series with Donald Glover, is also collaborating on a new BMW filmmaking challenge, inspired by the all-electric BMW i7 ultra-wide rear passenger theatre screen, in partnership with the BFI. Five shortlisted filmmakers will receive a £10,000 budget to make a short film and – arguably the best part – mentoring from the award-winning visionary herself. Now, I’m no filmmaker (Ava DuVernay can breathe easy), but I did ask Coel to share her advice on creativity, which led to me downloading new apps to keep my winter brain from wandering, and more broadly reminded me not to be scared of bad ideas, as they could flourish. Here’s what she had to say:
