Action Xtreme, the UK’s leading action film studio, is proud to announce the successful applicants for its inaugural Women in Action Mentorship Programme. This ground-breaking initiative is dedicated to supporting women creatives across all filmmaking disciplines within the action genre, providing them with the mentorship, resources, and opportunities needed to take their careers to the next level.
The mentorship programme will be jointly led by Action Xtreme’s co-founder and CEO, Chee Keong Cheung and Action Xtreme’s Head of Production, Ioanna Karavela.
After an extensive selection process, the below ten applicants have been chosen to participate in the 12-month programme, which offers bespoke mentorship from leading industry professionals, including directors, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors with extensive experience in action filmmaking.
Over the next year, mentees will gain exclusive access to masterclasses, networking opportunities, and one-on-one mentorship, as well as the chance to pitch their projects to industry professionals and refine their own proof of concepts, scripts, and production strategies.
“We were incredibly impressed by the breadth of talent and ambition amongst the applicants,” said Chee Keong Cheung, CEO of Action Xtreme. “Initially, we planned to select six to eight participants, but given the exceptional quality of submissions, we decided to expand the programme to support ten places.
All applicants met in central London in February to accept their place and had a chance to learn more about one another. Ioanna Karavela, Head of Production at Action Xtreme said, “I was delighted to welcome the successful applicants to the Women in Action Mentorship programme. This initiative embodies our commitment to championing emerging women creatives, equipping them with the training and industry connections needed to excel in action filmmaking.”
Karavela continued, “The passion of each candidate at our induction meeting was really energising. Each in turn opened up about their desire to break into action filmmaking and the challenges that they wanted to address. It was great seeing how quickly collaborative support bonds started forming between the women – this is how they’ll bring essential new energy and ideas into action movies.”
Cheung added, “I was so struck by the stories these talented individuals shared and excited to begin the process to help our mentees to unlock their potential. I hope this is the first step in a larger movement to elevate female creatives and provide them with the tools and connections to succeed.”
Since the initial group meeting, each of the applicants has had their first mentorship session and their reactions to the programme so far are included at the end of their biographies below.
Action Xtreme is also launching the world’s first-ever MA course in making action movies. The MA in Feature Filmmaking launches September 2025, in partnership with Falmouth University. This intensive 45-week programme offers aspiring filmmakers a hands-on, industry-driven education, culminating in the production of a full-length action feature film that will be distributed globally by Action Xtreme.
