Late Bloomers Fest: Creating space for storytellers over 50

A conversation about launching Late Bloomers Fest, a film festival built to celebrate creatives over 50 and the stories they want to tell. Clare Pickering, Gary Boulter, and Ali Aitken share why the festival exists, who it’s for, and how it aims to challenge ageism in film and television.

We discuss the realities of making work later in life, the difference between ageism for men and women in the industry, and how the festival is designed to be more than a screening event - it’s also a way to connect filmmakers, cast, and crew.

Key topics

• Clare Pickering explains how the idea began after a Tropfest panel where she asked why support for emerging filmmakers rarely includes people who start later in life
• Late Bloomers Fest is open to creatives over 50, with at least 50% of cast and crew over 50, and stories focused on people over 50
• Submissions opened on 1 July 2026, close on 1 November 2026, and the screening event is planned for 6 December 2026 as a red carpet celebration
• Gary Boulter describes the festival as a response to how rarely mainstream screen stories center people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond
• Ali Aitken shares that many people feel overlooked after leaving acting and returning later in life, especially outside the traditional drama school route
• The panel discusses how older creatives bring lived experience, organization, and perspective that can’t be taught in film school
• Clare argues that ageism is especially strong for women, noting that auditions and roles often drop sharply after 40
• The group contrasts theatre and screen, suggesting theatre may be more open to older performers than film and television
• The festival is also intended as a networking space, with plans for a community page where filmmakers over 50 can find collaborators, crew, and advice. Join us today at Late Bloomers Fest Cast & Crew

Late Bloomers Fest - Information and Submission

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