Introducing: S#*! Talk

A group of six passionate filmmakers, all based in Bristol, have set out to challenge gender inequality in the industry with their brand new comedy series.

Raquel Grela, Aphra Evans, Savannah Betts, Jasmin Greenland, Ria Bale and Anna Rømcke Høiseth make up the female-led production team behind S#*! Talk, a web series that aims to promote and celebrate women on and off screen.

Written and produced by Savannah Betts, S#*! Talk consists of bitesize episodes that follow two best friends as they navigate their way through their twenties. “The series draws on aspects of successful offbeat comedies such as Fleabag and Broad City, and sketch comedy series like Key & Peele. S#*! Talk highlights the comedy in the everyday unfiltered chat between BFFs, from drunken nights in, bizarre dinner parties, to comparing each others’ poop.”

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The series also aims to address and normalise conversations about taboo topics like periods, mental health, and sexual assault. Also, of interest to us here, S#*! Talk aims not only to celebrate women (with its launch coinciding with International Women’s Day on March 8), but also to show off some of the finest up-and-coming artists Bristol has to offer. The series is brought to life by Spanish director Raquel Grela and Bristolian director of photography Aphra Evans, with co-producer Jasmin Greenland and editor Ria Bale rounding off the team.

All episodes will be released at once on March 8, to the relief of binge-watchers out there. And, with Season 2 already in the works, the production team are gearing up for a crowdfunder later this year.

S#*! Talk’s bitesize episodes follow two best friends as they navigate their way through their twenties. Pics: Aphra Evans

Madrid-born, Bristol-based director Raquel has been working in the theatre and film industry for seven years as a performer, deviser, director and workshop facilitator. She’s a founder and member of A Dog’s Heart Theatre, which has bases in Berlin and Bristol. Elsewhere, writer and producer Savannah is a Hong Kong-born, Bristol-based actress and writer.

“As a strong advocate for having women’s voices heard, making sure S#*! Talk was a female-led production was a must,” Savannah explains. “I’m passionate about bringing more important stories about women to the screen, and I’m beyond excited to share the hilarity that is S#*! Talk with the world.”

The series aims to address and normalise conversations about periods, mental health, and sexual assault

After graduating from Bristol University in 2017, co-producer Jasmin Greenland went into feature film development for a Bristol-based production company working with a female producer. Now working freelance in film and TV production, Jasmin says, “I’m excited to be co-producing this web-series and to show off the filmmaking talent that Bristol has to offer.”

A passion for filmmaking’s ability to give voice to the unheard has led Aphra Evans, the show’s director of photography, to produce, direct, and shoot everywhere from refugee camps in Lebanon to the seas and clifftops of the British Isles. Editor Ria Bale has worked on a range of different projects including editing music videos and adverts, while Anna Rømcke Høiseth is a Norwegian, Bristol-based actor.

Last word to the S#*! Talk team: “Together through our storytelling, we are dedicated to communicating our message loud and proud: more women on set, and more real representations of women on screen.”

Catch the full series of S#*! Talk from March 8 at bit.ly/ShitTalkSeason1

Read more: Pete Firman: “If things get a little bumpy, that’s all part of the fun”