This week, the writer, filmmaker and Rich Parents Club founder talks mentorship, gatekeeping and her new free talk series, Parental Guidance.
There are certain industries where it can feel like everyone got a head start – a trust fund here, a family friend at a production company there, maybe an uncle who “just happens” to own a gallery in Berlin. For everyone else, breaking into creative industries can feel less like well-intended networking or steadily climbing the career ladder, and more like trying to sneak into the Rich Parents Club through the back door.
That’s part of what makes Sydney Lima (Opens in a new window)’s new initiative Rich Parents Club (Opens in a new window) feel so necessary. The London-based writer, presenter and documentary filmmaker – whose previous clients include VICE, Channel 4 and Vogue – recently launched the platform to create more transparency, access and mentorship for working-class creatives navigating the industry. Its latest project, Parental Guidance (Opens in a new window), is a new live talk series pairing emerging talent with established names across film, media and culture.
The conversations, hosted across London and free to attend, have already welcomed Oscar-winning director Fisher Stevens (Opens in a new window), with upcoming guests including BAFTA-winning filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. (Opens in a new window), Adolescence director Philip Barantini (Opens in a new window), and award-winning writer and comedian Jack Rooke (Opens in a new window). Next up is Mia Bays (Opens in a new window), the Oscar-winning, BAFTA-nominated producer and current Director of the BFI Filmmaking Fund (Opens in a new window), whose decades-long career has included championing underrepresented voices across independent film. You can book your free ticket here (Opens in a new window).
Ahead of the next talk, we spoke to Sydney about mentorship, creative gatekeeping, and building an industry support system that doesn’t rely on having the right surname.
Date
May 22, 2026
