A documentary filmmaker from Powys triumphed at the 2023 Bafta Cymru Awards, taking home best director for a factual feature.

Chloe Fairweather, who is originally from Abermule, was named the winner at the awards ceremony on October 15, 2023.

While she was not able to attend the ceremony at the ICC Wales in Newport and hosted by Welsh TV presenter Alex Jones, she was recognised for her 2023 documentary ‘Scouting for Girls: Fashion’s Darkest Secret'.

The film is an expose on sexual abuse within the fashion industry, featuring former models Carré Otis, Shawna Lee, Jill Dodd and others who testify to their experiences at the hands of abusers within the industry.

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The film received positive reviews for its stark depiction of an industry facilitating predatory behaviour, with The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan writing: “The women tell essentially the same stories, which are as old as time itself.

“Lonely and isolated in foreign countries, desperate for work, dependent on the agencies for contacts, shelter and money, they are grateful when the boss takes an interest.

“A kindly chat, a shoulder to cry on, a bit of support given evolves gently into a suggestion to stay over in an apartment late at night. And then comes the flip.

“This is a sober account of yet another industry’s failings.”

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Chloe Fairweather’s previous film, the 2021 documentary ‘Dying to Divorce’ also covered the systemic abuse faced by women, as she explored the rise of domestic and gender-based violence in Turkey and changing political landscape which has eroded the freedom of women to escape abusive relationships.

Dying to Divorce also opened to positive reviews was selected as the British submission for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film but ultimately missed out on clinching the nomination.

However, ‘Scouting for Girls’ was not only nominated for a prestigious prize, but came away as the winner.

Other winners from the night included actor Taron Edgerton, from Aberystwyth, who won the Actor Award for his performance in the crime drama miniseries ‘Black Bird’.