Chris Bird, Worldwide Head of Film Licensing, Amazon

As a media distribution executive specialising in content acquisition and marketing, Chris Bird has over the last 15 years worked across a number of key UK distribution sectors. From start-up organisations such as Momentum Pictures and LOVEFiLM, to international studios such as NBCU and Sony, he has worked through the development on the online distribution age, and delivered retail growth to TVOD/EST, and customer subscription growth to subscriptions platforms such as LOVEFiLM and Amazon through curation, management and commissioning of content.

As a content commissioner Chris has been responsible for bringing as series of successful, exclusive 1st run TV shows to Amazon Prime. Series such as Outlander, Vikings, Extant and Black Sails as well as securing the AMC output of drama show for Amazon. Chris also led the commissioning of the BBC1 hit Ripper Street Season 3 to Amazon Prime in 2014, and brought The Grand Tour to Prime Video in 2016.

Chris now leads global film acquisition for Amazon Prime, responsible for movie content on Prime Video Worldwide, and has teams in London, Munich, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Miami, working to invest in film development for the Prime Video business worldwide.

Key Appointments:
Amazon – WW Head of Film Licensing
Director Content Strategy; Prime Instant Video EU
LOVEFiLM – Head of Marketing Services/Director Content Strategy
Universal Pictures – International Marketing Manager EU
Sony Pictures – Marketing Manager (Home Entertainment)
Momentum Pictures – Product Management

Yung Kha, Publicist, Dogwoof

After cutting her teeth in a commercial agency working on accounts for Universal Pictures, Momentum Pictures and ITV amongst others, Yung moved in house to the ICA as film and digital arts press officer. Since starting with Dogwoof in May 2010; Yung has has worked on releases including Dreams of a Life, The Spirit of ‘45, Blackfish, Dior and I, BAFTA winning The Act of Killing. Yung was born in Ban Mê Thuột, Vietnam.

Simran Hans, Film critic, The Observer

Simran Hans is a culture writer and film critic for The Observer. Her writing has also appeared in Dazed & Confused, The Guardian, The New Statesman and Sight & Sound. From 2015 to January 2018, she co-programmed the Bechdel Test Fest.

Jonathan Sadler, Consultant, Magus Marketing

I have worked in filmed entertainment distribution for over eighteen years in senior positions at Universal Pictures, Momentum Pictures, Revolver Entertainment and Arrow Films, playing a key role in marketing, acquiring and distributing film and TV content across all platforms, internationally.

During this time, I have created marketing campaigns for iconic films such as Amelie, American Beauty, Shakespeare in Love, The Mummy, The Hunt, Love is All You Need, Cinema Paradiso – 25th-anniversary release, Donnie Darko – 15th-anniversary release and, most recently, Heathers – 30th-anniversary release.

I have also worked agency-side in commercial and creative roles as well as in the music industry, at Warner Music International, and was previously the video buyer for two UK retail chains.

I am now running my own consultancy and virtual agency, Magus Marketing, helping independent producers and filmmakers bring their content to multi-platform audiences.

Rosie Alison, Heyday Films

Rosie Alison was a documentary producer/director for ten years, working on many television films about writers, dancers, actors and playwrights. Her documentary credits include The South Bank Show, Omnibus, Bookmark, and Grand Designs. In 2001 Alison joined David Heyman’s production company Heyday Films, where she has been Co-Producer of THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS (written and directed by Mark Herman), and IS ANYBODY THERE? (written by Peter Harness, directed by John Crowley), Executive Producer of PADDINGTON 1 and 2 (written and directed by Paul King), and THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS (written and directed by Derek Cianfrance), and Producer of TESTAMENT OF YOUTH (written by Juliette Towhidi, directed by James Kent) and the forthcoming THE SECRET GARDEN (written by Jack Thorne, directed by Marc Munden.) She has also been a producer on various BBC TV dramas, including David Hare’s intelligence thriller PAGE EIGHT, and Christoper Hampton’s ghost story THE THIRTEENTH TALE (directed by James Kent), and the forthcoming Andrea Levy adaptation THE LONG SONG (written by Sarah Williams, directed by Mahalia Belo). Alison is also the author of a novel, The Very Thought of You, which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize in 2010.

Uzma Hasan, Producer, Little House Productions

Uzma Hasan is co founder and producer at venture capitalist backed Little House Productions. Her latest feature Nirpal Bhogal’s Firstborn premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2016 ahead of a worldwide sale to Netflix. Her first feature The Infidel (2010) was released internationally to commercial and critical acclaim, was remade by Viacom India as Dharam Sankat Mein (2015) and as a musical that ran at Theatre Royal Stratford. She is currently producing the adaptation of Gautam Malkani’s cult novel Londonstani for the BFI.

Uzma is developing projects with a diverse range of talent including Ritesh Batra (Rail D’Or winner for The Lunchbox), Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw, novelist Nikesh Shukla as well as with Amazon Studios, the BFI and Creative England.

She is a non executive director on the board of Channel 4, and Ingenious Media backed Babber Films and Chisel Films. She consults for the International Film Festival Rotterdam and sits on the selection committee for the British Independent Film Awards.

Uzma has worked internationally with companies including Focus Features, Doha Film Institute and Tribeca Enterprises on the development, production and exploitation of feature films. In 2010, she was nominated for HRH Prince’s Trust Mosaic Arts & Culture Award; in 2012 she was nominated for the Asian Woman of Achievement Award and became a Woman of the Future Ambassador; and in 2013 she won the British Muslim Award
for Services to Creativity.

She attended Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a Kennedy Scholar to read Film and Literature.

Claudia Yusef, Head of Development, Number 9 Films

Claudia Yusef is Head of Development at Number 9 Films (Colette, Their Finest, Made in Dagenham, Carol), where she works with producers Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen. Prior to this she was Talent Development Executive for the Scottish Film Talent Network, which forms the Scottish element of the BFI Network, designed to identify and support new and emerging talent. Before this she worked as a development executive at 42 Management and Production.

Number 9 is currently in development with So Much Love, a fantastic and original take on a vibrantly creative period in the life and career of British soul icon Dusty Springfield, written by award winning and Oscar nominated screenwriter Phyllis Nagy (Carol), which is being co-developed with Studio Canal. Also in development is Mothering Sunday, which is being adapted by Alice Birch from the novel by Graham Swift, and co-developed with Film 4.

Nish Panchal, Literary Agent, Curtis Brown

Since 2014, Nish has been a Literary Agent at Curtis Brown. He specialises in writers, directors, producers and authors working across film, television and theatre. Prior to joining Curtis Brown, Nish worked for the development team at BBC Films, working with world-class filmmakers across a slate of award-winning films.

Caragh Cook, Managing Director, Organic

Caragh Cook has been instrumental in building ORGANIC, which opened its doors twelve years ago, into a fully integrated communications agency for the entertainment industry, with a focus on film and television PR. Cook has worked for seventeen years in the film and television sector, specialising in publicity. She joined ORGANIC from the London office of Rogers & Cowan in 2011 where she worked across UK, International and personal publicity and prior to that at DDA PR where she started her career in 2001, working on UK and international campaigns for films that included  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy; Million Dollar Baby; Wedding Crashers and Gangs of New York.

After joining ORGANIC in 2011, Cook helped grow the team and the agency’s PR business, and the following year, in 2012, the agency’s achievements were recognised at the Screen Awards when ORGANIC was awarded PR Team of the Year. The company launched an international division in 2013 and ORGANIC now has a stable of clients that includes sales agents, producers, and international distribution companies and has a presence at every major international film festival.  In the past five years, ORGANIC has also significantly developed its television and SVOD business with a raft of retained clients. ORGANIC now has a thriving workforce of over thirty, working with almost every film studio and independent film distributor in the UK. The team takes a fully integrated approach in delivering their PR and social marketing services. The company went on to win PR Team of the Year (Agency) two further times in 2015 and 2017.

Organic is part of TargetMCG, the UK’s leading media and communications group specialising in the arts, culture and entertainment sectors. TargetMCG is part of Havas, the world’s fifth largest advertising network, based in the Havas Village in King’s Cross.

Caroline Cooper Charles, Producer and Film Executive

Caroline’s 20 year career within the film industry has evolved from running her first production company with acclaimed music video director Dawn Shadforth to her most recent combined roles as Strategic Development Executive for Screen Yorkshire and Talent Development Executive for Scottish Film Talent Network. Along this journey she has spent time as Head of Film at Creative England, Head of Creative Development at Warp X, managed the UK Film Council’s nationwide short film programme through her company Lifesize Pictures and spent a year as Director of the Sheffield International Documentary Festival.

Alongside her various positions Caroline has continued her own producing career through her company Universal Spirits and is currently Executive Producing a number of features.

Caroline has particular expertise in identifying and cultivating new and evolving voices and is passionate about championing talent based outside of London.

Lawrence Atkinson, Chief Executive Officer, The DDA Group

Lawrence Atkinson is Chief Executive Officer of The DDA Group, leaders in global film, television and entertainment communications.

Atkinson joined DDA Public Relations in February 2006 as Executive Vice President and subsequently acquired a majority equity stake in the company and assumed responsibility for the agency’s future. He manages the agency alongside Chief Operating Officer John Stannard, President and partner Dana Archer and President, Film & Television, Neil Bhatt.

Founded in London in 1970, with offices in London and Los Angeles, as well as affiliates and associates in most other parts of the world, DDA is the leading global film and entertainment communications agency, offering a bespoke service and a truly worldwide reach for the Creative Industries. DDA provides creative and insightful strategies and, turnkey campaign solutions for film, television and brands.

DDA’s broad portfolio of services includes public relations, strategic consultancy, event production and management, digital & social, insight & analytics, brand partnerships and integration, personal representation, creative design, and awards campaigns.

Previous Employment history

Prior to DDA, Atkinson was Director of Film (UK) for UK Entertainment PR Agency Premier Communications. At Premier, he was responsible for developing and handling business for the agency across all areas of the Film industry, including UK Distribution Campaigns for both major studios and the independent sector, Premieres, Unit and Production Publicity, International Film Festivals and Home Entertainment.

Before Premier PR, Atkinson served as Publicity Manager for the UK Publicity Division of leading international film distributor Buena Vista International (UK) Ltd, operating in both London and at the Walt Disney Studios in Los Angeles. During his six years at Disney, Atkinson was responsible for UK distribution campaigns across a variety of titles from Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Miramax, Touchstone Pictures and local productions and acquisitions.

Atkinson started his career in film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 1995 where he worked in the press office during Artistic Director Mark Cousins’ tenure.

Atkinson is a member of BAFTA, AMPAS, the PRCA, and is on the Board of Trustees of MediCinema, a charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing of patients, their families and carers across the UK through the magic of the shared cinema experience.