Tanya Easterman
Group Head of Partnerships, Odeon

Tanya has 14 years of commercial experience, across both the UK and EMEA, working at a number of Integrated Advertising Agencies, such as Saatchi and Saatchi BD-NTWK and iris nation.

Having worked with Coca-Cola, one of the worlds most iconic brands, across activation campaigns leveraging their sponsorship of The Football League and managing the world’s first brand partnership with iTunes across both UK and Europe; she then went onto work with Nokia, Carling, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Cobra Beer, RBS and Sainsbury’s.

She then spent 5 years leading the Commercial Partnerships and Retail Marketing team at ODEON Cinemas, where she negotiated and managed partnerships with Tesco, O2 Priority, News International, Barclaycard and Global Radio. Her team was also responsible for managing UK studio marketing relationships, film and price promotions. She joined Cinema First in 2015 to manage the sponsorship by comparethemarket.com – Meerkat Movies – for the UK Exhibition and Distribution Industry.

Recently she was appointed as Group Head of Partnerships for ODEON Cinemas Group with a remit for managing Studio and Supplier relationships across 13 territories. Passionate about Partnership Marketing she sits on the UK’s first Partnership Marketing Panel, driving awareness of the strategic benefits of this discipline within the wider marketing community.

Eve Gabereau
Film consultant

Eve Gabereau is a film consultant with a background in film distribution, production services, festival programming and journalism. She is the co-founder of indie distributor Soda Pictures, where she served as Managing Director from 2002-2017. Key recent films she acquired and oversaw the campaigns on include Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson, Oscar nominees Toni Erdmann and My Life as a Courgette, Terence Davies’ A Quiet Passion and Disorder starring Matthias Schoenaerts and Diane Kruger. She also worked across the Canadian releases of Lone Scherfig’s The Riot Club, Ben Wheatley’s High Rise and John McLean’s Slow West starring Michael Fassbender. She is an Executive Producer on this year’s Cannes Film Festival selection I am Not a Witch and a co-Producer on Omer Fast’s Remainder starring Tom Sturridge. Her writing credits include The Guardian, Time Out and Sight & Sound. She is an Inside Pictures alumni, a Board member of the European Producers Network ACE and a consultant to EAVE. Originally from Vancouver, she has lived in London since 1998.

Anna Godas
CEO, Co-Founder, Dogwoof

Anna is CEO, and co-founder of Dogwoof. Having previously worked in TV development, Anna moved to London to co-found Dogwoof in 2004. The company launched as a UK theatrical distributor of foreign language cinema. Anna progressively drove the company to specialising exclusively in theatrical distribution of documentaries, and in 2011 she set up a sales arm which has become the leading brand in international sales for documentaries.

She has steered the company from a small indie film distributor to a leading global brand in the field of documentary. Anna is building a vertically integrated true stories powerhouse, with theatrical distribution, sales, and production. She is now focusing on growing Dogwoof’s production arm, having recently set up the fund TDog productions, investing in feature length documentaries, documentary series and remake options.

Marisa Clifford
Co-Founder, Pulse Films

 Marisa co-founded and has been instrumental in growing Pulse Films from its inception into a multi-award-winning global media company and studio for the modern day, leading to new offices in Paris, Los Angeles, New York and Berlin. She has overseen production of all the company’s award-winning film, television, music, advertising and digital content, which has been awarded with a host of leading industry awards including Grammys, BAFTAs, Sundance, MTV Music Video Awards and D&ADs. The company has won the Outstanding Achievement Award for the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 programme and was named the 4th Most Innovative Global Company in Music in 2013 – just behind YouTube and Spotify.

Andy Leyshon
Managing Director, STX UK

Andy Leyshon is MD for the studio’s latest direct distribution territory venture, the UK. He oversees all aspects of STX Entertainment’s UK strategy, managing the life cycle planning & campaigns for the company’s motion pictures, plus key international acquisition pick-ups that complement the burgeoning release slate.

Prior to joining STX, Leyshon served as Sales Director at Universal Pictures International UK & Ireland for 10 years where he planned, dated and sold all Universal releases to key exhibition partners. He was the territory’s most successful Sales Director, releasing 240 films and generating $2.5b in gross box office. During his Universal tenure he worked on many notable franchises such as Fast & Furious, Despicable Me and the Bourne series, plus also delivered some of the territory’s biggest ever box office hits including Mamma Mia and Jurassic World. Before Universal, Leyshon was Sales Director for leading indie Momentum Pictures, where he released many critically acclaimed movies such as Lost In Translation, Amelie and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. He is a 20-year industry veteran.

Thorsten Schumacher
CEO, Rocket Science

Thorsten Schumacher is the founder and CEO of Rocket Science, a filmed entertainment company engineered for production, finance, sales and distribution. Setting out to create a diverse range of quality content for global film and television audiences, Rocket Science is building a commercial slate boasting unique global appeal across all of its platforms and disciplines.

Upcoming and already widely pre-sold projects include David Lowery’s Old Man and the Gun starring Robert Redford and Casey Affleck; Dominic Cooke’s film adaption On Chesil Beach starring Saoirse Ronan; Juliet, Naked for Judd Apatow, Julian Schnabel’s At Eternity’s Gate and Harmony Korine’s The Beach Bum, starring Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill and Snoop Dogg. Most recently, the sale of Taika Waititi’s stop-motion picture Bubbles to Netflix became the biggest deal of the 2017 Cannes film festival.

Previously Managing Director at Hanway Films, Schumacher represented directors like Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Jim Jarmusch, Bernardo Bertolucci, David Cronenberg, Lone Scherfig and Woody Allen. Most recently he took the company to its most successful year with Brooklyn, Carol and Anomalisa, which earned 15 BAFTA, 10 Academy Award and 5 Golden Globe nominations between them.

Prior to Hanway Films, Schumacher worked in development at the Los Angeles offices of Intermedia Films. He began his career in film production, starting with Roger Corman’s Concorde-New Horizon Pictures in Los Angeles, and then worked on various independent features in New York City and at Wim Wender’s company Road Movies in Berlin.

Schumacher holds two Master of Fine Arts degrees in producing from the Film School in Berlin Babelsberg and the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles.

Tom Grievson
Head of Marketing and Distribution, HanWay films

Tom Grievson is currently Head of Marketing and Distribution at HanWay films. His experience spans the lifecycle of film, having worked in a senior marketing capacity for Entertainment One, Warner Bros, Metrodome, Fandor and Vice Media. Tom has also held key consultancy roles with the likes of Netflix, The BFI, Film London and a series of technology start ups and film festivals across the UK and Internationally.

Mandy Kean
Director of Cinema (EUR), Soho House Group

As Director of Cinema (EUR) for the Soho House Group, Mandy Kean’s portfolio is diverse. In addition to managing and programming the Group’s UK members’ screening rooms, and the public cinemas, the iconic Electric Cinema Portobello and the Electric Cinema Shoreditch; she leads the Group’s European cinema teams in Berlin, Istanbul and Barcelona and is preparing for the opening of Soho House Mumbai.

Whilst building a strong brand profile for the Electric Cinemas, Mandy has co-produced the Group’s two House Shorts competitions, been on judging panels at film festivals, is a member of the screening committee for the British Independent Film Awards and a board member of the Dingle International Film Festival. Moving into the world of production, Mandy produced the Electric Cinema’s How To Behave and filmmaker Marcel Grant’s latest feature film, Open My Eyes.

Kevin Markwick
Owner, The Picture House Uckfield

Kevin owns and runs The Picture House cinema in Uckfield, one of the most successful independent cinemas in the country.

He also writes and broadcasts on cinema.

Damian Spandley
Director Of Programme, Curzon

Damian is Director Of Programme at BAFTA-winning Curzon with responsibility for the acquisition and scheduling of award-winning and critically acclaimed films, events and alternative content across Curzon cinemas and partner ‘Connect’ venues, and the Curzon Home Cinema platform. Previously Damian headed Metrodome Distribution’s theatrical, TV & new media divisions, managing the UK release of a range of theatricals including Frances Ha, What We Do In The Shadows, The Falling and Sunset Song; while overseeing the sale for broadcast and VOD of over 50 titles a year. Damian previously worked as Head of UK Distribution at The Works, Senior Programmer at Picturehouse Cinemas, as a projectionist and cinema manager.

Sam Cryer
Founder and CEO, Intermission Film

Sam is founder of award-winning film and entertainment agency INTERMISSION FILM, which provides innovative ways to market world-class films.
Beginning his career as a copywriter at Creative Partnership, he spent 6 years at Empire Design as they broke into AV, and helped establish LA vendor Create Advertising’s London office.
He formed INTERMISSION in 2012. His team of dedicated editors, producers and graphic designers have since worked with most of the major studios, mini majors, independents and TV networks, along with ground-breaking directors. To date they have garnered an array of awards, including nine Golden Trailer Awards and the Screen Award for “Creative Agency of the Year” and “Trailer of the Year” for three years running. Campaigns include titles as varied as: Straight Outta Compton, Beasts Of No Nation, Lady Macbeth, Burberry: The Life of Thomas Burberry, The Handmaiden and Amy.
Initially based in London, Intermission has recently expanded to Amsterdam and formed a partnership with leading UK and LA based entertainment digital agency ThinkJam.

Tom Stewart
Acquisitions Director, Arrow Films

Tom Stewart has over 30 years of experience in the Industry.

Tom has been Acquisitions Director with Arrow Films since 2010. Before that, he was General Manager (Home Entertainment) at Metrodome Distribution and Head of UK Sales at FremantleMedia.

After living in London for 14 years, Tom is now settled in York (an easy commute to London).

Jonathan Rutter
Director of Film, Premier

Jonathan Rutter is Director of Film at Premier, the UK’s leading entertainment publicity agency. He began his career as a film publicist in 1985 and between 1993 and 2006 ran the successful agency McDonald & Rutter with partner Charles McDonald. His work covers film productions, festivals, international campaigns and UK distribution, and he has handled films by most of the world’s leading film-makers including multiple titles with Robert Altman, David Lynch, Mike Leigh, Jane Campion, Pedro Almodovar, Gus Van Sant, Todd Haynes, Danny Boyle, Whit Stillman and the Coen Brothers. Titles handled by those directors include GOSFORD PARK, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, VERA DRAKE, THE PIANO, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, FAR FROM HEAVEN, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, MR. TURNER and CAROL. Other titles he has handled include THERE WILL BE BLOOD, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, DOUBT, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, FANTASTIC MR FOX, LOST IN TRANSLATION, SCHOOL OF ROCK, THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY, THE PIANIST, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, JUNO, A SINGLE MAN, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, THE TREE OF LIFE, THE IRON LADY, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, THE ARTIST, THE MASTER and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. Recent titles handled include PHILOMENA, HER, UNDER THE SKIN, NYMPHOMANIAC, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, BIRDMAN, BROOKLYN, THE LOBSTER, THE REVENANT, FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS , LOVE & FRIENDSHIP, MOONLIGHT, and the forthcoming THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER, THE SHAPE OF WATER and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI.

Chris Lawrance
Publicity & Marketing Consultant

Chris Lawrance has worked in film distribution and publicity for almost 15 years, starting his career at Wired Publicity a broadcast film PR agency and then moving onto Icon Film Distribution for five years, managing publicity campaigns for a variety of films including Paranormal Activity, The Road, The Killer Inside Me & Buried.
Chris was then employed as Head of Publicity and Theatrical Marketing at Metrodome Distribution for a further 5 years, winning PR Campaign of the Year twice for his work on Frances Ha (2013) and The Falling (2015) & working with a wide variety of auteurs: Lukas Moodysson (We are the Best!), Francois Ozon (The New Girlfriend), Mia Hansen Love (Eden), Xavier Dolan (Mommy) & Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader)
Chris has recently set up a film marketing and publicity consultancy and in the past year has handled numerous campaigns
including British hit Lady Macbeth, Personal Shopper and Francois Ozon’s recent releases Frantz and L’Amant Double. As well as consultancy work for the BFI, BAFTA & Open Palm Films.

Amanda Posey
Producer, Wildgaze Films

Amanda Posey is an Oscar nominated and BAFTA award winning film producer. She runs Wildgaze Films, one of the UK’s leading independent production companies, with her producing partner, Finola Dwyer.
Wildgaze’s most recent release is Their Finest, a comedy drama set in the 1940s. Directed by Lone Scherfig, starring Gemma Arterton and Bill Nighy, it was released Spring 2017 to outstanding reviews. In 2016 their film Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley and adapted by Nick Hornby from the novel by Colm Toibin, took $39m at the US box office and was nominated for three Oscars (including Best Picture) and six BAFTAs, winning Outstanding British Film BAFTA.
Amanda’s previous producer credits include multi Oscar nominated & BAFTA award winning An Education, directed by Lone Scherfig; feature documentary My Nazi Legacy, and Fever Pitch, based on Nick Hornby’s best-selling memoir starring Colin Firth, as well as the US remake for Fox 2000, starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon.

Suzanne Noble
Head of Global Film Publicity and Communication, Studiocanal

Suzanne Noble has been the Head of UK Publicity and Corporate Communications at Studiocanal in London since 2009 spearheading strategic campaigns for titles such as TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY, FOUR LIONS, RUSH, ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA, LEGEND, PADDINGTON and SHAUN THE SHEEP THE MOVIE. Previously VP International Publicity at The Weinstein Company and Head of Publicity for Icon with 20 years of industry experience. Recently promoted to Head of Global Film Publicity and Communication for Studiocanal, nurturing a first class UK production slate in partnership with Working Title, Blueprint, Neil Street, Heyday Films, Warp and Aardman Studios.

Ian Cartwright
Director & Co-founder, Ourscreen

Ian has over 17 years experience in connecting audiences with film and cinema.

In September 2008, Ian, together with David Kapur, started elevenfiftyfive, a film marketing agency set up to supporting the film industry. Via their passion for film, creativity and the desire to produce ground-breaking work, elevenfitftyfive generate original ideas for screenings, events, content, brand campaigns and more.

It is their mission to understand how people are engaging with film on a local level, globally. http://www.elevenfiftyfive.com

In April 2014, Ian became part of the team that founded ourscreen, the UK’s first platform to put the audience in control of their local cinema.

ourscreen allows the public, distributors, film makers and cinemas to influence content in their local cinemas.  Simply choose the film, the time, the place and even the audience, selecting from a catalogue preview, recent run and classic movies.
This is people powered cinema!
https://www.ourscreen.com

Tom Linay
Head of Film, Digital Cinema Media

When it comes to upcoming cinema releases, DCM’s Head of Film, Tom Linay, has the inside scoop. As Head of Film for the UK’s largest cinema advertiser, Tom has to know the film slate inside out, forecasting admissions and film profiles for all the UK’s major cinema releases. He’s also one of DCM’s key spokespeople, regularly in the trade press and presenting DCM’s biggest events, including the DCM Awards and Upfronts. He also waxes lyrical about film to brands and agencies across the media industry and hosts the DCM podcast, interviewing some of the most influential people in the cinema and media industry.

Before becoming DCM’s Head of Film, Tom Linay worked as a freelance film professional for six years in various roles through development, production, post production and distribution. During his time in the film industry, he worked as assistant to Ricky Gervais on the comedian’s directorial debut, The Invention of Lying.

Marc Allenby
CEO, Trafalgar Releasing

Marc Allenby has 20 years experience within the cinema industry spanning exhibition and distribution. Starting at Picturehouse Cinemas, Marc initially specialised in brand activations for the chain. He then moved into ‘event cinema’ at its advent, helping establish Picturehouse as the leading UK cinema group in this space and, at a high, accounting for 15% of Picturehouse Cinemas box office. As ‘event cinema’ began to develop, Marc switched focus to distribution, initially developing the UK and then the global market.

He has worked with all the major Arts organisations in the cinema space including the Royal Opera House, NT Live, Royal Shakespeare Company, Metropolitan Opera, Bolshoi Ballet and Glyndebourne alongside unique and innovative ‘one-off’ cultural events such as Monty Python Live, Andrew Dominick’s One More Time With Feeling and David Gilmour live at Pompeii.

In February 2017, Marc helped facilitate the management buyout of Picturehouse Entertainment, re-establishing the company, with its experienced 18-strong team, as Trafalgar Releasing.

Colin Swift
Managing Director, Substance

Substance is a media and marketing agency specialising in digital, publicity, social, outdoor experiences and all things creative. Established in 2004, the company has offices in both London and Los Angeles and specialises in delivering world class digital campaigns for the entertainment industry and beyond. Clients include Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, Lionsgate, Netflix, Curzon, Thunderbird Releasing (formerly Soda Pictures), Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, Universal and Manga Entertainment.

Colin joined the company in 2005 and became the Managing Director over two years ago. He leads the UK arm of the business, which has a range of strengths, from publicity and social media services through to multi-territory campaign analysis and a creative studio. On a day-to-day basis, Colin works particularly closely with Twentieth Century Fox as well as expanding the company’s theatrical film expertise by working with clients such as Netflix and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment. Colin’s passion for innovation and digital combined with years of experience in the film industry and beyond make him the perfect judge for the Screen Awards.

Vanessa Saal
Head of Worldwide Sales, Protagonist Pictures

Vanessa Saal was born in Chicago, USA and grew up in New York, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, and Milan. She graduated from Brown University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics with Honours. She began her career at Focus Features International in 2005 based in New York. In 2008, she moved to Paris to work at Kinology as an international sales and acquisitions executive at its inception.

Vanessa Saal then joined Studiocanal in 2010 as VP of International Sales, was promoted to SVP in 2012 and represented titles such as Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER SPY, the Coen brothers’ INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Jaume Collet-Serra’s worldwide box office hit NON-STOP, and David Heyman’s production, PADDINGTON during her time there.

Vanessa Saal took on her current position as Head of Worldwide Sales at London-based Protagonist Pictures in 2014 where she’s been overseeing sales on last year’s Cannes Jury Prize winner, Yorgos Lanthamos’ THE LOBSTER, this year’s Cannes Jury Prize winner, Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY, Whit Stillman’s LOVE & FRIENDSHIP, and Ben Wheatley’s FREE FIRE.

Sally Griffith
Director of Cinema, Chapter Arts Centre

Sally Griffith joined Chapter Arts Centre in 2009 as Director of Cinema and has worked in cultural cinema exhibition and film education for over 20 years. She is also Director of BFI Film Hub for Wales which supports independent exhibition venues across Wales and links to the UK wide BFI Film Audience Network.

As the flagship venue in Wales with a year round dedication to world and independent cinema in all its guises, she is responsible for the programme and supporting festivals and a whole range of special events across the year, as well as Chapter’s Engagement & Learning strategy.  A former Juror for Europa Cinemas at Cannes Director’s Fortnight, Sally is currently leading on the development of Anim18 – a UK wide celebration of British Animation and led on Roald Dahl on Film as part of the 2016 centenary.

Prior to working at Chapter, Sally was Head of Film at Derby QUAD and Film Education at Metro Cinema.

David Livingstone
Founder, Calamity Films

David Livingstone was President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution at both Universal Pictures International and Working Title Films. During his career in London and Los Angeles, he has been responsible for the worldwide marketing, advertising, publicity and promotional strategy for over 100 films including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Trainspotting, Billy Elliot, Elizabeth, United 93, Johnny English, Bean and The Usual Suspects.

David has worked with some of the world’s leading directors including Joel and Ethan Coen, Paul Greengrass, Sydney Pollack, Richard Curtis, Joe Wright, Edgar Wright, Brian Singer, Ron Howard, Jodie Foster, Robert Altman, Anthony Minghella, Kevin Macdonald, Tomas Alfredson and Matthew Warchus.

He has now moved into film production and founded Calamity Films. Pride (2014) was his first feature film. It was the closing night film at Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival 2014, opening night film at Hamburg Film Festival 2014 and screened as part of Toronto Film Festival 2014. The film received 7 BIFA nominations, winning Best British Film, three BAFTA nominations, including Best British Film, and a Golden Globe Nomination. David won a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Producer alongside writer Stephen Beresford.

Chris Besseling
Head of Theatrical Marketing, eOne

Chris has worked in theatrical film marketing for over ten years and currently holds the position of Head of Film Marketing at Entertainment One. He started out at independent distributor Metrodome working on films such as Away From Her, Days of Glory and The Counterfeiters, before relocating to Asia to work as a Marketing Consultant for Bigfoot Entertainment in their Hong Kong and Cebu offices. In 2009, Chris joined the BFI to work specifically on their series of festivals and special events including the prestigious BFI London Film Festival. He returned to the world of distribution in 2009 at Studiocanal where he spent five years working across a range of films including Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Searching for Sugar Man, The Imitation Game and Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep the Movie. As Director of Marketing at Pathe, from 2014 Chris was responsible for the leading the marketing campaigns for the likes of Selma, Suffragette, Julieta and Viceroy’s House.

In his current role at eOne, Chris oversees the marketing function of the Theatrical team with recent projects including The Death of Stalin, Suburbicon and The Papers.

Andrew Orr
Managing Director, Independent

Andrew Orr has worked in the Film industry for 18 years across with extensive experience across all areas from development, financing, production, post production, international sales, marketing and distribution.

Andrew Orr is currently the Managing Director at Independent, a London based Production and Sales Company.  Established in 2005, Independent is now one of the longest established sales companies in London with the library of over 71 Films including titles such as

London to Brighton, Hallam Foe, Moon, Starred Up, Metro Manila.

Andrew also works closely with Independent Productions, sourcing material and generating new ideas.  Andrew is responsible for raising and closing financing on all Independent productions including We Need To Talk About Kevin, Mr Nice and The Falling.  Andrew has also Exec Produced 3^rd party acquisitions, including What We Did On Our Holiday.  In 2015, Andrew produced Level Up, a feature based on his original idea.  The film was sold to Universal and was released theatrically in North American in 2016.

Independent is one of the foremost sales companies for theatrical documentaries and has sold Oscar nominated Exit Through The Shop and Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry.  In 2016, Independent represented Jim Jarmusch’s Gimme Danger which was invited to official selection at the Cannes Film Festival; I Am Bolt about Olympic champion Usain Bolt and Supersonic, about Oasis.

Andrew formerly handled Acquisitions and Business Affairs for The Works International and was involved in the Acquisitions and Sales of over 40 titles including 24 Hours Party People, Sweet Sixteen, Bend it Like Beckham, Whale Rider, In this World and My Summer of Love .

Amit Dey
Director, Acquisitions And Production, Universal Pictures International Entertainment

Having grown up in Canada, Amit graduated from Vancouver Film School specializing in Film Production. After plying his trade as a cinematographer for a year, he moved to Europe to pursue a wider film education through practice.

Since relocating, he has spent his whole career at Universal, having started at the Amsterdam office in 2011 and moving to the London headquarters in 2013.

During his time at the studio, he has risen the ranks to become a key dealmaker on behalf of the UPHE Acquisitions and Production team.

Amit has been responsible for the acquisition of films including Brawl in Cell Block 99, Ingrid Goes West, Personal Shopper, 71’, The Overnight, Cold in July, Cop Car, The Salvation, The Overnight, Ronaldo & Escobar.