Winners 2018

Louisa Dent, Managing Director, Curzon Artificial Eye

Louisa Dent joined Curzon Artificial Eye in 2008 as Managing Director, overseeing the acquisition and release of titles including The Class, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Still Alice, Fish Tank, 45 Years, Amour, The Handmaiden, and Cold War. Prior to this she was Managing Director for UGC Films Uk. Louisa started her career at Screen International and then worked in Paris for 10 years in International sales.

Farah Abushwesha
Producer, Rocliffe

Farah Abushwesha is a BAFTA and European Film Academy nominated producer and Amazon best-selling author. Her work includes THE SINGAPORE GRIP by Christopher Hampton (Atonement, Dangerous Liaisons) with Colm Meaney, Charles Dance and Jane Horrocks, BBC Amazon series THE ABC MURDERS starring John Malkovich and Rupert Grint with Mammoth Screen, Netflix Original IRREPLACEABLE YOU with Christopher Walken, Steve Coogan and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH with Danny Huston and Sarita Choudry. She is the founder of the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Showcase and Competition. She was a Screen Star of Tomorrow in 2017.

Bertrand Faivre, Producer, Le Bureau Films

Bertrand Faivre started producing in the 90’s at LAZENNEC (LA HAINE, SCENT OF GREEN PAPAYA) where he produced early works from directors such as Lynne Ramsay, Sarah Gavron… In 2000, he set up in Paris and in London, with its producing partner Tristan Goligher, THE BUREAU which has revealed such European talents such as Asif Kapadia, Andrew Haigh, Peter Mackie Burns, Fabienne Godet, Harry Wootliff … In 2019, Bertrand won Cesar for Best Documentary with Jean Libon & Yves Hinant’s SO HELP ME GOD and Best Actress in Cannes for Emily Beecham in Jessica Haunser’s LITTLE JOE.

He also worked with established directors such as Roger Michell, Alan Rickmann, Erick Zonca, Rachid Bouchareb & Costa Gavras and set up in 2009 THE BUREAU SALES an integrated sales company handling a 600+ titles international library.

Hannah Farrell, Creative Director, Fable

Hannah Farrell joined Fable as Creative Partner in 2018.

She began her career in development in 2000 when she joined Working Title Films as a Development Assistant working on films such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz (directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost).

Several years later, Hannah joined Ruby Films as Head of Development where she built a slate of projects including Stephen Frears’ Tamara Drewe starring Gemma Arterton, written by Moira Buffini; Cary Fukunaga’s Jane Eyre starring Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikowska, written by Moira Buffini; Saving Mr Banks starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson directed by John Lee Hancock, written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith, and Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette with Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter, and written by Abi Morgan. She also developed SJ Clarkson’s Toast, starring Freddie Highmore and Helena Bonham Carter, written by Lee Hall, and Case Histories for BBC One, starring Jason Isaacs.

In 2015 Hannah joined Origin Pictures, where she headed up both the TV and Film division, overseeing development of projects including BBC1’s hit show The Woman in White (starring Jessie Buckley, Olivia Vinall and Dougray Scott, written by Wilkie Collins and Fiona Seres, and directed by Carl Tibbetts).

Alex Ward, Chief Executive, Lime Communications Ltd

Alex is Chief Executive of Lime Communications, in its 20th year, Lime, is a Promotions and brand partnerships agency largely working on behalf of film distributors to source and implement brand partnerships in the UK and/or Global. Lime have been responsible for partnerships through the years on a wide variety of films including The Lord of The Rings trilogy, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and Avatar as well as more recent titles including Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spies In Disguise, Dora & The Lost City of Gold, Men In Black : International, Charlie’s Angels, Brittany Runs A Marathon, Terminator : Dark Fate and more. Lime has two further divisions – one specialising in brand partnerships and sales promotion, the other an experiential division called Sublime who devise and implement events, exhibitions and roadshows for film and gaming clients.

Previous to Lime Alex was International Marketing manager at EMI Records and promotions Manager at Virgin Radio.

Mounia Wissinger, Director of Marketing, Protagonist

Mounia started out her career working in international sales and marketing, before specialising in domestic and international publicity. After leading the international publicity department at Studiocanal, she joined Netflix in Amsterdam, where she managed EMEA and global projects.

She then reconnected with marketing and communication through her own company, Challenge Accepted, before joining Protagonist in 2018.

Damian Jones, Owner of DJ Films / Producer

Damian Jones is one of Britain’s most prolific independent film producers. A career that spans over forty feature films, he has collaborated with prestige directing talent and cast to create critical and commercial films including the Oscar winning The Iron Lady (Phyllida Lloyd), Lady In The Van (Nick Hytner), Belle (Amma Asante), Welcome to Sarajevo (Michael Winterbottom), Millions (Danny Boyle), Goodbye Christopher Robin (Simon Curtis), Sex, Drugs&Rock&Roll (Matt Whitecross), The History Boys (Nick Hytner), Dad’s Army (Oliver Parker), Kidulthood & Adulthood (Noel Clarke) and Absolutely Fabulous The Movie (Mandie Fletcher). Other film credits include M.J.Delaney’s Powder Room, Gregg Araki’s Splendor, Regan Hall’s Fast Girls, and Vondie Curtis-Hall’s Gridlock’d. Most recent productions and releases include Michael Winterbottom’s Greed, Argyris Papadimitropoulos’s Monday, Romola Garai’s Amulet and Rapman’s Blue Story. He is currently shooting Josie Rourke and Catherine Tate’s This Nan’s Life.

Grainne Peat, Event Cinema Association

Grainne is Managing Director of the Event Cinema Association (ECA), having been appointed in October 2018, since which time she has redefined the vision of the ECA and consolidated a new strategy for driving forward and promoting this growing area of cinema programming and worldwide Box Office.

Before joining the ECA, Grainne was – for more than five years – Policy Executive at the UK Cinema Association, where she was instrumental in driving forward a diverse range of policy issues, most notably in the areas of disability and access, security, skills and employment and sustainability. She was also the main lead for the Association’s networking events, including the annual conference, which has become a key event in the industry calendar.

Grainne spearheaded the development and delivery of the UKCA pioneering Technology Challenge Fund initiative, which is seeking to help stimulate innovation in technology to allow people with hearing loss to have a more inclusive cinema experience.

Grainne was also one of the pioneering mentees on the UNIC Women’s Cinema Leadership Programme.

Ivana MacKinnon
Producer, Stray Bear Productions

Ivana MacKinnon is a producer whose most recent film Beast, directed by Michael Pearce and starring Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn, was released Internationally in 2018. Beast was nominated for 10 BIFAs and 2 BAFTAS, winning the BAFTA for Best Debut.

In 2013 Ivana Exec Produced War Book, a Jack Thorne-penned and Tom Harper-helmed political thriller starring Sophie Okenedo and Anthony Sher which was released theatrically and on TV as well as opening IFFR 2014.

In 2011, after working in first in development and then production for first Celador Films and then Cloud Eight Pictures, and having worked across films as diverse as Slumdog Millionaire, The Descent, and The Scouting Book for Boys, Ivana set up Stray Bear Productions and produced Kibwe Tavares’ Jonah, a hugely ambitious live action/VFX short which premiered at Sundance 2013 and has won multiple international awards.

Andy Whittaker
Founder & Chair, Dogwoof

Andy is the Founder and Chair of Dogwoof, establishing Dogwoof as the leading film distributor of documentary films. Dogwoof started as a UK all rights distributor. In 2011 became a global sales agent for documentary with titles including Blackfish and Cartel Land. Andy’s main area of expertise is digital strategy and finance, and is responsible for Dogwoof’s partnerships including Netflix. Recent films include Free Solo and Apollo 11. Andy was also listed as one of the The Evening Standard 1000 most influential Londoners from the worlds of politics, music, food, film and business.

Ollie Madden 
Head of Creative, Film4

Ollie Madden is Head of Creative at Film4, the multi-award-winning film arm of UK public service broadcaster Channel 4. Since joining Film4 in 2017 he has overseen a slate including Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE FAVOURITE, Armando Iannucci’s THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD, Edgar Wright’s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, Sarah Gavron’s ROCKS, Coky Giedroyc’s adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s HOW TO BUILD A GIRL and Michael Winterbottom’s GREED. Prior to joining Film4 he had built a reputation as one of the most respected production executives in the UK, with over 20 years’ experience of all aspects of production and development from both the UK independent sector and the studio system, and across both TV and film, encompassing spells at Warner Bros, Intermedia and Miramax before he joined Kudos as Head of Film in 2011. His credits include SPOOKS: THE GREATER GOOD, the SHERLOCK HOLMES franchise, MAGICIANS and HBO / BBC1 mini-series GUNPOWDER, as well as forthcoming Film4 titles DREAM HORSE, THE FATHER, EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE and LOUIS WAIN.

Lia Devlin
Head Of Theatrical, Altitude

Lia Devlin is Head of Theatrical at Altitude Film Distribution and has been with the company since its inception in 2014 when she joined as Head of Marketing.
Prior to that Lia was Marketing Director for leading independent distributer Momentum Pictures where she spent 7 years in the team that broke out a number of foreign and arthouse films and beating numerous British box office records. Lia began her career in 2000 working across both studio blockbusters and specialised films at Sony Pictures UK.

Jason Maza
CEO Unstoppable Film & TV

Jason Maza’ career has seen him shift between in front and behind the camera. A British actor/producer that has many credits to his name, including the BAFTA-winning ‘Fish Tank’ and BAFTA-nominated ‘Shifty’. As well as Box Office smash BrOTHERHOOD.
He began work as a producer in 2011, with the goal that British film and TV should be entertaining, of great quality and international in scale and distribution. Since then he has produced 14 movies. Titles include: International hit 10×10 starring Fast and the Furious and Dracula Untold’s Luke Evans. Brotherhood for Lionsgate which grossed just shy of £4million at the UK Box Office, as well as the upcoming Indie Alright Now” Starring “How I met your Mothers” Cobie Smulders.
He teamed up with Noel Clarke, launching Unstoppable Film and Television in 2017 as co-CEO, after working with him on Universal Pictures brit-comedy “The Knot,”. It was evident that the pair both shared a passion for discovering new talent and most of all telling stories of new exciting voices. Most recently, Jason has produced Jessica Hynes directing debut “The Fight” which premiered at this years London Film Festival.
Jason currently appears in Sky One’s and Unstoppable’s hit tv show BulletProof with season 2 airing in the coming months. He completed his first short film ‘The Little Princess’ last year, which was his directing debut and is now 14 film festivals and counting.

Isabel Davis
Executive Director, Screen Scotland Creative Scotland

Areas of responsibility
Isabel leads Screen Scotland and, with its team and partnership agencies, delivers the ambition and outcomes set out in the Collaborative Screen Proposal.
To drive growth, Isabel negotiates major new Screen sector deals and partnerships, in Scotland, across the UK, and internationally.
Isabel leads on Screen Scotland’s relationship with Scotland’s Screen industry and the international Screen industry. The role will also deputise for the Chief Executive on key stakeholder relationships relating to Screen, particularly with the Scottish and UK Governments.

Background and experience
Isabel was the BFI’s Head of International between 2011 and 2018. In a role combining editorial, production and policy expertise, Isabel delivered the BFI’s international strategy. Drawing together industry, public and government stakeholders to identify the UK screen industries’ key sectors and territories, she has led the design and delivery of a package of initiatives and funding to help achieve success on the international stage.
As a Production executive / Executive Producer on several high profile UK co-productions, Isabel has credits on films including Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War which premiered at Cannes 2018 in Official Selection, winning Best Director; Haifaa Al Mansour’s Mary Shelley which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2017 and is also playing in this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF); Yorgos Lanthimos’s Oscar® nominated The Lobster which premiered in Official Competition at Cannes Film Festival 2015; and the forthcoming films from Claire Denis and Victor Kossakovsky.
She also backed the development of films from Scottish talent including David Mackenzie and Rona Munro.
Isabel negotiated the film co-production treaty between the UK and China, which was ratified in 2016, and contributed to the negotiation of the UK’s TV co-production treaty with China, ratified in 2017. She also negotiated the audiovisual co-production treaty between the UK and Brazil, ratified in 2017.
Isabel spearheaded a programme of film business development with China, leading a number of high level delegations to broker political, business and creative relationships between the UK and China.

Emma Hewitt
Head of Communications, BBC Films

Emma has worked in British film for 15 years. She is currently Head of Communications at BBC Films, leading press and marketing activity and responsible for overall brand strategy as the BBC renews and reimagines its film slate. Before BBC Films she was Deputy Head of Press and PR at the BFI, leading industry and consumer campaigns across all areas of BFI activity. She started her career as PR and Marketing Executive at Nottingham-based Regional Screen Agency, EM Media, backer of films including Anton Corbijn’s Control and Andrew Haigh’s Weekend. Emma sits on BIFA’s Event Committee and is a member of BAFTA.

Edward Fletcher
Managing Director, Thunderbird Releasing

Edward brings 20 years UK distribution experience to the panel having started out in exhibition before co-founding independent distributor Soda Pictures which he continued to manage as Thunderbird Releasing following Soda’s acquisition by Canadian media group Thunderbird Entertainment. Ahead of announcing his stepping down this Autumn recent releases had included SHOPLIFTERS, HIGH LIFE and VITA & VIRGINIA.

Debbie Rowland
Director / Head of Marketing, Distribution, Sales & Exhibition, We Are The Tonic Ltd / National Film & Television School

Deborah has over 25 years’ experience in marketing and all aspects of film distribution: theatrical, home entertainment, VOD, international sales, TV, and exhibition. She has held senior positions at Curzon Artificial Eye, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, Icon Film Distribution, Contender Entertainment (EOne), Koch Media, and The Pearson Group.

Deborah runs We Are The Tonic, an entrepreneurial consultancy for sales agents, distributors and filmmakers. She is also a Head of Department at the National Film and Television School, delivering their Marketing, Distribution, Sales and Exhibition MA for film, television and games, and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Exeter.

Clare Crean
Independent Film Consultant

Clare has over 25 years of experience in international film sales and distribution, having started her career as a sales executive at formative sales company J&M Entertainment. In 1999 Clare joined The Works becoming the company’s Head of International Sales in 2010 until her departure at the end of 2017.

Throughout her career Clare has worked on award-winning features and documentaries from the UK, the US, and around the world, launching films at A-list festivals and spear-heading the international sales and marketing strategies of over 250 titles including:

• Bend it Like Beckham, Gurinder Chadha (2001) Golden Globe nominee
• Sweet Sixteen, Ken Loach (2001) Winner ‘Best Screenplay’ Cannes Film Festival
• Whale Rider, Niki Caro (2002) Academy Award nominee
• Road To Guantanamo, Michael Winterbottom (2006) Winner ‘Golden Bear’ Berlin Film Festival
• This Is England, Shane Meadows (2006) BAFTA award winner for Best British Film
• Man on Wire, James Marsh (2008) Academy Award winner for Best Documentary
• I Am Love, Luca Guadagnino (2009) Golden Globe, Academy Award, BAFTA nominee
• The Cove, Louis Psihoyos (2010) Academy Award winner for Best Documentary
• Kelly + Victor, Kieran Evans (2013) BAFTA award winner for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer
• Elstree 1976, Jon Spira (2015) Official selection BFI London Film Festival
• California Typewriter, Doug Nichol (2016) Official selection Telluride Film Festival

In January 2018 Clare started her own films sales consultancy, using her commercially-focused expertise to offer sales, distribution and marketing advice to filmmakers at all stages of their careers. In addition to individual producers and production companies, her clients to date include, Creative England, Flanders Image, Inside Pictures, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Colombian Ministry of Culture and she is currently the lead tutor on the
National Film & Television School’s Sales & Distribution MA.

Clare is a regular contributor to industry panels and training programmes and has participated in events run by organisations including the BFI, Europa Distributors (the Independent Network of European Film Distributors),
Film London and IFTA.

She is a former member of the board of Film Export UK (the trade association for UK based films sales companies) and was a member of the Independent Camera Jury at the 49th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Christelle Randall
Way to Blue / Group Director of Film Publicity

Christelle Randall has worked in film publicity for over 15 years with a wealth of experience across all sectors. She began her career at Freuds working on major campaigns such as BRIDGET JONES’S DIARY, ABOUT A BOY, 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE and went on to head up the publicity team for five years at former UK independent distributor Metrodome. There, she oversaw campaigns such as I AM LOVE, THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON, DAYS OF GLORY, LEBANON and SHOOTING DOGS. Following a stint as an independent consultant, where she was the Unit Publicist on Madonna’s feature directorial debut W.E and in house at Entertainment One, she moved to Premier in 2011. At Premier, she ran the publicity team for the BFI London Film Festival for three years and worked on a wide range of campaigns including HEREDITARY, AMERICAN ANIMALS, BREATHE, THE SHAPE OF WATER, THE FLORIDA PROJECT, THE PARTY, ADULT LIFE SKILLS, LION, THE REVENANT, THE IMPOSTER, MADE OF STONE, TREE OF LIFE, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL and more. She has also handled several award winning film titles at international film festivals including Cannes, Venice, Toronto and is a frequent guest speaker at the National Film and Television School.
In 2017 she made a short film in conjunction with her local charity group called Hammersmith & Fulham Refugees Welcome featuring interviews with talking heads Miranda Hart, Lord Alf Dubs and Harriet Walter. Christelle is also collaborating with Bafta nominated film maker Leanne Welham (Pili) on a documentary about Sierra Leonese marathon runners called KEEP ON RUNNING.
She is currently Group Publicity Director of Film Publicity at Way to Blue and current titles include CHILDREN OF THE SNOW LAND, FOR SAMA and MYSTIFY – Michael Hutchence.

Alice De Rosa
Director of Distribution, Trafalgar Releasing
Joining Trafalgar Releasing in 2011, Alice has played an integral role in the company’s growth into its established market leader position in Event Cinema distribution. In her role as Director of Distribution, Alice heads up the day-to-day management of all distribution projects, acting as a key point of contact for external stakeholders whilst ensuring the team deliver releases to the high standard that has shaped the company’s reputation to date.

Shona Gold, Director of Sales and Marketing, VUE
Shona started her career in brand management on the Nestle Graduate scheme and moved to General Mills three years later heading up the marketing for Haagen-Dazs. In 2006 Shona joined Lonely Planet as Marketing Director EMEA. She progressed to General Manager EMEA before joining the Global executive team and taking up the role of Chief Marketing Officer & Global Trade Sales Director in 2014. Shona has been at Vue since 2015 and is now leading all things brand and sales.

Kate Gardiner is Head of Fox Searchlight Pictures UK, overseeing the theatrical marketing and distribution of the Fox Searchlight slate. During ten years at Searchlight, she has delivered highly successful and award-winning campaigns for a diverse range of titles from BLACK SWAN to THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL; STARRED UP to ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE. Recent successes include Academy Award winners THE SHAPE OF WATER and THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI. Prior to her current role, Kate held positions at Twentieth Century Fox and BBC Films.

Eva Yates, Commissioning Executive, BBC Films

Eva Yates is BBC Films’s Commissioning Executive, with a particular focus on new and emerging talent, and low-budget filmmaking. Alongside her feature and shorts slates, she oversees and executive produces on iFeatures with Creative England, and Microwave with FilmLondon, both in partnership with the BFI. Most recently for BBC Films, she has executive produced Remi Weekes’s debut His House starring Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu, Sacha Polak’s Dirty God and short films including Ruth Paxton’s Be Still My Beating Heart starring Maxine Peake. Prior to joining the BBC, she worked for 8 years as an executive at Film4, where she EP’d Rungano Nyoni’s I Am Not A Witch, which won the BAFTA for Outstanding British Debut; Tinge Krishnan’s Been So Long  starring Michaela Coel and Arinze Kene and nearly 20 shorts including Kibwe Tavares’s Jonah starring Daniel Kaluuya and Aneil Karia’s  bafta-nominated Work. Other credits include American Honey, Carol, 45 Years, Suffragette and Duke of Burgundy. During this period, she worked closely with Wellcome Trust on the Wellcome Screenwriting Fellowship, and advised for BIFA and on numerous new talent schemes. She began her career in arts at BBC Scotland, and in production and development roles including Revolution Films and UKFC.

Phil Cairns, Press & Publicity Manager, Film4

Phil Cairns has worked as a film publicist for more than 20 years. Currently press & publicity manager at Film4, his career has included stints at Premier, Buena Vista International (UK), Tartan Films, Electric Pictures and the BFI London Film Festival, working on films including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Brooklyn, No Country For Old Men, Kill Bill and The Sixth Sense

Geraldine Moloney, Policy Consultant, Film Distributors’ Association

Geraldine Moloney has worked in the UK film industry for 40 years, publicising an extensive range of feature films from production through to release. During that time, she has worked for most of the major US studios, as well as for major international independent distributors. She has experience working in-house as part of the distribution marketing team, within a PR agency and also as a freelance consultant. Her diverse work has included the UK launch of many much-loved classic films through the 70’s; 80’s, 90’s and into the 21st Century;  movies such as  Star Wars Episode 1, Christopher Nolan’s cult classic Memento and from Bond through to Bollywood.

Working as a consultant, Geraldine has been employed as a specialist publicist on high-profile releases, strategising awareness campaigns from production through to release both within the UK and internationally.

More recently, she has moved into roles focusing on Public Affairs issues affecting the film industry. Firstly, working with the Motion Picture Association in Europe as a communications consultant on issues around content protection; and more recently advising the Film Distributors’ Association on digital issues impacting the sector and general policy issues.    Geraldine’s role at FDA has also enabled her to contribute to a wide range of training programmes for distributors.  The most recent of which has been a cross-sector paid internship programme for young people looking to develop a career in the business-sectors of the industry.

Samantha Joly, Marketing/Publicity Manager, See-Saw Films

Samantha Joly is the Marketing and Publicity Manager for See-Saw Films. Joly oversees all aspects of the marketing and publicity for See-Saw’s film and TV productions in the UK, Australia and as part of See-Saw’s continued expansion into the US. She works closely with the company’s distribution partners around the world and takes on the role of Unit Publicist on selected film and TV projects. Current titles include the upcoming thriller Widows from Academy Award®-winning director Steve McQueen and co-writer and bestselling author Gillian Flynn. Set to be released worldwide by Twentieth Century Fox in November 2018, Widows’ all-star cast includes Oscar® winner Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Cynthia Erivo alongside Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall and Daniel Kaluuya.

Joly, who most recently served as Production and Marketing Executive, is a seven-year veteran of See-Saw Films, having begun her tenure with the company as Producer’s Assistant. Joly started her career in documentary television in 2009, moving into film publicity and production, before joining See-Saw in 2011.

Joly reports directly to co-managing directors Iain Canning and Emile Sherman and Chief Operating Officer for TV Hakan Kousetta.

Dominic Rowell, Commercial Director, Vue UK & Ireland

Dominic started his career in brand management working for Nestle and Pepsi Co before moving into retail where he led marketing, advertising and CRM for Sainsbury’s, McDonald’s and Carphone Warehouse.

In 2008 Dominic moved to Australia to be the Global Marketing Director for Lonely Planet, a subsidiary of BBC Worldwide. In 2010 he was appointed Managing Director of Lonely Planet Digital.

In 2013 Dominic joined Metro as Executive Director where he was accountable for newspaper circulation and all digital products.

Dominic has been Commercial Director for Vue UK & Ireland since January 2015, where he is leading all things brand, F&B, pricing and digital.

Ben Roberts, Director, BFI Film Fund

Ben Roberts is the Director of the BFI Film Fund, the UK’s largest public investor in film. He is responsible for overseeing the BFI’s wide-ranging support for talent development, feature film development and production, and audience development across exhibition, distribution and international sales.

He has over 15 years’ film industry experience across international sales, studio acquisitions, UK distribution and film finance gained from his time as CEO of Protagonist Pictures since 2007, and before that at Universal Pictures International and the independent UK distributor Metrodome.

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.