2008 Advisory Committee

Tessa has worked both as the Producer and as a Consultant for The British Independent Film Awards since the Awards were founded in 1998, and became a director in 2006.

Chris Auty started his professional career as a film journalist, running the film department of Time Out.  From 1984-85 he was European Editor of The Hollywood Reporter.
In 1985 he left journalism to launch a new UK film distribution company (Oasis), releasing some 45 films over the next five years, as well as acquiring and re-launching two of Britain’s best-known art house cinemas (the Gate in London, and Cameo in Edinburgh). In 1989 he helped finance, and acted as world sales agent for, Peter Greenaway’s THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER.
From 1991–99, he was Managing Director of Jeremy Thomas’ Recorded Picture Company and served as a producer on several of its films, as well as initiating the creation of RPC’s own international sales company, Hanway.
In 1999, he became a founding Board Member of the UK Film Council – the governing body responsible for all public funding of film in the UK.
From mid 1999, Chris Auty became CEO of the Virgin-backed Film Consortium, a lottery franchise company. In October 2001, Chris also became Chief Executive of the group incorporating The Film Consortium -– The Works Media Group plc (an AIM-listed company). Under his leadership the company developed its international rights business, and in 2005 successfully launched a new UK distribution subsidiary, which subsequently secured a home entertainment output deal with Universal Pictures UK., and has released over 30 films to date.
Having completed the re-structuring of The Works into a distribution-led business, Chris stood down as Chief Executive in mid 2007. He runs and presents a lecture course in business skills, film production, and finance on the National Film School’s MA course; teaches in film at London University; and is working on a film-related new media venture, which is scheduled to launch this year.
Producing / exec producing credits include: STEALING BEAUTY (Bernardo Bertolucci), MY SUMMER OF LOVE (Pavel Pawlikowski), CRASH  (David Cronenberg), BLOOD AND WINE (Bob Rafelson), DUST (Milcho Manchevski), IN THIS WORLD (Michael Winterbottom) COUNTRY OF MY SKULL (John Boorman), BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS (Stephen Fry), RIVER QUEEN (Vincent Ward), THE PROPOSITION (John Hillcoat).

For the past five years Andre has specialized in working with content owners, brands and media companies, including Aardman Animations, Universal Pictures, Walker Books, and Working Title Films in delivering creative solutions in multi platform Interactive Content, Marketing and Resource Investigation to help these businesses gain a competitive edge in the Broadband space. Before founding Crucible Media he was Head of Entertainment at 3 (Hutchison 3G)., where he lead the development of cutting-edge wireless Broadband services for their Third Generation Mobile service. Prior to that he ran the interactive Entertainment channel for NTL's interactive TV, wireless, and broadband PC platforms.
Before entering the digital ecosystem, Andre started his career in Los Angeles, where he was an agent at United Talent Agency and subsequently set up a film production and talent management company in London, International Arts Entertainment. In 1994, he produced E=MC2, starring Jeremy Piven and Richard Attenborough

Martin Childs is a production designer. Among his credits are THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS, MISS POTTER, FROM HELL, LADY IN THE WATER, and CALENDAR GIRLS. He has received three BAFTA nominations, for MRS BROWN, QUILLS and SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. He was nominated for an Oscar for QUILLS and won for SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE

First job after school was working at the amazing Everyman Theatre Liverpool. Followed by Administration jobs at various theatres in Newcastle and London. Moved to assistant film editing with David Naden Associates. After a chance meeting with Susie Figgis was introduced to film casting as a career starting with Gandhi. Twenty five years later still casting. Films & TV include: 10,000BC, THE QUEEN, MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS, THE CONSTANT GARDENER, GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, THE DEAL, WIT, CROUPIER, FELICIA'S JOURNEY, THE SNAPPER, THE VAN, FAMILY

Norma's credits include the Oscar, BIFA and BAFTA nominated MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS, the Oscar and BAFTA winning DANGEROUS LIAISONS, THE SECRET AGENT, GANGSTER NO.1, SISTER MY SISTER, THE HONORARY CONSUL, KISS KISS (BANG BANG) and BUSTER. She was one of the founders of WIFTV UK, and is on the board of the Soho Theatre.

Fred was the co-founder and producer of the British Independent Film Awards 1998-2001. He then set up Adara Pictures, a production company specialising in factual television formats. He is the writer/director of Northern Lights (2005), and currently co-runs the production company Black Island.

Robert Jones most recently served as Head of the UK Film Council's Premiere Fund. His production credits include THE USUAL SUSPECTS, HARD EIGHT, THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL BUT CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, GOSFORD PARK, VERA DRAKE and THE CONSTANT GARDENER. With more than 25 years in the industry, Jones brings an impressive track record of working with established talent and identifying and developing new talent.
In addition to producing, he has considerable experience in distribution and film acquisition, working with such companies as Palace and PolyGram. There he acquired such films as SHALLOW GRAVE, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, RESERVOIR DOGS, CINEMA PARADISO, MY LEFT FOOT and PRINCE - SIGN O' THE TIMES.
In his role as head of Material Entertainment, Jones is developing commercial movies that play to international audiences. David Schwimmer's RUN FAT BOY RUN starring Simon Pegg is their first feature.

BIFA jury chair 2006 and recipient of the BIFA Special Jury Prize in 2005, Lieberson entered film industry as an Agent working in Los Angeles, Rome and London. Representing clients  Sergio Leone, Richard Harris, Peter Sellers, Lindsay Anderson and the Rolling Stones. Lieberson then formed Goodtime Enterprises and produced PERFORMANCE and ROLLING STONES ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS (M. L. Hogg),. David Puttnam joined as partner in Goodtimes in 1970 and together they formed Visual Programme Systems to produce, acquire and consult in the Home Video area. Titles jointly produced with David Puttnam include: PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN (Jacques Demy), RADIO WONDERFUL (Richard Loncraine), JAMES DEAN FIRST AMERICAN TEENAGER (Ray Connolly), THE FINAL PROGRAMME (Robert Fuest), THAT`LL BE THE DAY (Claude Watham), STARDUST (Michael Apted), BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME (Philippe Mora), SWASTIKA (Philippe Mora) (Documentary), DOUBLE HEADED EAGLE (Lutz Becker) (Documentary), BUGSY MALONE (Alan Parker), BEATLES IN ALL THIS AND WORLD WAR TWO for 20th Century Fox (Tony Palmer),  "DE GAULLE" BBC TV (Documentary), MAHLER and LISZTOMANIA (Ken Russell). And as an independent producer: JABBERWOCKY (Terry Gilliam). Lieberson went on to 20th Century Fox supervising such productions as STAR WARS, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and Bertolucci's 1900, Ridley Scott's ALIEN, Werner Herzog`s NOSFERATU, Nic Roeg's BAD TIMING, Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA & INFERNO and as President of World Wide Production 20th Century Fox supervising: CHARIOTS OF FIRE, NINE TO FIVE, QUEST FOR FIRE and Kurasawa's KAGAMUSHA. In 1981/83 as V.P. International Production, The Ladd Company he supervised: Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER, Sergio Leone's ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, Peter Hyams' OUTLAND, Paul Verhoeven's FLESH AND BLOOD, Richard Eyre's THE BEGGARS OPERA, etc. In 1984/8 As Chief of Production at Goldcrest he supervised: Mike Newell's DANCE WITH A STRANGER, Julian Temple's ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS, James Ivory's ROOM WITH A VIEW, Roland Joffe's THE MISSION, etc. Other independent credits include: RITA, SUE AND BOB TOO (Alan Clarke), STARS AND BARS (Pat O'Connor).
Lieberson designed and introduced the curriculum for the Producers course and was Head Tutor of the Producing Department at THE NATIONAL FILM AND TELEVISION SCHOOL. He is currently: Chairman, Film London and Advisor and organisor for The Berlin Talent Campus,  Escuela Internacional de Cinema & TV in Habana, The Media Programme, National Film & Television School, London Film School.

Ollie Madden started his career at Graham Broadbent and Damian Jones' company, Dragon Pictures. He later became an Acquisitions Executive at Atom Films, the world's largest short film distribution company. In 2001 Madden moved on to be a Director of Production and Development at Miramax Films, where he worked for three years and was involved with such films as DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, BRIDE AND PREJUDICE and PROOF. In late 2004, Madden joined Intermedia Films as Head of UK Production and Development, where he worked on THE HUNTING PARTY, BASIC INSTINCT 2, and produced comedy MAGICIANS for Intermedia and Universal. In 2007 Madden joined Warner Bros. as their UK based VP of Production and is currently developing a slate of films for the studio.

Martin Myers is the fourth generation of his family to enter movie business. His Great Grandfather and Grandfather owned cinemas across London. An accomplished professional with broad experience of the film and video business in both corporate and independent sectors. Martin has substantial experience of taking a product from concept/script to completion with sales and marketing expertise.
Following early roles in distribution, sales and marketing for CIC, UIP, Martin became Sales and Marketing Director of Miracle Films and later took on the same role (along with responsibility for acquisition) at Vestron Pictures where he released PRINCESS BRIDE, BUSTER and DIRTY DANCING. He was subsequently appointed Theatrical Director of First Independent Films Limited, where he oversaw acquisitions and release.
In 1999 he set up Miracle Communications, focusing on the distribution and sales. During this period he has been responsible for releasing films including ASOKA, SHOOTERS, DANCING AT THE BLUE IGUANA, VILLA DES ROSES, ONG-BAK and McLIBEL. Forthcoming titles include: Blue Blood, Conversations With Other Women,A Guide to Recognising Your Saints, Jindabyne, Taking Liberties, Tell No One and Ghosts of Cite Soleil.

In 2007 Colin Salmon has been working in Kunming, Botswana, Birmingham and London on THE BANK JOB, dir Roger Donaldson, CLUBBED, dir Neil Thompson and BLOOD THE LAST VAMPIRE, dir Chris Nahon and Cory Yuen,along with THE No 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY dir Anthony Minghella.He is one of the UK's leading actors known for his recurring role of Charles Robinson in the 007 movies TOMORROW NEVER DIES, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and DIE ANOTHER DAY. He starred in RESIDENT EVIL and ALIEN V PREDATOR for Paul Anderson and Woody Allen's MATCHPOINTHis TV credits are many including co-starring with Helen Mirren in the EMMY award winning PRIME SUSPECT II, Linda La Plante's TRIAL AND RETRIBUTION, Alrick Reilly's MURDER IN MIND and Peter Kosminsky's award winning NO CHILD OF MINE, Brian Grant's HEX and more recently PARTY ANIMALS. He is a musician, an active Trustee of the Museum of Immigration at 19 Princelet Street, London, an Ambassador for The Prince's Trust and a Patron of theRichard House Children's Hospice and The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust .

Born in Philadelphia and educated at Boston University, Martin now lives in London. An award winning author, his plays have been produced in more than 45 countries. BENT, presented at the Royal Court in London, with Ian McKellen, transferred to the West End; it went to Broadway, starring Richard Gere, and won a Tony nomination for best play. It was revived at the National Theatre with Ian McKellen again in the lead, and most recently in October 2006 at Trafalgar Studios starring Alan Cumming. It was made into a film in 1998 starring Clive Owen, Lothaire Bluteau and Mick Jagger. Martin's other West End plays include MESSIAH, starring Maureen Lipman; WHEN SHE DANCED, starring Vanessa Redgrave, and Frances de la Tour; A MADHOUSE IN GOA, also starring Vanessa Redgrave and a new version of a Pirandello, ABSOLUTELY! (PERHAPS) starring Joan Plowright. His play ROSE premiered at the National Theatre, with Olympia Dukakis, and transferred to Broadway. Martin's book for the hit musical, THE BOY FROM OZ, which opened on Broadway in 2003 starring Hugh Jackman, earned him his second Tony nomination. That same year, his screenplay adapted from the Tennessee Williams novella, THE ROMAN SPRING OF MRS STONE, was filmed starring Helen Mirren, Olivier Martinez and Anne Bancroft. Martin's latest screenplay MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS, which was BIFA & BAFTA nominated, was produced by Norma Heyman and directed by Stephen Frears, starring Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly and Will Young. Martin initially worked with Norma Heyman in 1992 when she commissioned his first screenplay, THE CLOTHES IN THE WARDROBE, which he adapted from a novel by Alice Thomas Ellis and which starred Jeanne Moreau. Released theatrically in the USA by Goldwyn under the title THE SUMMER HOUSE, it brought Martin nominations from both BAFTA and The Writer's Guild. His other screenwriting credits include CALLAS FOREVER with the director Franco Zeffirelli, starring Fanny Ardant and Jeremy Irons, and ALIVE AND KICKING, starring Jason Flemyng, Antony Sher and Dorothy Tutin. His recent adaptation of E.M. Forster's A PASSAGE TO INDIA earned him rave notices when it played at London's Riverside Theatre and New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music. He also directed RUBY WAX LIVE, Ruby Wax's stage show, which toured the UK, Australia and New Zealand. His adaptation of Chekhov's THE CHERRY ORCHARD premiered last winter in Los Angeles with Annette Bening and Alfred Molina in the leads.

Michelle's career in the film industry began in exhibition as a manager for Picturehouse Cinemas. Since then she has worked in PR, Sales and Marketing. She joined the Creative Partnership in 2001, where she managed campaigns for Universal, Disney and Fox Searchlight, including Atonement, Becoming Jane and 28 Weeks Later. In 2007, she moved to Kennedy Monk where she has most recently managed the theatrical and outdoor poster campaigns for Pathe's Blindness and E1 Films' blockbuster Twilight.