Philip Alberstat

Agent

William Morris Independent

Philip Alberstat is an agent with the William Morris Agency's independent film packaging division William Morris Independent. Prior to this he was a lawyer specialising in film finance and is the author of "The Insiders Guide To Film Finance".
He has been involved in the financing and production of many independent films and won an Emmy as a producer for the film, THE INCREDIBLE MRS. RITCHIE

Chris Auty

CEO

The Works Media Group Plc (formerly Civilian Content Plc)

Chris Auty started his professional career as a film critic at Time Out. In 1985 he created Oasis, a UK film distribution company. From 1991-99, he was Managing Director of Jeremy Thomas' Recorded Picture Company ("RPC") producing or co-producing a dozen films, including Bernardo Bertolucci's LITTLE BUDDHA and STEALING BEAUTY, David Cronenberg's CRASH, and Bob Rafelson's BLOOD AND WINE. In 1998-99, he served as a member of the government-industry Film Policy Review Group, and subsequently, became a Board Member of the Film Council. In June 1999, Chris was appointed Chief Executive of The Film Consortium which funded numerous films, including Michael Winterbottom's 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, 51ST STATE, CHIRSTMAS CAROL, Stephen Fry's BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS, and Michael Winterbottom's IN THIS WORLD. In October 2001, Chris also became CEO of Civilian Content Plc, the group incorporating TFC and The Works International Sales and The Works UK Distribution.

Suzanne Ballantyne

Chief Programmer

Raindance Film Festival

She is widely respected as an independent film analyst, and works closely with writers and directors up and down the country.

Andre Burgess

Managing Director

Crucible Media Limited

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

Sally Caplan

Head of Premiere Fund

UK Film Council

Sally Caplan took the post as head of the Premiere Fund at the UK Film Council in April 2005. She has a strong background in distribution as former President of Icon Film Distribution (IFD), the UK distribution entity of Icon Entertainment. Her roles included Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Business Affairs at Momentum Pictures (2000 to 2004), Senior Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions, Polygram International/UIP (1998 to 2000), and Vice President of Acquisitions and Business Affairs, Polygram Filmed Entertainment (UK) Limited (1993 to 1998)

Tessa Collinson

Director

British Independent Film Awards

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

Pippa Cross

Independent Producer

CrossDay Productions

Pippa was previously Head of Film at Granada. Her credits include MY LEFT FOOT, JACK AND SARAH, HOUSE OF MIRTH, THE HOLE, GHOSTWORLD, BLOODY SUNDAY and SHOOTING DOGS.

Christopher Fowler

Director

Creative Partnership

Creative Partnership have written, designed and produced for directors like Bertolucci, Zeffirelli, Tarantino, Cronenberg, Greenaway, Davies, and Ridley Scott. They created campaigns for Moulin Rouge, Hannibal, Pulp Fiction, Gladiator and Trainspotting, and more recently About A Boy, Guru and The Importance Of Being Earnest.
Chris is also a prolific writer of novel and short stories as well as having written articles and columns for Time Out, the Independent on Sunday, and a variety of magazines, including The Third Alternative and Dazed And Confused.

Lora Fox Gamble

Lora Fox Gamble, is an independent producer and film commissioner with more than twenty years experience in film production, finance and distribution. Ms. Fox began her career in film and television working in development with veteran producer Freddie Fields at MGM.   She moved to the Samuel Goldwyn Company in 1986, where she acquired films for television libraries and theatrical release.   In 1991, she was named Executive Director of the International Documentary Association. In 1992, she produced and wrote her first independent documentary, THE VIEW FROM THE CAGE, and sold it to The Discovery Channel.  This led to three years participating in underwater films both in front of and behind the camera. As Director of International Co-productions for Oregon Public Broadcasting, she helped create the Eyewitness series, a co-production with BBC's Natural History Unit and Dorling-Kindersley. In 1995, she became Managing Director of Pinnacle Pictures, an international film and television sales company based in London where she financed and marketed several independent feature films.  In 2002, she produced the independent feature ANOTHER LIFE starring Nick Moran, Tom Wilkinson, Imelda Staunton and Ioan Gruffudd. In 2005, she was appointed by the Suffolk County legislature in New York to serve as a film commissioner on the Suffolk County Film Board. Recently, she produced THE SONG IS YOU FROM WATERMILL for PBS, and represented THE TEN, a feature film that will be theatrically released by ThinkFilm in August 2007. 

Steven Gaydos

Executive Editor / International Managing Director

Variety

Steven Gaydos joined Variety in 1993, first serving as Variety's managing editor of special issues. In 1999 Gaydos was named executive editor of Variety/Daily Variety and in that capacity he helps oversee the work of the largest entertainment news staff in the world. In August, 2000, Gaydos took on the additional role of international managing director of Variety, overseeing the global editorial and business operations from the London office of Variety. Gaydos serves on the board of the Hartley-Merrill Screenwriting Awards and is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the European Film Academy.

Elliot Grove

Founder

British Independent Film Awards / Raindance

Elliot is a writer and producer, and a pioneer of independent film production in the UK.

Norma Heyman

Managing Director

NFH Films / Heyman Hoskins Films

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 is on the board of the Soho Theatre, and a founding board member of WIFT UK.

Emma E. Hickox, a.c.e.

Film Editor

Emma spent 17 years in the heart of Hollywood earning her stripes as an editor on such art house flicks as THIS WORLD THEN THE FIREWORKS and TANGLED before moving into the mainstream with BLUE CRUSH, and A WALK TO REMEMBER. She has now returned to her UK roots where she continues her cutting career in the creative haven of the British film industry. Among her recent credits are THE JACKET, KINKY BOOTS and BECOMING JANE. At present she is cutting John Maybury's THE EDGE OF LOVE

Fred Hogge

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).

Robert Jones

Producer

Material Entertainment

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.

Steve Kenis

Independent Agent

Steve Kenis & Co.

His clients include Peter O'Toole, Jeanne Moreau, Bruce Beresford and Frederic Raphael. Steve is also a member of both the American and British Motion Picture Academies and PMA (Personal Managers Association) Council.

Alberto Lopez

Director, International Sales & Development

Variety

As the International Director of Sales and Development, Alberto oversees all of Variety's business operations outside of the US. Since joining Variety in 2001, Alberto has worked to develop the Variety brand internationally, creating partnerships and new business initiatives, expanding the magazine's reputation and readership. Variety is widely recognised as the world's most influential entertainment business magazine.
Alberto has also been writing scripts for over a decade and had a short film produced for network television. Currently he has a script in development with a British film company.

Ollie Madden

Vice President, Production

Warner Bros. Pictures UK

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.

Hamish McAlpine

Producer/Distributor

Tartan Films

Neil McCartney

Consultant

McCartney Media

Neil is managing director of McCartney Media, a publishing and consultancy company which specialises in media and telecommunications. Neil was the founding editor of Screen Finance, the Financial Times newsletter on the film industry, which he ran for the FT for 12 years, along with a number of other titles, until these were sold to the Informa Group. He writes widely on media and telecommunications issues, and is frequently called on to speak at conferences and to provide expert analysis for television and radio programmes. He has provided research and consultancy services for a number of private clients, including Warner Brothers and the European Commission. He is also a producer, secretary of the Independent Film Trust and London representative of the Moscow International Film Festival and the Split International Festival of New Film.

Saul Metzstein

Martin Myers

Distribution Consultant

Miracle Communications

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.

Sarah Radclyffe

Independent Producer

Sarah Radclyffe co-founded Working Title in 1984 with Tim Bevan and whilst there produced several films including MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE, WISH YOU WERE HERE and A WORLD APART. Following the acquisition of Working Title by Polygram in 1993, Sarah left to pursue a more independent career and set up her own company, Sarah Radclyffe Productions. Since then, she has produced or executive produced, amongst others, SECOND BEST, COUSIN BETTE, LES MISERABLES, THE WAR ZONE, RATCATCHER, THERE'S ONLY ONE JIMMY GRIMBLE, LOVE'S BROTHER and TARA ROAD. Sarah served on the board of Channel 4 and the BFI between 1997 and 1999 and the UK Film Council from 1999-2004.

Tracey Scoffield

Director

Rainmark Films

Tracey Scoffield joined the television industry as a trainee to William G. Stewart on light entertainment shows, and was associate producer of Jonathan Ross' debut show The Last Resort for Channel 4, before moving into drama development and working for Colin Callender at the Callender Co. She then sidestepped the industry for eight years by joining publishing house Faber and Faber, where she ran the films and plays list, setting up the screenplay publishing initiative and working with directors such as Martin Scorsese and the late Louis Malle and Krzysztof Kieslowski. Ms. Scoffield then joined the BBC as a Script Editor, becoming Head of Development and Executive Producer for BBC Films. In the latter capacity, she has executive-produced Richard Loncraine's award-winning THE GATHERING STORM (broadcast in the U.S. on HBO), Stephen Frears' DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, Roger Michell's THE MOTHER, and Michael Winterbottom's A COCK AND BULL STORY.
In 2005 she left the BBC to set up Rainmark Films, a television and film production company based in London, with producer Frank Doelger. In 2007, their production slate includes: PRIMO, A NUMBER, MY ZINC BED, CHURCHILL AT WAR and THE OTHER MAN, a feature film to be directed by Richard Eyre.

Mark Shivas

Producer

Headline Pictures

Both as Head of Drama and later as Head of Films at the BBC, Mark has produced and executive produced scores of telvision plays, series and feature films including: TRULY MADLY DEEPLY, JUDE, HIDEOUS KINKY, THE SNAPPER, THE WITCHES, A PRIVATE FUNCTION and many more. His last production for BBCTV was CAMBRIDGE SPIES. Mark's new company Headline Pictures is currently preparing ALEC AND MAY for the Weinstein Company and BBC Films

Jim Wilson

Independent film producer

He served as an executive producer on SHAUN OF THE DEAD, and co-produced THE KING with Milo Addica. With Nick Wechsler he is next producing Jonathan Glazer's UNDER THE SKIN. Previously he was a production executive at Fox Searchlight Pictures in the US and then FilmFour in the UK, working on a dozen films including SEXY BEAST, BUFFALO SOLDIERS, DANCER IN THE DARK, THE FILTH AND THE FURY, THE LOW DOWN, NIL BY MOUTH, THE ICE STORM, SIMON MAGUS and THE FULL MONTY. He went to film school at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles.

Michiyo Yoshizaki

CEO

NDF International

NDF has specialized in multinational co-productions and has been responsible for financing, co-producing and producing films such as THE CRYING GAME, HOWARDS END, SMOKE, TITUS, KAMA SUTRA, WILDE, CHINESE BOX and GUANTANAMERO

Johanna von Fischer

Director

British Independent Film Awards

Johanna has worked for both BIFA and Raindance since 2000, became producer of the Awards in 2003 and director in 2006.