Film Committee

02 October 12

NIK POWELL

Chair of the Film Committee

In the early 1970s Nik Powell set up Virgin Records with Richard Branson. In 1982, he formed Palace Productions with Stephen Woolley and exec-produced all productions, including Neil Jordan's award-winning Company of Wolves, Oscar-nominated & Cannes award-winning Mona Lisa and Oscar-winning The Crying Game. In 1992 Nik and Stephen formed SCALA Productions where they produced Terence Davies' The Neon Bible, the Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning Little Voice by Mark Herman, and Fred Schepsi's Last Orders. Nik's latest film is Ladies in Lavender starring Dame Judi Dench. He is Director of the National Film and Television School and Deputy Chair of the European Film Academy. Nik was awarded the title Chevalier dans L'Ordre des Arts et Lettres in recognition of his work with French and European film schools as the Vice-chairman of GEECT.

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PIPPA HARRIS

Deputy Chair of the Film Committee

Pippa started her career at Jacaranda Productions as a production assistant in 1989. After that she worked as a script editor for ITV and Channel Four, before becoming Development Executive at BBC Films. She was then promoted to Executive Producer, BBC Drama Serials where her productions included The Way We Live Now, Care, The Sleeper, Love in a Cold Climate and Warriors. In 2001 she became Head of Drama Commissioning for the BBC, working alongside Jane Tranter. BBC commissions included State Of Play, The Lost Prince, Cutting It, Flesh and Blood and Daniel Deronda. In 2003, she co-founded film and theatre production company, Neal Street Productions, with partners Sam Mendes and Caro Newling. Here she heads up the film and TV side. Since forming the company, Pippa has produced films Starter For Ten, Jarhead and Stuart A Life Backwards and executive produced Things We Lost in the Fire, Revolutionary Road and Away We Go.

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DAVID ARNOLD

Biography to follow

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CAROLA ASH

Carola started her career in 1988 as production assistant to Duncan Kenworthy at the Jim Henson Organisation working on shows such as Fraggle Rock and The Storyteller series. She then went to live in Los Angeles running development for Andy Garcia’s production company which had a first look deal at Paramount Pictures. Whilst there she worked on When a Man Loves a Woman, Night Falls on Manhattan, Cachao documentary and The Lost City. She returned to London to work at Warner Bros international television division, who produced Robin Hood, Zorro and Police Academy, as series. In 2001 Carola joined Future Films where she headed the production division, which was responsible for producing over 30 films including Cracks, Flawless, TransSiberian, Fragile, 50 Dead Men Walking and most recently Last Passenger and Suspension of Disbelief. This year she set up her own production company, Capa Pictures, where she has several projects in development.

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ANDREW CURTIS

Biography to follow

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CHRISTOPHER FIGG

Biography to follow

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JUSTIN JOHNSON

Justin Johnson works for the British Film Institute, selecting films for younger audiences at BFI Southbank and the London Film Festival. He is a regular contributor to Radio and TV on matters concerning children's films, animation and films in general. He has served on juries at many European Film Festivals including Berlin, Copenhagen and Zlin and has served as both a selector and a juror for the British Animation Awards. During his time at the BFI, he has curated seasons in partnership with the Shanghai Animations Studios, Pixar and the Swedish Film Institute as well as hosting many on-stage events and interviews. He is also Head of Operations for BFI Southbank.

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KENITH TRODD

Biography to follow

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CLARE WISE

Biography to follow

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PENNY WOLF

Biography to follow

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CO-OPTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS

KATE LEE

Kate has 24 years of experience as a film publicist and UK film distributor. Since joining Freud Communications in November 2000, she has created a highly sought after film publicity division. Kate develops and implements strategic campaigns across unit and theatrical distribution, events and corporate business strategy. She represents individual film makers, corporate representative and talent representative. Some of the most exciting production companies, new actors and film makers she represents in the UK, include BBC Films, Exclusive Media Group, Hammer Films, Working Title, BAFTA, DNA, Number 9 Films and Vertigo. Other clients include Paramount, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox, Sony, Lionsgate, Bend It Films and Framestore. Since joining the committee 3 years ago Kate has been committed to the BAFTA Youth Mentoring Scheme and provides counsel on an on-going basis to gratis BAFTA. She also sits on the BIFA advisory committee as an individual. As a company, Freud is committed to an on-going programme supporting new filmmakers. Prior to this Kate previously set up Polygram UK office and ran the BVI UK press office.

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LISA BRYER

Lisa’s first job in the film industry was in 1980 working for Tony Palmer, director of Wagner, a nine hour film shot all over Europe. She started as Simon Channing-Williams' runner and finished as an assistant diector. She then went on to work with pop promo director Tim Pope, becoming his producer in 1982. In 1985 Lisa and Tim set up Cowboy Films, which became one of the most sought after production companies in London, making over 500 music videos, 400 commercials, ten short films (including the Oscar winner Wasp) and three feature films Goodbye Charlie Bright, The Hole and the award-winning The Last King of Scotland. In 2010 Lisa Executive Produced Hannah Rothschild's documentary Mandelson-the Real PM? Lisa is a trustee of Action on Addiction, an addiction charity with treatment centres, halfway houses and a research department and training center. Lisa is also a trustee of the Westside Independent School based in West London. This is a small school for 14-16 year olds who have been found to be disengaging from mainstream education and are at risk of total exclusion from any schools. The children are supported in order to complete their GCSEs and hopefully go back into mainstream education.

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ASIF KAPADIA

BAFTA Award winning writer / director Asif Kapadia is known for his visually striking films exploring the lives of ‘outsiders’ living in extreme or unforgiving landscapes. Kapadia's graduate short The Sheep Thief, shot in India won Second Prize at the Cannes International Film Festival (Cinefoundation). Kapadia’s first feature The Warrior won two BAFTA Awards; The Alexander Korda Award for British Film of the Year and The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a Director, Screenwriter or Producer in their First Feature Film and was Nominated for Best Film Not in the English Language. Kapadia’s fourth feature SENNA won two BAFTA awards for Best Documentary and Best Editing and was Nominated for Best British Film. SENNA is the highest grossing British documentary of all time.

WILLIAM SARGENT

Framestore creates digital images (visual effects and animation) for Hollywood studios, UK and US broadcasters and international advertising agencies. Framestore has won the major creative awards internationally - Academy Award (Oscar), British Academy (Bafta), US Television Academy (Primetime Emmy), Royal Television Society and many more. The company employs over 600 staff (artists, computer scientists, producers and mathematicians) in offices in Soho London and SoHo New York and LA.

William is a Fellow, Royal Society for the Arts, was a Board member of HM Treasury (2005 – 2010), Cabinet Office (2005 – 2007) Permanent Secretary, Regulatory Reform (2005 – 2009), and was knighted in 2008.

William was raised in Rio de Janeiro, educated by American nuns followed by Irish Jesuits in Ireland, and finally Trinity College, Dublin.

For company credits see, www.framestore.com

DAVID MORRISSEY

Biography to follow

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