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Andrea Calderwood SLATE FILMS


Need to know The former head of drama at BBC Scotland and head of production at Pathé, Andrea Calderwood set up Slate in 2000 with former partner Vicki Patter- son. Two years ago, Calderwood joined forces with Gail Egan of Potboiler Productions in a move which sees them co-developing a slate while maintaining stan- dalone companies. Slate’s feature credits include The Last King Of Scotland and Shane Meadows’ Once Upon A Time In The Mid- lands, while it most recently pro- duced Gabriel Range’s feature debut, I Am Slave. Calderwood also produces television, includ- ing HBO mini-series Genera- tion Kill with Company Pictures, and recently executive produced David Kane’s BBC pilot The Field Of Blood, due to air in early 2011. Starring Jayd Johnson, Peter Capaldi and David Morrissey, the BBC Scotland and Creative Scotland-funded crime drama was produced by Calderwood’s TV arm, Slate North. Key personnel Andrea Calderwood. Incoming Anton Corbijn and Su- sanna White are attached to direct the John Le Carré adapta- tions A Most Wanted Man (script- ed by Andrew Bovell) and Mission Song (Neal Purvis and Robert Wade) respectively. Biyi Bandele’s adaptation of Chimamanda Ngo- zi Adichie’s novel Half Of A Yel- low Sun is set to shoot in Nigeria while Alan Rickman will direct the Versailles-set A Little Chaos. Andrea Calderwood says “The aim was to produce features which can reach an international audience, and to do that by working with the best, primarily British, talent.” info@slatefi lms.com


Colin Vaines


SYNCHRONISTIC PICTURES


Need to know Colin Vaines may be the one UK producer with both Madonna and Harvey Weinstein on speed dial. Vaines, a UK and US-based veteran of Columbia, Enigma, Miramax, The Wein- stein Company and GK Films, returned to being an independ- ent producer this year. He is off with a bang as a producer on Ralph Fiennes’ Serbia-shot di- rectorial debut Coriolanus — a contemporary Shakespeare ad- aptation starring Fiennes along- side Gerard Butler — as well as producing duties on Madonna’s royal family feature W.E. about King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and pitching in as an executive producer on The Wein- stein Company’s UK-set My Week With Marilyn, directed by Simon Curtis and starring Michelle Wil- liams as Marilyn Monroe. Key personnel Colin Vaines. Incoming Vaines is developing projects from the ground up and has several in early stages. With Rhodri Thomas he will produce Burial, which Neil Cross (TV’s Luther) is adapting from his own novel about two men grappling years later with a shared trag- edy. Vaines will executive pro- duce GK Films’ as-yet-untitled fi lm adaptation of UK TV series Unforgiven, which Christopher McQuarrie is writing for Ange- lina Jolie to star in. Colin Vaines says “I like working with bigger personalities. It’s so hard to get any project made, so you then have a better than average chance of getting it off the ground. Or you need that unique selling point with the material.”


David Parfitt TRADEMARK FILMS


Need to know Trademark Films is riding high going into 2011, with plenty of buzz surround- ing Simon Curtis’ My Week With Marilyn, which stars Michelle Williams alongside Eddie Red- mayne, Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Dominic Cooper and Emma Watson and recently wrapped in London. The fi lm was co-produced by the Wein- stein Company. Trademark, set up by Shakespeare In Love pro- ducer David Parfi tt, is known for its upscale, high-quality British dramas such as I Capture The Castle, directed by Tim Fywell. Parfi tt may have just taken on the role of chair at Film Lon- don, following his stint as chair of Bafta, but he is not going to let that get in the way of his producing ambitions. So 2011 will be about diversifying into TV and online projects was well as at least one big feature. BMS Finance’s Ivan Mactaggart re- cently joined Trademark as a non-executive director and pro- ducing partner. Key personnel David Parfi tt, non-executive director Ivan Mactaggart, fi nance director Liz Barron, production/development executive Cleone Clarke. Incoming Trademark is keeping tight-lipped about upcoming projects for 2011 but a feature is in the works. David Parfi tt says “It’s being pre- pared to take six years to develop a script and get the right team together to get it on. There is a tendency for some companies to take things into production too quickly. I really like to spend the time on the script.” mail@trademarkfi lms.co.uk


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