Alison Thompson is the co-founder of Cornerstone Films, a leader in the global independent film community. The Company specialises in international sales, financing and distribution, focussing on feature films of enduring quality and distinctive story-telling. Cornerstone is a partner in Reset, an Australian distribution company, and UK based, Genstone Films, a content creation company.

Throughout her career, Alison has worked on films that have garnered commercial and critical success from many of the world’s leading filmmakers amongst which are Ang Lee, Jane Campion, Pedro Almodovar, Sophia Coppola and Wes Anderson.  She started her career at Channel 4 and then joined The Sales Company, a leading sales agent during the 1990’s, where she rose through the ranks to become Chief Executive. In 2000 she moved to Pathe International, followed by 8 years at the helm of Focus Features International, before setting up Cornerstone with co-founder, Mark Gooder, in 2015.

Andrew Macdonald produced his first feature film, Shallow Grave, in 1993. Written by John Hodge and directed by Danny Boyle, the film was a major box office success and won the BAFTA for Best British Film. The same creative team went on to produce a number of films together including Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, The Beach and T2 Trainspotting. Since 1997 Macdonald has headed DNA Films which, with producing partner Allon Reich, has produced and financed films including The Last King of Scotland, Notes on a Scandal, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine, Never Let Me Go, Far From the Madding Crowd, Ex Machina and Annihilation. More recently, Andrew teamed up with John Battsek to produce Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In alongside Jason Ferguson who has also directed the documentary about his father. Other recent productions include Devs for FX, written and directed by Alex Garland, an adaptation of Rumer Godden’s Black Narcissus by Amanda Coe and directed by Charlotte Bruus Christensen for the BBC and FX Productions, and Men, written and directed by Alex Garland for A24.

From October 2020 to June 2023, Fiona Lamptey held the role of Director of UK Film at Netflix, where she led the charge in orchestrating the development and production of groundbreaking UK original films. Within her illustrious Netflix portfolio, Fiona curated exceptional works Including the BAFTA-nominated THE WONDER, starring Florence Pugh, the triumphant crime thriller I CAME BY by Babak Anvari, and THE KITCHEN a captivating collaboration co-directed by Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya. Additionally, she commissioned and oversaw SCOOP, a gripping dramatic retelling of the infamous Prince Andrew interview.

Prior to joining Netflix, Fiona started at Channel 4 working on documentary, reality and live entertainment before moving to the feature film division at Film4 where she spent 9 years as a Production Executive managing features and short film productions. Fiona’s work focuses on identifying and launching distinct, original British talent and championing underrepresented voices. This ethos led to the formation of her own production company, Fruit Tree Media, creating a supportive framework and structure to mentor the next generation of writers and directors, and receiving a BFI Vision Award in 2020. Fiona was a Co-Producer on the critically acclaimed Sitting In Limbo which has been nominated for a BAFTA 2021 TV award. In 2020 Fiona produced Debbie Tucker Green’s BBC Film and BFI backed feature ear for eye, to be released in late 2021, as well as the anthology series Foresight, that imagines possible futures for people of colour, in the UK through the lens of five emerging British filmmakers supported by Film4 and the BFI Young Content Fund.

A former Screen Star of Tomorrow (2019) she was also the recipient of a BFI Vision award in 2020, and recognised as a Film London future leader on the organisation’s Breaking The Glass Ceiling initiative in 2019. Fiona is based in London and a member of the BAFTA film committee.

Rose Garnett currently holds a senior position at A24, where she joined in 2022 after serving as the head of BBC Film since 2017. At BBC Film, she oversaw major projects such as The Power of the Dog and The Souvenir. Before that, she worked at Film4, contributing to films like The Favourite and American Honey. At A24, she collaborates with filmmakers and talent on international projects across both TV and film, with a focus on expanding the company’s global footprint. She operates from London in her role at A24.

After graduating from Cambridge University, Rose’s first job in 1993 was as the producer of Talking Tongues Theatre Company with David Farr, Rachel Weisz and Sasha Hails. She and Farr then took over the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill where they commissioned and worked with many writers and directors including Lee Hall, Tracy Letts, Dominic Cook and Sarah Kane. Rose has worked as a script editor and producer, with her credits including Darren Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN (Associate Producer) and Katrina Boorman’s ME AND ME DAD (Executive Producer).

Rose Garnett joined the BBC from Film4 where she was Head of Creative. Whilst there, Rose developed and executive produced an array of recent successful UK films, including Yorgos Lanthimos’s THE FAVOURITE, Martin McDonagh’s THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI, Steve McQueen’s WIDOWS, Lenny Abrahamson’s ROOM and Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY.

Daniel Battsek joined Film4 as Director in 2016, bringing 30 years’ production, development and distribution experience at the cutting edge of the independent sector from three continents to the organisation.

Since joining Film4, Battsek has greenlit films including Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, Fighting With My Family from writer/director Stephen Merchant, Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War, Bart Layton’s American Animals, and Rungano Nyoni’s I Am Not a Witch, as well as acquiring the rights to Booker Prize winning author Graham Swift’s most recent novel Mothering Sunday for development with Number 9 Films.

Battsek also brought to Film4 John Williams’ renowned novel Stoner, a coproduction development he initiated in his previous post as President of New York based Cohen Media Group, a role he held for three years, overseeing the acquisition and release of arthouse/crossover releases including back-to-back Oscar® nominees Timbuktu and Mustang, as well as CMG’s development and production slate.

Prior to that he spent 2½ years at National Geographic Films, where as President he acquired projects for development and production including the  Oscar® nominated documentary Restrepo, as well as National Geographic branded large screen and Imax 3D projects.

Battsek relocated from the UK to New York in 2005, where he served for five years as President, Filmed Entertainment at Miramax Films. Projects he greenlit and/or acquired there included Oscar® winners The Queen, No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood and Oscar® nominees The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Happy-Go-Lucky.

From 1991 to 2005, Battsek held the position of EVP and Managing Director, UK Distribution and European Production & Acquisitions at Buena Vista International, UK, where he oversaw all aspects of UK distribution for 18-25 releases per annum from Walt Disney Studios and their partners including Pixar and Miramax Films. At BVI, Battsek also set up a Comedy Production Label in 2001 which financed and produced three films, including Calendar Girls and Kinky Boots.

Prior to that, Battsek spent six years as Managing Director of Palace Pictures, where he was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of quality independent titles from around the world for release in the UK, and he also spent three years as a Sales & Marketing Executive for Hoyts Entertainment in Australia, where he first cut his teeth in distribution.

In 2018, our Inside Pictures Ambassador is Alison Owen. One of the UK’s leading film and television producers, she earned an Academy Award® nomination aand a BAFTA Award (Best Film) in 1998 for Shekhar Kapur’s historical drama, “Elizabeth,” which collected a total of seven Academy Awards® and twelve BAFTA nominations. She worked closely with co-producer Debra Hayward, formerly Head of Film at Working Title Films, with whom she launched a new production outfit Monumental Pictures in late 2014.

Monumental Television recently released “Harlots”, an eight-part returning series for ITV Encore and Hulu starring Samantha Morton, Lesley Manville and Jessica Brown Findlay, and created by Moira Buffini and Alison Newman. 2017 also saw the release of “Will”, a ten-part series following the life of the young William Shakespeare for TNT and “Anne”, Breaking Bad alumni Moira Walley-Beckett’s eight-part adaptation of Anne of Green Gables.

In 2015, Owen produced “Suffragette” written by Abi Morgan, directed by Sarah Gavron, with Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson and Meryl Streep produced by Northwood Entertainment for CBC, in association with Monumental.

In 2015, Owen produced “Suffragette” written by Abi Morgan, directed by Sarah Gavron, with Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson and Meryl Streep, starring in an ensemble piece about the Suffragette movement. Previous projects include “Saving Mr. Banks” (2013) for Disney and starring Tom Hanks, “Me Before You” (2016) for MGM and starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin which made over $200 million worldwide, “Jane Eyre” (2010) starring Michael Fassbender and Mia Wasikiowska and Edgar Wright’s “Shaun of the Dead” (2004). Most recently, Owen served as executive producer on the “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” reboot, starring Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway, also for MGM.

Under her previous banner, Ruby Film and Television, Owen executive produced series such as Stephen Poliakoff’s “Dancing on the Edge”, Case Histories” for the BBC and the Emmy®-winning “Temple Grandin”, HBO’s inspiring true-life drama starring Claire Danes.

Amongst their diverse slate of film projects, Monumental are developing a feature adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s HOW TO BUILD A GIRL with Film4, FROG MUSIC by Emma Donoghue and INSTRUMENTAL, the James Rhode’s biopic with BBC Films. Also in development on the film side is LUCKY, an adaptation of the Lucky Santangelo novels by Jackie Collins.

Hayward and Owen are also developing a biopic of Victorian mathematician ADA Lovelace with writer Shawn Slovo, and ROE V. WADE, a film about the 1973 landmark decision by the United States on abortion with burgeoning writer Jen Majka.

David Kosse is a global film executive with over 30 years experience.

Previously, as VP of International Film at Netflix, Kosse developed and produced over 40 features, including All Quiet on the Western Front which won four Oscars. Prior to that, Kosse ran Film4, where his credits include multiple Academy Award winners such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

From 2003 to 2014, Kosse launched the distribution and production division of Universal Pictures International, growing the business from annual box office revenues of $530m to $2 billion.

Andrew Cripps is currently the President of International Theatrical Distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures, a role he took on in 2019. In this position, he oversees the international distribution of films produced by Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema. Cripps is responsible for managing the studio’s sales and distribution operations in over 125 territories worldwide. He also collaborates on strategies to grow the studio’s theatrical presence and explore new revenue opportunities internationally.

Cripps has more than 30 years of experience in film distribution, having worked with several major Hollywood studios. Prior to joining Warner Bros., he was President of International Theatrical Distribution at 20th Century Fox. He also held senior roles at IMAX, Paramount Pictures International, and United International Pictures. Cripps’ career began in the 1980s, working for Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment in Japan and Korea.

His broad expertise across studio and exhibition operations makes him a key figure in the global film distribution landscape.

Andrew was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Japan and speaks fluent Japanese. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Industrial Management in 1981, and then received his MBA from Georgia State in 1983 in International Business. He is a member of both the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He continues to live and work in London where he is married to Louise and has three children – Emily age 18, Anna age 15 and James age 5.

Duncan Clark was a key figure at Universal Pictures, serving as the President of International Distribution for over five years until he stepped down in 2020. He had a 41-year career in the film industry, 14 of which were at Universal. During his tenure, Clark played a crucial role in Universal’s global success, overseeing major franchises like Jurassic World, Fast & Furious, and Despicable Me. Under his leadership, Universal became the first studio to gross over $4 billion internationally in 2015.

Clark spent fourteen years at Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures from 1986-2000 in New York and Los Angeles – first as head of its international marketing division, culminating in his role as President of the International Distribution. During his years at Sony, he oversaw the release of such critical and commercial hits as Men in Black, Sense and Sensibility, As Good As It Gets, Jerry McGuire, and The Mask of Zorro. As an original resident of the U.K., Clark headed up marketing/distribution from 1980-1986 for UIP/U.K., distributor at the time for Universal, Paramount and MGM/United Artists. Clark is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Clark is married with a son.