We pride ourselves on our links with industry and our regular guest speakers, providing you with opportunities to learn from real-world professionals, including some of our very own alumni.
Previous speakers
Sally Rowberry
Development Executive, Scripted, Red Arrow Studios International
Sally Rowberry is the development executive at Red Arrow Studios, comprised of an acclaimed network of international production companies and labels in seven territories; world-leading digital studio, Studio71, based in six countries; and global TV and film distributors Red Arrow Studios International and Gravitas Ventures.
Their impressive slate of new and returning shows includes Love is Blind (Netflix), Bosch (Amazon), Married at First Sight (Lifetime/worldwide), A League of Their Own (Sky/CBS), Vienna Blood (ZDF/ORF), Say Yes to the Dress (TLC).
Ben Cookson
Writer-Director
Ben wrote and directed his debut feature film, ALMOST MARRIED enjoyed a theatrical release in the UK and has achieved distribution internationally.
It has sold to ITV, won Best Feature Film at the Marbella International Film Festival and is currently nominated for Best Comedy at the National Film Awards.
Ben recently completed the adaptation of Wating for Anya (2020) based on a Michael Morpurgo book.
Eddie Hamilton
Film Editor
Eddie has cut over 20 feature films (both indies and studio movies) in a wide variety of genres as well as TV dramas, documentaries and award-winning short films.
He has given presentations on Avid Media Composer editing at NAB and IBC.
Eddie is a member of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, American Cinema Editors and BAFTA, and was on the feature film panel at EditFest London in 2013 and 2018.
Peter Higgin
Screenwriter
Peter is a founder member of Punchdrunk. He is joint CEO of the charity and oversees all artistic activity.
His work is diverse: from magical installations in primary schools to large participatory performances in found spaces or long-form storytelling projects in a care home.
Punchdrunk Enrichment has engaged with over 100,000 participants.
Beatriz Sastre
Cinematographer
Beatriz Sastre is an award-winning Cinematographer. Beatriz has lensed dramas, commercials, music promos and documentaries for more than six years.
Some of her recent projects are: ‘La Boda De Rosa’ feature film directed by Iciar Bollain, Nike commercial directed by Nadira Amrani, DIOR commercial directed by Chris Roman, Rapha commercial directed by Paola Morabito and produced by Knucklehead.
Peter Fellows
Screenwriter
Beginning his career as a runner, Peter has since gone on to work professionally as a screenwriter, producer and director on TV and films including Veep, Avenue 5, The Death of Stalin, The Personal History of David Copperfield and a special short film for the White House Correspondents' Dinner starring Joe Biden and Michelle Obama.
In 2017, Peter was given the BAFTA Rocliffe new writing award for his screenplay DRY.
He has also written for various publications, including The Big Issue and Lusso. Peter currently has various film and television projects in development.
Georgia Brown
Director of European Originals
The former FremantleMedia International exec assumed the role in 2017, as the first Amazon Studios hire outside of Los Angeles.
Since then, Brown has built a team at the London Prime Video HQ as well as growing the team in the rest of Europe in order to invigorate local production, inclusive of both globally-popular and locally-successful shows.
Steve Hughes
Director
Steve is a UK based director with over 100 episodes of TV drama under his belt.
He is preparing to direct the finale episodes of The Last Bus for Netflix and was the lead director on Pandora, an exciting new sci-fi drama for The CW in the US, along with multiple episodes of popular shows such as Creeped Out (CBBC), Doctor Who (BBC), Wolfblood (CBBC), Casualty (BBC), The Athena (Sky), Midsomer Murders (ITV), Suspects (Channel 5) and Land Girls (BBC), and has been 2nd unit director on Treadstone, Strike Back and Killing Eve.