Working with the UK: A New Opportunity with Post-Production and VFX

Presented by the British Film Commission in partnership with UK Screen Alliance.

This event is an opportunity for independent producers and filmmakers to meet UK Post-Production and VFX companies, as well as gain valuable insight from the British Film Commission and UK Screen Alliance, focused on accessing incentives via Post-Production and VFX spend.

Find out about changes to the Audio Visual Expenditure Credit (tax reliefs) for feature film and high-end TV, with an uplifted rate for Visual Effects and a new opportunity for independent productions to utilise UK Post-Production and VFX via the Enhanced AVEC for Lower Budget Productions (Independent Film Tax Credit). There will also be a focus on financial incentives, talent and opportunity across the devolved nations and regions of England.

Welcome and Introduction from:

ADRIAN WOOTTON OBE | Chief Executive
British Film Commission

Speakers:

GARETH KIRKMAN | UK Business and Industry Development Manager
British Film Commission

NEIL HATTON MBE | Chief Executive
UK Screen Alliance

Representatives from Screen Scotland will also discuss the recently relaunched Project Post Fund:

ISABEL DAVIS | Executive Director – Screen
Screen Scotland  

CHERYL CONWAY | Head of Screen Commission
Screen Scotland

The session will be followed by a networking breakfast to meet representatives from award-winning Post and VFX companies and talent from the UK.

About the speakers:

GARETH KIRKMAN | UK Business and Industry Development Manager
British Film Commission
As the British Film Commission’s UK Business and Industry Development Manager, Gareth champions and supports the UK production infrastructure, working closely with UK businesses that supply major international film and television projects with post-production, VFX, virtual production and other production services. In addition, Gareth leads the BFC’s industry growth work, supporting partners and stakeholders involved with skills and training,social responsibility in production and environmental sustainability.Prior to the BFC, Gareth led the UK business development team at The Third Floor; coordinated the National Film and Television School’s senior level producer and film executive training programme, Inside Pictures; and was a freelance project manager for the film and entertainment industries. His start in the industry was as an agent for on-screen talent, working with agencies such as International Artistes and Qtalent and in 2014 he helped launch boutique agency, Sharon Henry Management. Gareth holds aBA in Film Studies from the University of East Anglia and an MA in Film Studies from King’s College London.

NEIL HATTON MBE | Chief Executive
UK Screen Alliance
Neil is the chief executive of the UK Screen Alliance, the trade association for employers in the Post Production, Visual Effects (VFX) and Animation sectors in the UK. Neil represents these sectors on many influential committees including the Creative Industries Council. He was a prime mover in getting increased tax incentives for VFX; he wrote theCovid guidance for Post; and has co developed apprenticeships and other training courses. Prior to becoming the CEO of the UK Screen Alliance, Neil owned and ran post production companies and worked as an editor in unscripted TV. He was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Years Honours for his service to VFX and animation.

ISABEL DAVIS | Executive Director – Screen
Screen Scotland
Isabel leads Screen Scotland: the screen agency supporting the development of the film & TV sector in Scotland. Screen Scotland has supported the development and production of a number of co-productions, including most recently Nora Fingschiedt's “The Outrun”, Rachel Athina Tsangari's “Harvest” and Laura Carreira's “On Falling”. Isabel joined Screen Scotland in September 2018. She was previously Head of International at the BFI, where her role combined editorial, production and policy expertise. Drawing together industry, public and government stakeholders to identify the UK screen industries’ key sectors and territories, she led the design and delivery of a package of initiatives and funding to help achieve success on the international stage. This included negotiating co-production treaties with Morocco, Palestine, Israel, China and Brazil. As a production executive/executive producer on several high profile UK co-productions, Isabel worked on films including Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War which premiered at Cannes 2018 in Official Selection, winning Best Director; Haifaa Al Mansour’s Mary Shelley which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2017; Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-nominated The Lobster which premiered in Official Competition at Cannes Film Festival 2015; Claire Denis’ High Lifeand Victor Kossakovsky’s Aquarela.

CHERYL CONWAY | Head of Screen Commission
Screen Scotland
As Head of Screen Commission, Cheryl leads an experienced team that offers a confidential Locations and Production Service to ensure that productions make the most of what Scotland has to offer filmmakers. Cheryl Conway joined Screen Scotland as Head of Screen Commission in January 2023 from Sydney, Australia, where she was Manager, Production Attraction at Screen NSW from 2017 – 2023.  Cheryl and her team serve as is the first point of contact for all matters relating to filming in Scotland, including advice on incentives, locations, recces, crew, permits, and production and post-production facilities. Recognising that the success of any production centre relies on the strength of all aspects of the production and post-production sectors, Cheryl also works to actively support the post/VFX sector in Scotland. Cheryl is an experienced industry executive and film commissioner and has been involved in attracting and supporting large-scale international productions since 2004. Just some of the large-scale productions she has been involved with include Netflix’s Frankenstein, Universal's The Fall Guy, 20th Century Studios’ The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

ADRIAN WOOTTON OBE | Chief Executive
British Film Commission
Adrian Wootton OBE is Chief Executive of the British Film Commission and Film London. He is a Programme Advisor to the BFI London Film Festival; Venice Film Festival; Noir in Fest, Milan; Mediterrané Film Festival, Malta; Founding Director of Shots in the Dark Festival, Nottingham and Curator of the annual Cinema Made In Italy programme, London. Adrian is also a recognised authority on various film, TV and literature subjects (including Hollywood, crime and mystery and Italian Cinema) and regularly lectures, writes, broadcasts and curates programmes on these topics. In 2012, Adrian received an Honorary Doctorate in the Arts and was appointed Visiting Professor of Film and Media at Norwich University of the Arts. In 2014, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of East Anglia and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to the film industry. In 2024, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Middlesex University. As alumni of UEA, he hosts an annual mentoring programme for Film Studies undergraduates. Adrian led the British Film Commission's work to develop the Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production guidance, as part of the BFI's wider COVID-19 Screen Sector Recovery Task Force. Most recently, Adrian has been working closely with the BFI, UK Government and Industry stakeholders to support the UK Screen Sector Skills Review and the development of the BFI Skills Strategy, including as a member of the Film and High End TV Skills Group. He is on the Board of the Creative Skills Academy in London, as the BFI’s Metro London Skills Cluster. Adrian is a BAFTA and European Film Academy Member.