WRITER-DIRECTOR
KAREN ANSTEE
Karen graduated from London Film School in 2012 with an MA in Screenwriting. Since then she has written, directed and produced award-winning short films, which have screened in quality film festivals across the world.
In 2017 she launched Precious Hack Productions (so named because a famous auteur one told her that all screenwriters are precious hacks!) with the aim of gaining producing experience and ensuring that all her projects meet her ongoing commitment to working with a team that is at least 50% female and diverse across the board. As a result Karen’s short films have been awarded the BFI’s Mark of Diversity Best Practice.
Music is integral to Karen’s creative process and, alongside filmmaking, she works as a professional violinist, performing with Britain’s most respected orchestras, recording for film & TV, and also touring and gigging with commercial artists such as Sting, Goldfrapp, Take That and Kanye West.
Her prose writing has been adapted for BBC Radio 4, and she has recently been engaged to write a screen adaptation of her novel WHEN THE FAT LADY THINS.
Karen is a member of Directors UK, the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain and the Musicians’ Union and the London Fencing Club.
PRODUCER
GARETH JONES
Gareth has been involved in the financing, sales and distribution of feature films for over thirty years.
After graduating in law from University College London, he practiced as a corporate lawyer with city firm Macfarlanes. He joined HandMade Films as an in-house lawyer in 1984, before moving on to head their film and international sales division, and subsequently became Managing Director of sales agents Alibi Films International.
He has financed, sold international rights and/or distributed more than one hundred independent feature films including WITHNAIL AND I, MONA LISA, PSYCH 9 and LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS. Gareth pre-bought foreign sales rights in Sundance winner SECRETARY, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal. In 2002 he joined Winchester Films as Head of UK Film Production and Financing in order to coordinate their existing UK film activities from development and production, to international sales and finance.
Since departing Winchester over a decade ago he has established his own film consultancy and distribution business. He works with producers and filmmakers as an executive producer and international sales adviser to arrange finance, presales and UK and international sales on feature films.
Gareth has his own distribution business DC Releasing, which distributes films in the UK and Eire theatrically and on all Home Entertainment.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
GABI NORLAND
Gabi is a London based cinematographer who has been 4 times nominated and twice won best Cinematography at Underwire festival, for ‘Sis’ – which was also BIFA nominated and won multiple awards worldwide – and for ‘The Treehouse’. Her recent short films ‘My Time’ ‘First Disco’ ‘Duck Daze’ and ‘This Time Away’ have screened and won awards at festivals including LA shorts, NFTTY, First Glance, London Film Festival, and Edinburgh Festival. ‘My Time’ was longlisted for an Academy Award, and ‘This Time Away’ for a BAFTA in 2019.
Gabi’s work with artist filmmakers has been shown at Oberhausen, The Royal Academy in London, and at the Kubrick exhibition at Somerset House.
Long form work includes music film ‘Night Thoughts’ for britpop band Suede and documentary feature ‘My Beautiful Broken Brain’ which won the U award at IDF, was nominated at SXSW, and was picked up by Netflix.
Her beautiful work can be seen on her website.
MUSIC
NICKI WELLS
Nicki Wells aka TURYA is a singer, songwriter and composer. She has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House and Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage, touring as a featured vocalist in Nitin Sawhney’s band. Her voice can be heard in films such as Deepa Mehta’s Midnight’s Children, Renny Harlin’s The Legend of Hercules and her beautiful vocals were a major part of the score for The Human Planet series (BBC). As a composer in her own right, Nicki’s scores for theatre, dance and film have met with critical acclaim, with credits including Great Expectations (adaptation, Tanika Gupta), Drawing the Line (by Howard Brenton), Khyentse Norbu’s feature film Vara – A Blessing, and three shows for contemporary dancer Aakash Odedra, which have featured in venues such as Sadlers Wells and the Royal Opera House. She released her first solo album, Ocean, in 2018.
ART
PATRICK JACKSON
Patrick is a fine artist and illustrator based in Paris and London, with his work mainly centring on commissions from clients around the world. He has also been represented by galleries in the UK, the US and France. Patrick will work as storyboard artist in pre-production and also on set during production, sketching cast and crew through the journey. Precious Hack has commissioned portrait paintings of the lead cast to gift as mementos of the shoot. Patrick’s work can be seen on his website.