Screen International’s second annual film summit has added a session featuring three of the UK’s leading producers: Iain Canning, joint founder a
Screen International’s second annual film summit has added a session featuring three of the UK’s leading producers: Iain Canning, joint founder and joint CEO of See-Saw Films; Alison Owen, chief executive at Monumental Pictures; and Ed Guiney, co-CEO and founder of Element Pictures.
The summit, titled Building on the UK’s Global Success, will take place at the BFI Southbank on September 30.
The three will participate in a panel titled ‘The Trailblazers’, moderated by Screen editor-in-chief Matt Mueller, where they will share their hard-won wisdom on building successful production companies and their strategies for embracing the opportunities and navigating the challenges of the contemporary age.
Canning co-founded See-Saw Films with producing partner Emile Sherman in 2008, with offices in London and Sydney. Canning (along with Sherman and Gareth Unwin) was awarded the best picture Oscar in 2011 for The King’s Speech and Bafta’s best film award for The Power Of The Dog in 2022. See-Saw’s other feature productions include Lion, Shame and One Life, and last year it announced a recent partnership to develop and produce live-action films adapted from Michael Ende’s iconic novel The Neverending Story.
The company’s TV series include the award-winning Slow Horses for Apple TV+, Heartstopper and Apple Cider Vinegar for Netflix, and Sweetpea for Sky. In March of this year, French production and distribution company Mediawan acquired a majority stake in See-Saw.
Owen founded Monumental Pictures in 2014 alongside Debra Hayward, and the company’s projects include features How To Build A Girl and Back To Black, and TV series Harlots and Ghosts. Owen previously set up the low-budget film division at Working Title, and was also a producer on Saving Mr Banks, The Other Boleyn Girl and Jane Eyre.
Owen has a best picture Oscar nomination as well as a best British film Bafta for Elizabeth. Monumental’s majority shareholder has been ITV Studios since 2019.
Guiney founded the London and Dublin-based Element Pictures in 2001 with Andrew Lowe. The company’s recent feature productions include My Father’s Shadow and Pillion, which both premiered at Cannes in May, and its credits include several Yorgos Lanthimos-directed films, among them multiple Oscar and Bafta winner Poor Things, Kinds Of Kindness and upcoming Venice competition title Bugonia.
Element’s series productions include Normal People, Conversations With Friends, The Gallows Pole and The Dry. In May 2022, Fremantle acquired a majority stake in Element to expand its international production capacity.
Previously confirmed speakers for Screen Summit 2025 include Ben Roberts, chief executive of the British Film Institute, who will give a keynote speech, plus Eva Yates, director of BBC Film, Farhana Bhula, interim director, Film4, and Mia Bays, director, BFI Filmmaking Fund.
Further speakers will be announced in due course, and other topics that will be explored at this year’s Screen Summit include:
- Attracting international financing and partners to UK film
- The role of UK talent in the international market
- Connecting UK films to audiences
- Ask the experts, featuring leading voices across production sectors
Visit here to find out more about the event. The early bird ticket offer ends soon.
Screen Summit 2025 event partners are Centtrip, Garden Studios and UK Global Screen Fund. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Scott Benfold.
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