Gillian Berrie
Gillian Berrie is a film producer and co-founder of the Glasgow-based production company Sigma Films with director David Mackenzie.[1]
Gillian Berrie | |
|---|---|
 Director David Mackenzie & Producer Gillian Berrie (2016) | |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Occupation | Film Producer |
| Organization | Sigma Films |
| Website | http://www.sigmafilms.com |
Berrie also founded Film City Glasgow, the state-of-the-art creative cluster for production, picture and sound post which spearheads independent production in Scotland.[2]
She also created the hugely successful Jumpcut project which is dedicated to giving young and underprivileged people access to working in the film industry through a pop-up film school that creates an intensive, mentor-lead fast track into the industry for those without any chance of access. Jumpcut's films regularly compete internationally. The project is widely regarded as a runaway success.[3]
Career
When starting out, Berrie worked on numerous no budget / low budget productions in many different capacities. Alongside, she wrote and produced David Mackenzie's California Sunshine (1997) and Somersault (2000), both multi-award-winning shorts. She then went on to work as a casting director on Ken Loach's My Name is Joe (1998) and Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher (1999) and in production on Ken Loach's Carla's Song (1996) and Peter Mullan's Orphans (1998), amongst others.
Berrie then embarked on developing and producing numerous feature projects beginning with David Mackenzie's The Last Great Wilderness (2002) which was co-produced by Zentropa [4] and premiered in Toronto in 2002.
Over the next two years Berrie received producer credits on 3 films including Lone Scherfig's Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002), Lars von Trier's Dogville (2003) and David Mackenzie's Young Adam (2003). The latter two were regarded as groundbreaking, both premiering at Cannes in the same year and going on to win awards around the world. In 2004, Berrie co-produced Shona Auerbach's Dear Frankie starring Emily Mortimer and Gerard Butler. It premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and competed in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.[5] Berrie continued nurturing the relationship with Zentropa by co-producing the likes of Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002), Dogville (2003), Brothers (2004), Dear Wendy (2004), Manderlay (2005) and After the Wedding (2006).[6] This collaboration has received numerous plaudits from critics with awards and recognition from all over the world including BAFTA, Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Awards.[7][8][9][10][11]
Together with Zentropa's Sisse Graum Jorgensen and Lars von Trier, Berrie developed the Advance Party Project[12] which was specifically designed to give directors their first break at feature film level. It produced Andrea Arnold's Cannes-Jury-Prize-winning debut Red Road (2006) [13] and Morag McKinnon's BAFTA-Scotland-winning Donkeys (2010).[14]
Berrie and Mackenzie's second feature film collaboration was Hallam Foe (2007), starring Jamie Bell and Sophia Myles. It won many awards including a Silver Bear in Berlin 2007,[15] the Golden Hitchcock and Kodak Award at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema 2007,[16] and the 2008 National Board of Review Award for Top Independent Film,[17] as well as numerous other nominations including for Bell and Myles' performances.[18]
Berrie and Zentropa collaborated again to make David Mackenzie's sixth feature film, sci-fi romance Perfect Sense (2011)[19] with Ewan McGregor and Eva Green.[20] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and picked up numerous awards at film festivals around the world including Edinburgh, Bratislava and Philadelphia International Film Festivals.[21]
Immediately afterwards Berrie produced the Mackenzie directed the comedy musical You Instead (2011) [released as Tonight You’re Mine in the US]. Remarkably it was filmed over four and a half days at the Scottish music festival T in the Park in 2010 where the cast and crew had to adopt a kind of guerrilla filmmaking approach to shoot amidst the chaos of a music festival alongside over 100,000 revellers.[20] It sold to numerous territories throughout the world and premiered at both T in the Park in 2011 and at Austin's SXSW.[22]
Next, Berrie produced Mackenzie's Starred Up (2013), starring Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn and Rupert Friend. The story is based on writer Jonathan Asser's real-life experiences as a voluntary therapist in a London prison.[23] The film was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards including the BAFTA Scotland 2014 Best Film and Best Director Awards,[24] seven BIFA nominations [25] and holds a remarkable 99% Rotten Tomatoes score.[26]
Berrie also co-produced Jonathan Glazer's highly regarded Under the Skin (2013) starring Scarlett Johansson.[27] It had its World Premiere at Telluride at the same time as Starred Up, then played Venice Film Festival and has since picked up over 20 awards and 90 nominations internationally.
In late 2016, Berrie EP'd on TV pilot Damnation for the USA Network, directed by Mackenzie. [28] Described as an epic saga of the secret history of the 1930s American heartland, it chronicles the mythic conflict and bloody struggle between big money and the downtrodden, God and greed, charlatans and prophets.[29] In May 2017, Damnation was picked up to series by the USA Network and has been released by Netflix outside of the USA.[30]
In 2017, Berrie began production on David Mackenzie's tenth feature, Outlaw King. The film stars Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing James Douglas, Florence Pugh playing Elizabeth de Burgh and Billy Howle as Edward, the Prince of Wales. Sigma Films produced the historical epic which was released internationally by Netflix on November 9, 2018.
Berrie's company, Sigma Films, regularly produces the debut features of first-time directors including Andrea Arnold (Red Road), Morag MacKinnon (Donkeys), Ciarán Foy (Citadel), Colin Kennedy (Swung) and Robert Carlyle (The Legend of Barney Thomson).
In 2002, Berrie received the BAFTA Scotland Outstanding Contribution Award for her achievements in the Scottish film industry.[31]
In 2014, Berrie received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland for her contribution to film, culture and the arts.[32]
2020 has seen Berrie's Film City Futures at the centre of a new £1m talent development programme in partnership with Screen Scotland and The British Film Institute (BFI). The programme, named Short Circuit, aims to develop and provide opportunities for new and emerging writers, directors and producers from across Scotland. Short Circuit will produce up to 18 short films and develop 10 feature-length scripts over two years, from 2020-22.[33]
Filmography
| Film | Year | Director | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carla's Song | 1996 | Ken Loach | Production Assistant |
| California Sunshine | 1997 | David Mackenzie | Producer, Writer |
| My Name is Joe | 1998 | Ken Loach | Casting Director |
| Orphans | 1998 | Peter Mullan | Production Coordinator |
| Ratcatcher | 1999 | Lynne Ramsay | Casting Director |
| Somersault | 2000 | David Mackenzie | Producer, Writer |
| The Last Great Wilderness | 2002 | David Mackenzie | Producer, Writer |
| Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself | 2002 | Lone Scherfig | Co-Producer |
| Song for a Raggy Boy | 2003 | Aisling Walsh | Co-Producer |
| The Inheritance | 2003 | Per Fly | Co-Producer |
| Young Adam | 2003 | David Mackenzie | Associate Producer |
| Dogville | 2003 | Lars von Trier | Co-Producer |
| Brothers | 2004 | Susanne Bier | Co-Producer |
| Dear Frankie | 2004 | Shona Auerbach | Co-Producer |
| Dear Wendy | 2004 | Thomas Vinterburg | Co-Producer |
| Drabnet | 2005 | Per Fly | Co-Producer |
| Zozo | 2005 | Josef Fares | Co-Producer |
| Manderlay | 2005 | Lars von Trier | Co-Producer |
| The Judge | 2005 | Gert Fredholm | Co-Producer |
| 1:1 | 2006 | Annette K. Olesen | Co-Producer |
| We Shall Overcome | 2006 | Niels Arden Oplev | Co-Producer |
| When Children Play in the Sky | 2006 | Lorenzo Hendel | Producer |
| Red Road | 2006 | Andrea Arnold | Executive Producer |
| After the Wedding | 2006 | Susanne Bier | Co-Producer |
| Dog Altogether | 2007 | Paddy Considine | Executive Producer |
| Hallam Foe | 2007 | David Mackenzie | Producer |
| I Love Luci | 2010 | Colin Kennedy | Executive Producer |
| Donkeys | 2010 | Morag MacKinnon | Producer |
| Perfect Sense | 2011 | David Mackenzie | Producer |
| You Instead | 2011 | David Mackenzie | Producer |
| A Royal Affair | 2012 | Nikolaj Arcel | Co-Producer |
| Citadel | 2012 | Ciaran Foy | Executive Producer |
| Seaview | 2013 | Jane Linfoot | Executive Producer |
| Under the Skin | 2013 | Jonathan Glazer | Co-Producer |
| Starred Up | 2013 | David Mackenzie | Producer |
| Good Souls | 2014 | Elizabeth Randon | Executive Producer |
| Dropping Off Michael | 2015 | Zam Salim | Executive Producer |
| Swung | 2015 | Colin Kennedy | Executive Producer |
| Misgivings | 2016 | Adrian Meade | Executive Producer |
| Ending | 2017 | James Lees | Executive Producer |
| Hush | 2017 | Olaf de Fleur Johannesson | Executive Producer |
| Damnation | 2017 | David Mackenzie | Executive Producer |
| Outlaw King | 2018 | David Mackenzie | Producer |
Awards
Academy Awards
| Year | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | After the Wedding | Best Foreign Language Film of the Year | Nominated |
| 2013 | A Royal Affair | Best Foreign Language Film of the Year | Nominated |
BAFTA Awards
| Year | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Dear Frankie | Most Promising Newcomer (Shona Auerbach) | Nominated |
| 2007 | Red Road | Most Promising Newcomer (Andrea Arnold) | Won |
| 2008 | Dog Altogether | Best Short Film | Won |
| 2013 | Seaview | Best Short Film | Nominated |
| 2015 | Under the Skin | Best British Film | Nominated |
| Best Original Music (Mica Levi) | Nominated |
BAFTA Scotland Awards
| Year | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | California Sunshine | Best Short Film | Nominated |
| 2002 | Outstanding Achievement Award | Win | |
| 2003 | Young Adam | Best Film | Win |
| Best Director (David Mackenzie) | Win | ||
| Best Actor in a Scottish Film (Ewan McGregor) | Win | ||
| Best Actress in a Scottish Film (Tilda Swinton) | Win | ||
| 2004 | Dear Frankie | Best Director (Shona Auerbach) | Nominated |
| Best First Time Performance (Jack McElhone) | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | Red Road | Best Film | Win |
| Best Director (Andrea Arnold) | Win | ||
| Best Actor in a Scottish Film (Tony Curran) | Win | ||
| Best Actress in a Scottish Film (Kate Dickie) | Win | ||
| Best Screenplay (Andrea Arnold) | Win | ||
| 2007 | Hallam Foe | Best Film | Nominated |
| Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor (Jamie Bell) | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress (Sophia Myles) | Win | ||
| 2011 | Donkeys | Best Feature Film | Win |
| Best Director (Morag McKinnon) | Nominated | ||
| Best Writer (Colin McLaren) | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor/Actress - Film (James Cosmo) | Win | ||
| Best Actor/Actress - Film (Brian Pettifer) | Nominated | ||
| Audience Award - Favourite Scottish Film | Nominated | ||
| Perfect Sense | Best Feature Film | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Nominated | ||
| Audience Award - Favourite Scottish Film | Nominated | ||
| You Instead | Audience Award - Favourite Scottish Film | Nominated | |
| I Love Luci | Best Short Film | Win | |
| 2012 | Citadel | Best Feature Film | Nominated |
| 2013 | Starred Up | Best Feature Film | Win |
| Best Directing in Film or TV | Win | ||
| Best Actor - Film (Jack O'Connell) | Nominated | ||
| 2015 | Swung | Best Actress - Film (Elena Anaya) | Nominated |
| Best Actress - Film (Elizabeth McGovern) | Nominated | ||
| Dropping Off Michael | Best Short Film | Nominated |
Berlin International Film Festival
| Year | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Hallam Foe | Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas | Win |
| Silver Berlin Bear - Best Film Music | Win | ||
| Golden Berlin Bear | Nominated | ||
| 2012 | A Royal Affair | Silver Berlin Bear - Best Actor (Mikel Boe Folsgaard) | Win |
| Silver Berlin Bear - Best Screenplay (Nikolaj Arcel & Rasmus Heisterberg) | Win | ||
| Golden Berlin Bear | Nominated |
British Independent Film Awards
| Year | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Young Adam | Best British Independent Film | Nominated |
| Best Director (David Mackenzie) | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor (Ewan McGregor) | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress (Tilda Swinton) | Nominated | ||
| Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself | Most Promising Newcomer (Jamie Sives) | Nominated | |
| Best Screenplay (Anders Thomas Jensen & Lone Scherfig) | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor/Actress (Shirley Henderson) | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor/Actress (Adrian Rawlins) | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | Red Road | Best British Independent Film | Nominated |
| Best Actor (Tony Curran) | Win | ||
| Best Actress (Kate Dickie) | Win | ||
| Best Supporting Actor/Actress (Martin Compston) | Nominated | ||
| Douglas Hickox Award (Andrea Arnold) | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Hallam Foe | Best British Independent Film | Nominated |
| Best Director (David Mackenzie) | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay (David Mackenzie & Ed Whitmore) | Nominated | ||
| Best Technical Achievement (David Mackenzie & Colin Monie for Music) | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor (Jamie Bell) | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress (Sophia Myles) | Nominated | ||
| Dog Altogether | Best British Short | Win | |
| 2011 | You Instead | Best Achievement in Production | Nominated |
| 2013 | Starred Up | Best British Independent Film | Nominated |
| Best Director (David Mackenzie) | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay (Jonathan Asser) | Nominated | ||
| Best Achievement in Production | Nominated | ||
| Best Technical Achievement (Shaheen Baig for Casting) | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor (Jack O'Connell) | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor (Ben Mendelsohn) | Win | ||
| Best Supporting Actor (Rupert Friend) | Nominated | ||
| Under the Skin | Best Director (Jonathan Glazer) | Nominated | |
| Best Technical Achievement (Johnnie Burn for Sound Design) | Nominated | ||
| Best Technical Achievement (Mica Levi for Music) | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson) | Nominated |
Cannes Film Festival
| Year | Nominated Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Young Adam | Un Certain Regard | Nominated |
| Dogville | Palme d'Or | Nominated | |
| 2005 | Manderlay | Palme d'Or | Nominated |
| 2006 | Red Road | Jury Prize | Win |
| Palme d'Or | Nominated |
References
- "Gillian Berrie". IMDb. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
- "Inspiration - Film City Glasgow". www.filmcityglasgow.com. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
- "JUMPCUT". 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
- Martin-Jones, David (2010-01-01). Scotland: Global Cinema : Genres, Modes and Identities. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748633920.
- "DEAR FRANKIE". Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- Martin-Jones, David (2005-09-30). Scotland: Global Cinema: Genres, Modes and Identities. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 9780748686544.
- Auerbach, Shona (2005-04-15), Dear Frankie, retrieved 2016-08-17
- Scherfig, Lone (2002-11-08), Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself, retrieved 2016-08-17
- Trier, Lars von (2004-04-23), Dogville, retrieved 2016-08-17
- Trier, Lars von (2005-06-03), Manderlay, retrieved 2016-08-17
- Bier, Susanne (2007-05-11), After the Wedding, retrieved 2016-08-17
- Yule, Eleanor; Manderson, David (2014-07-14). The Glass Half Full: Moving Beyond Scottish Miserablism. Luath Press Limited. ISBN 9781910324165.
- Arnold, Andrea (2006-10-27), Red Road, retrieved 2016-08-17
- McKinnon, Morag (2010-10-08), Donkeys, retrieved 2016-08-17
- Scott, A. O. (2008-09-04). "Stalking in Scotland, the Aerial Perspective". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- "'Hallam Foe' takes top prize at Dinard fest". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- "2008 Archives - National Board of Review". National Board of Review. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- Mackenzie, David (2007-08-31), Hallam Foe, retrieved 2016-08-17
- "BBC - Perfect Sense - BBC Films". Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- "Interview: David Mackenzie on Perfect Sense and You Instead". 2011-08-24. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- Mackenzie, David (2011-10-07), Perfect Sense, retrieved 2016-08-17
- "T in the Park film returns to festival for premiere". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- "Starred Up: How ex-prison therapist Jonathan Asser turned his". 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- "British Academy Scotland Awards 2014 Winners Announced". www.bafta.org. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- BIFA. "Nominations - Awards 2013 - BIFA - The British Independent Film Awards". www.bifa.film. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
- Starred Up, retrieved 2016-08-17
- "Under The Skin: the making of Scarlett Johansson's alienating new film". Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- "'Hell or High Water' Director Boards USA Network's 'Damnation'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
- "USA Drama 'Damnation' Taps 'Ripper Street' Alum to Replace Aden Young". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
- Petski, Denise (2017-05-12). "'Damnation' Period Drama Picked Up To Series By USA Network". Deadline. Retrieved 2017-11-09.
- "BAFTA Awards, Scotland (2002)". Retrieved 2016-08-15.
- Scotland, University of the West of. "UWS - University of the West Scotland - Scottish Filmmaker to receive UWS Honorary Doctorate". www.uws.ac.uk. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
- Dalton, Ben (2020-05-12). "'Screen Scotland, BFI launch £1m talent development programme'". Retrieved 2020-07-01.