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MILITARY WIVES

PRODUCTION NOTES

INTRODUCTION

The inspirational story of friendship, love, and support on the home front. A group of women come together as their partners serve in Afghanistan. Together they form the very first military wives choir, helping each other through some of life’s most difficult moments and also becoming a media sensation and global movement in the process. () directs Oscar® Nominee and BAFTA® Winner (Darkest Hour) and BAFTA® Nominee (Catastrophe) in this feel good crowd-pleaser.

MILITARY WIVES stars Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Greg Wise (A Private War) and Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels). Rounding out the cast and playing the military wives are Emma Lowndes (), Gaby French (Victoria), Lara Rossi (Robin Hood), Amy James-Kelly (Safe) and India Ria Amarteifio ().

Co-written by BIFA award-winner Rachel Tunnard (Adult Life Skills) and award-winning writer Rosanne Flynn (Crossbones, Meconium) MILITARY WIVES is produced by Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh of 42 and Piers Tempest for Tempo Productions. Josh Varney is the executive producer for 42 and Emma Willis and Hana Carter for Twenty Twenty TV. Also, executive producing are Rene Besson, Orlando Wood, Jo Bamford, Josh Horsfield, Emma Berkofsky, Stephen Spence, Liz Gallacher, Hugo Grumbar, Tim Haslam, Peter Touche and Zygi Kamasa.

MILITARY WIVES was shot on location for six weeks around and Yorkshire at the end of 2018 and will be distributed by in the UK. Embankment Films arranged the financing and is handling International sales, co-representing the USA with CAA. Ingenious Media is the lead funder of the project.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

I first got involved with the MILITARY WIVES choir film three years ago and was immediately excited by a concept that would allow me to explore a way of life that has rarely been seen on the big screen, as well as make a film with music and singing at its core.

As I started meeting real military wives, rich themes soon showed themselves: a fragmented group of people finding unity and camaraderie through song; women who are expected to “keep quiet and carry on” finding their voices. We got to know some very courageous and candid military wives and the personal stories they shared were humbling, sometimes harrowing, often hilarious. I was struck by their honest, down to earth sense of humour and I was determined to fill the film with this kind of comedy.

We shot at RMB Catterick, which was where the first military wives choir was formed. The base supplied specific uniforms, vehicles, locations and advice. We used serving soldiers and their families as extras and the location for Kate’s house was the actual setting for the first ever military wives choir meeting in 2010.

Perhaps the greatest draw for me was to make a film that celebrates the emotional power of music and the catharsis of singing together. All the singing was recorded live on set with the imperfections of an amateur choir to achieve an authentic sound. The cast practiced the

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final song before shooting, but we chose not to rehearse the early singing performances to ensure a rough-edged spontaneity.

We went through hundreds of songs in the effort to choose the best tracks for the choir. I wanted songs that thematically resonate with the story without being too on the nose. It was fascinating to discover which songs and genres translated best to a choral arrangement; we explored rock and more contemporary pop music but kept coming back to 80s electro pop classics - this is the music of our character's youth and makes a humorous juxtaposition with the austerity of military life.

Kate and Lisa's relationship is the emotional spine of the film and working with Kristin and Sharon was a joy. They are both such talented actors, equally comfortable in comedy and with contrasting looks, backgrounds and energy which complement each other perfectly. They were so inventive on set, digging into the emotion of the scenes and sparking off each other to find the funny in their interchanges.

It was important for the wider ensemble to be a clearly delineated group of memorable characters. When they met for the first time at a singing rehearsal, one of the themes of the film came to life as a group of actresses who’d never met before, immediately bonded through song. This is the most closely-knit ensemble I have ever worked with - always chatting and joking between takes and they are still in touch which each other months after the shoot.

I hope audiences will come away from watching Military Wives having laughed and cried with the characters, feeling inspired by the courage of the women and uplifted by hearing them belt out some classic songs.

Peter Cattaneo

THE MILITARY WIVES CHOIRS

Families of service personnel move around frequently and it can often be tough to put down roots or make new friends which can leave women feeling isolated, particularly when loved ones are away for long periods of time.

Research shows that singing in a choir helps to alleviate stress and contributes to an improvement in isolation, anxiety and depression. The Military Wives Choirs network therefore has a vital role to play by bringing women in the military community together through singing.

There are over 2,300 women with a military connection in 75 choirs across the UK and overseas. Every new posting for women in the military community is as daunting as it is exciting but knowing that you have a choir to go to in your new location where you know the songs and even some of the people can be a real lifeline. That’s why, whilst each local choir has its own identity, all are run in a very similar way with shared music, a fun and friendly ethos and lots of ‘cross-network’ projects and activities.

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42

42 is a management and production company, with offices in London and Los Angeles. Established in 2013, 42 is run by five partners: producers Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh and managers Kate Buckley, Cathy King and Josh Varney. 42’s management division represents a range of high profile and emerging talent. The company’s client list includes actors, writers, directors, producers, casting directors and authors.

42 has a multi-year first-look development, financing and production deal for feature films with . The company’s most recent partnerships with them are IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, with Boyd Holbrook and Michael C. Hall, which was released on the platform in September, OUTSIDE THE WIRE, starring Anthony Mackie, Damson Idris, and Emily Beecham, which is currently in post-production.

Upcoming theatrical features include MILITARY WIVES (2020) starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan, which premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2019, and Cold War thriller IRONBARK (2020), starring .

THE ENGLISH GAME, a six-part television series with , will launch on Netflix in 2020. 42’s past TV projects include the Emmy award-winning , the animated mini- series adapted from the global best-selling book and featuring the voices of James McAvoy, , John Boyega, Sir , Daniel Kaluuya, and ; TRAITORS, a 6-part spy thriller for and Netflix, written by Bash Doran and starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Emma Appleton, and ; and WILD BILL, a six-part drama series starring Rob Lowe for ITV.

BIOGRAPHIES – CAST

KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS – Kate

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas is the recipient of a BAFTA Award, four Evening Standard British Film Awards, two London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her film work, cementing her place in cinema history.

A bilingual actress equally at home playing French and English-language roles, she received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for her starring role opposite in ’s Best Picture Academy Award-winning THE ENGLISH PATIENT.

With her fellow actors from Robert Altman’s , Kristin shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. The cast was also honoured with the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble, and the movie was a Best Picture Academy Award nominee, winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay (Julian Fellowes).

Her breakout role was in another Best Picture Oscar-nominated classic comedy, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, written by and directed by , which brought her BAFTA and Evening Standard British Film Awards. Among her screen credits are Sam Taylor-Johnson’s NOWHERE BOY, for which she was a BAFTA and BIFA (British Independent

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Film Award) nominee; Sydney Pollack’s RANDOM HEARTS; THE HORSE WHISPERER, starring opposite director Robert Redford; Brian De Palma’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE; Irwin Winkler’s LIFE AS A HOUSE, opposite Kevin Kline; Philip and Belinda Haas’ ANGELS AND INSECTS, for which Kristin won the Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress, and Up at the Villa; Richard Loncraine’s Richard III; ’s BITTER MOON; Guillaume Canet’s hit TELL NO ONE; and Charles Sturridge’s A HANDFUL OF DUST, for which she received her first Evening Standard British Film Award.

She received her fourth Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Catherine Corsini’s PARTIR [LEAVING], which also brought her a César Award (France’s Oscars equivalent) nomination for Best Actress. She was previously a César nominee for Philippe CLAUDEL’S IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME [I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG], for which she was again a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award nominee.

Among Kristin’s recent films are THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, starring with director Ralph Fiennes; Nicolas Winding Refn’s ONLY GOD FORGIVES; François Ozon’s IN THE HOUSE; and Israel Horovitz’s MY OLD LADY, with Kevin Kline and Dame . Kristin also appeared in Sally Potter’s THE PARTY, alongside Timothy Spall, Patricia Clarkson and Cillian Murphy. Scott Thomas was also seen in ’s Academy Award nominated film DARKEST HOUR, where she starred alongside Lily James and as ‘’, receiving a BAFTA Award nomination for her performance. 2018 has so far seen Kristin in Roar Uthuag’s much anticipated reboot of TOMB RAIDER alongside Alicia Vikander. She will also appear in Ludovic Bernard’s French comedy AU BOUT DES DOIGHTS alongside Lambert Wilson and begin work on Peter Cattaneo’s MILTARY WIVES, slated for release in 2019.

Her theatre credits include ’s ; and Ian Rickson’s production of ELECTRA at , which followed her appearances in Mr. Rickson’s West End productions of and BETRAYAL and his acclaimed Royal Court staging of THE SEAGULL. For her portrayal of Arkadina in The Seagull, she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress, and reprised the role on Broadway. Kristin’s other stage work includes starring in West End productions of AS YOU DESIRE ME and ; and starring in a production of Racine’s BERENICE that toured France.

Her television credits include the UK BODY & SOUL, directed by Moira Armstrong; and ’s telefilm version of THE TENTH MAN, in which she starred alongside Sirs and .

SHARON HORGAN – Lisa

Sharon Horgan is a BAFTA winning Irish actress, writer, producer and director who is perhaps best known for her multiple award-winning sitcom CATASTROPHE which she co-writes and stars in with , airing on Amazon Prime and Channel 4. The series won a BAFTA TV Award for Best Writing in a Comedy Series. She gained a further nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy for Catastrophe alongside a Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. The fourth season of CATASTROPHE will air later this year.

Sharon’s further acting credits include BOJACK HORSEMAN (Netflix), THE INCREASINGLY POOR DECISIONS OF TODD MARGARET (IFC), (),

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PSYCHOBITCHES (Sky Arts), THE BORROWERS, (BBC), FREE AGENTS (C4), (BBC) and BAD SUGAR (C4), as well as the films RUN AND JUMP, DEATH OF A SUPERHERO, and MAN UP. She was nominated for two BAFTA Awards and won two for her BBC show PULLING which she co-wrote and starred in.

As a director, Sharon won critical acclaim with her debut short-film THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS, which also went on to win the Outstanding Achievement Award at the International 3D Awards.

Sharon co-founded production company Merman with producer Clelia Mountford. Merman shot the first series of MOTHERLAND which was co-written by Sharon and aired on BBC Two to great critical acclaim, with the second series being recently commissioned. Merman also co-produced CATASTROPHE and DIVORCE, a comedy created, written and produced by Sharon and starring , the second series of which aired on HBO and Sky Atlantic in January 2018.

Earlier this year, Sharon starred alongside Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman and Kyle Chandler in the critical and commercial hit feature film GAME NIGHT. Sharon is currently starring in WOMEN ON THE VERGE, she co-wrote the first episode with Lorna Martin.

In 2019, Sharon will star in HAPPY AF, written by and costarring . She has also been announced to star alongside Kristin Scott Thomas in MILITARY WIVES, a feature film inspired by a BBC factual series about a choirmaster who selects and trains amateur singers.

GREG WISE – Richard

While he is perhaps forever etched in our hearts as Willoughby in Ang Lee’s 1995 adaptation of ’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, Greg’s fantastic performance as Lord Mountbatten in Series 1 and 2 of the award-winning (Netflix) is fast becoming one of his most renowned and critically acclaimed roles. He recently appeared as Alfred Miller in the CBS new drama, STRANGE ANGEL.

Greg boasts an illustrious screen career appearing in BBC period ; THE MOONSTONE, and CRANFORD. He has also appeared in MODUS (TV4 Sweden), THE OUTCAST (BBC Drama), UNKNOWN HEART (Gate Television), HOMEFRONT (ITV Studios), ITV’s seven-part drama WONDERFUL YOU, TRIAL & RETRIBUTION, PLACE OF EXECUTION, ACCORDING TO BEX, TAGGART and THE BUCCANEERS. Additionally he can be seen in the TV films HONEYMOON FOR ONE (Big Apple Prods Ltd), ELIZABETH DAVID: A LIFE IN RECIPES (BBC), THE PLACE OF THE DEAD (LWT), MADAME BOVARY (BBC), and HOSPITAL (Tiger Aspect).

Other notable film credits include upcoming MILITARY WIVES (42 Films) Gothic film CARMILLA (Bird Light Films), powerful drama A Private War (Acacia), the summer feel good film WALKING ON SUNSHINE (Vertigo Films) and last year the romantic comedy, LOVE OF MY LIFE (Paragraph Pictures). He has also appeared in BLACKWOOD (Wildcard Films UK), THE DISAPPEARED (Lost Tribe Prod), MORRIS: A LIFE WITH BELLS ON (Twist films); A COCK AND BULL STORY (BBC Films), Greyfriar’s BOBBY (Piccadilly Pictures), (Working Title), FIVE

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MOONS PLAZA (Blue Spice Film Ltd), THE DISCOVERY OF HEAVEN (Kanzaman S.A) and MAD COWS (Flashlight).

Greg returned to the stage in 2015, after a break of almost a decade, garnering rave reviews in Brad Fraser’s play KILL ME NOW. Other theatre includes: RICHARD II (Old Vic Production/Recklinghausen, Germany); NABOBOV'S GLOVES (); CRIMES OF PASSION (Nottingham Playhouse); THE RECRUITING OFFICER (Royal Exchange, ); GOOD ROCKING TONIGHT (Liverpool Playhouse).

JASON FLEMYNG – Crooks

Jason's first major film role came in 1998 where he starred as the lead in 's London gangster feature LOCK, STOCK and TWO SMOKING BARRELS. Other early film credits include François Girard’s THE RED VIOLIN, Stephen Sommers’ DEEP RISING, Guy Ritchie’s SNATCH, George A. Romero's BRUISER and Stephen Herek’s ROCK STAR. Flemyng starred in The Hughes Brothers’ FROM HELL alongside and in Stephen Norrington’s THE LEAGUE OF EXTRODINARY GENTLEMEN he appeared alongside . Later film credits include MIRRORS, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, which he had a leading role in opposite , X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, , I GIVE IT A YEAR, WELCOME TO THE PUNCH, GEMMA BOVERY and Lance Nielson’s THE JOURNEY which Flemyng also executive produced. Flemyng recently made his directorial debut on EAT LOCAL that was released last year. He is currently shooting MILITARY WIVES alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan for Oscar nominated director Peter Cattaneo.

His TV credits include BBC Four’s THE QUARTERMASS EXPERIMENT, ITV cult drama series PRIMEVAL, Channel 4’s and the Starz/BBC hit crime drama THE MISSING. In 2017 he starred in the NBC/Sky hit series JAMESTOWN, which just finished filming its third series of, as well as the BBC mini-series SS-GB alongside and Kate Bosworth. Earlier this year Jason starred in the acclaimed Sky/Starz series SAVE ME created by Lennie James.

EMMA LOWNDES – Annie

Lowndes is an English actress from Salford. She studied English at the University of before training at RADA. Her training was partly funded by the Salford Sports and Arts Trust, established by and Harold Riley to assist the city's young talent.

Television credits include THE MUSKETEERS, , WAKING THE DEAD, BURN IT, AFTERLIFE, VERA, SILENT WITNESS and MOVING ON. She also played Mary Rivers in the 2006 BBC adaptation of JANE EYRE and Bella Gregson in CRANFORD. Lowndes is also known for her role as Margie Drewe in DOWNTOWN ABBEY.

Lowndes has appeared in the films ALL OR NOTHING, THIS LITTLE LIFE, MOTHER'S MILK and THE WALK. She has also acted in short film BUMPS.

Her theatre work includes CHILDREN OF THE SUN, THE STORM, WHOSE LIFE IS IT ANYWAY?, THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE, THE SEAGULL, PORT and COLD MEAT PARTY. She has also appeared in productions of THÉRÈSE RAQUIN, MEASURE FOR MEASURE and THREE MORE

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SLEEPLESS NIGHTS. She joined the cast of HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD in 2017, playing the role of Ginny Potter. Lowndes won Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2003 Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards for productions of PORT and THE SEAGULL at the Royal Exchange Theatre. Her role in The Seagull also earned her a nomination at the 2003 .

GABY FRENCH – Jess

Gaby French graduated from the acclaimed British acting school ALRA, winning the coveted Laurence Olivier Bursary Award during her studies in 2016. Before graduating, Gaby won a leading role in the play SCARLETT, which premiered at Hampstead Theatre in London prior to a run at Theatr Clwyd in Wales. Gaby also performed in at the Atlantic Theatre in New York, and IF WE WERE OLDER at the National Theatre.

French has landed roles on screen in TV productions VICTORIA for ITV and TEMPLE for Sky. She is currently acting in her first feature film MILITARY WIVES, alongside Kirstin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan.

LARA ROSSI – Ruby

Lara Rossi is a British television, film and theatre actress and performer. She is known for her role as Arabela Seeger in the German-French-Italian-American television series CROSSING LINES. Other TV credits include AGATHA RAISIN for Sky, LIFE OF CRIME on ITV, MURDER and THE SHADOW LINE for the BBC. On TV she can next be seen in ITV drama CHEAT.

Theatre credits include THE WRITER, MISSALIANCE, , OCTAGON, EVEN STILLNESS BREATHES SOFTLY AGAINST A BRICK WALL, TENDER NAPALM, 13 and WOMEN, POWER AND POLITICS. For both her work on EMPEROR AND GALILEAN and THE ALCHEMIST, she was nominated for prestigious Ian Charleson Awards.

Rossi leads the Finnish sci-fi movie IRON SKY: THE COMING RACE, and stars in comedy drama ANCHOR & HOPE. She can next be seen in Otto Bathhurts’s ROBIN HOOD alongside Taron Egerton, Jamie Dornan and Jamie Foxx, and MILITRAY WIVES alongside Kirstin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan.

AMY JAMES-KELLY – Sarah

Amy James-Kelly is a Manchester based actress. Her on-screen career began when she landed a role in Britain's longest-running as troubled teenager Maddie Heath. Next, she played Martha in ITV’s eight-part period drama, JERICHO. Amy can currently be seen in Harlan Coben’s thriller series SAFE as Jenny Delaney and has just wrapped on Sally Wainwright’s GENTLEMEN JACK for BBC One.

INDIA RIA AMARTEIFIO – Frankie

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India is a young actress with a wealth of credits already under her belt. The start of her career saw various roles including ones in and THE INTERCEPTOR for BBC. Since then, India appeared in the BBC’s police procedural drama LINE OF DUTY and has just completed filming for the third and final series of THE TUNNEL for Sky Atlantic.

BIOGRAPHIES & CREDITS – CREW

PETER CATTANEO - Director

Peter was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for hit comedy THE FULL MONTY and nominated for Best Short Film for . More recent work includes all three series of multi BAFTA winning comedy REV, starring Tom Hollander and Olivia Colman for the BBC. Peter recently directed the critical hit, THE A WORD, written by Pete Bowker, for the BBC, and is also a successful commercials director.

RORY AITKEN - Producer

Rory Aitken is a producer and a founding partner of London and LA-based Management and Production Company, 42.

42 is currently in post-production on Julian Fellowes' Netflix drama, , which follows the origins of professional football and the battle for control of the game between the working classes and the English public schools, starring Edward Holcroft, Kevin Guthrie, Charlotte Hope and .

Recent television shows include WILD BILL, a six parter for ITV starring Rob Lowe as a straight- talking US cop who lands in Boston, Lincolnshire, as the new police chief with his daughter; TRAITORS, a 6-part drama series for Channel 4 and Netflix starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Keeley Hawes, and Emma Appleton, written by Bathsheba Doran; and the EMMY award winning WATERSHIP DOWN, a 4 x 1 hour animated drama for BBC and Netflix, adapted from the global best-selling book by Richard Adams, written by Tom Bidwell and starring James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, John Boyega, Sir Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, , , and Olivia Colman. 42 has a first look distribution deal with ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Upcoming films include MILITARY WIVES (2020), starring Kristin Scott-Thomas and Sharon Horgan, inspired by the true story of the RMB Chivenor Military Wives, who formed the first Military Wives Choir in 2010 as a way to cope with their husbands’ deployment to Afghanistan; IRONBARK (2020), starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne, the British businessman who helped the CIA penetrate the Soviet nuclear program during the Cold War. 42 and Automatik are currently in post-production on Mikael Håfström’s OUTSIDE THE WIRE, for Netflix. The film stars Anthony Mackie, Damson Idris and Emily Beecham, following a drone pilot who is sent into a deadly militarized zone where he finds himself working for an android officer tasked to locate a doomsday device before the insurgents do. 42 and Unique Features are currently in pre-production on Adam Randall’s NIGHT TEETH, for Netflix. 42 has a multi-year first- look deal for films with Netflix.

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Previous film credits include IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON for Netflix, starring Michael C Hall, Boyd Holbrook, and Cleopatra Coleman; IN DARKNESS, starring Natalie Dormer; Andre Øvredal’s THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE starring Emile Hirsch and ; WELCOME TO THE PUNCH starring James McAvoy and ; and SHIFTY starring , Danny Mays and Jason Flemyng.

BEN PUGH - Producer

Ben Pugh is a producer and founding partner of management and production company, 42. Established in 2013, 42 is run by five partners: producers Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh; and managers Kate Buckley, Cathy King and Josh Varney. 42 has offices in London and LA.

42 is currently in post-production on Mikael Håfström’s OUTSIDE THE WIRE, which 42 is producing with Automatik for Netflix. The film stars Anthony Mackie, Damson Idris and Emily Beecham, following a drone pilot who is sent into a deadly militarized zone where he finds himself working for an android officer tasked to locate a doomsday device before the insurgents do. 42 is currently in pre-production on Adam Randall’s NIGHT TEETH, which 42 is producing with Unique Features for Netflix.

Upcoming films include IRONBARK (2020), starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne, the British businessman who helped the CIA penetrate the Soviet nuclear program during the Cold War; and MILITARY WIVES (2020), starring Kristin Scott-Thomas and Sharon Horgan, inspired by the true story of the RMB Chivenor Military Wives, who formed the first Military Wives Choir in 2010 as a way to cope with their husbands’ deployment to Afghanistan.

Previous film credits include IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON, directed by Jim Mickle and starring Boyd Holbrook, Michael C. Hall, and Cleopatra Coleman; THE TITAN starring Sam Worthington and Taylor Schilling; IN DARKNESS, directed by Anthony Byrne and starring Natalie Dormer and Ed Skrein; Andre Øvredal’s THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE starring Emile Hirsch and Brian Cox; WELCOME TO THE PUNCH starring James McAvoy and Mark Strong; and SHIFTY starring Riz Ahmed, Danny Mays and Jason Flemyng.

42 has a multi-year first-look development, financing and production deal for feature films with Netflix.

42 is currently in production on Julian Fellowes' Netflix drama, THE ENGLISH GAME, which follows the origins of professional football and the battle for control of the game between the working classes and the English public schools, starring Edward Holcroft, Kevin Guthrie, Charlotte Hope and Craig Parkinson. Recent television shows include WILD BILL, a six-parter for ITV starring Rob Lowe as a straight-talking US cop who lands in Boston Lincolnshire as the new police chief with his daughter; TRAITORS, a 6-part drama series starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Keeley Hawes, and Emma Appleton, commissioned by Channel 4, written by Bathsheba Doran; and the EMMY award winning WATERSHIP DOWN, a 4 x 1 hour animated drama for BBC and Netflix, adapted from the global best-selling book by Richard Adams, written by Tom Bidwell and starring James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, John Boyega, Sir Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton, Rosamund Pike, Tom Wilkinson, and Olivia Colman.

PIERS TEMPEST – Producer

Piers started his career in film at and then left to pursue freelance work for directors such as Philip Kaufman on Fox Searchlight’s QUILLS.

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Tempest has produced several short films including the multi award winning SUBTERFUGUE. He co-produced the James Toback New York set feature film WHEN WILL I BE LOVED starring Neve Campbell which IFC Films released domestically and First Look bought for the rest of the world. In 2004 he produced the feature film OYSTER FARMER directed by Anna Reeves, which was nominated for ‘Best Picture’ in the 2005 AFI Awards. He produced the $10m LIKE MINDS starring Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne and Toni Collette which filmed in Australia and Yorkshire and was released by The Weinstein Company in the USA, Lionsgate in the UK and MGM in Asia.

Tempest went on to executive produced COFFIN ROCK for WOLF CREEK producer David Lightfoot which was filmed in the Autumn of 2008 and produced THE CALLER starring Rachelle Lefevre, Stephen Moyer and Luis Guzman which completed photography in December 2009 and was acquired by Sony for distribution in North America and Universal in the UK.

In 2010 he produced the comedy KILLING BONO starring , Robert Sheehan and , released by Paramount in the UK in April 2011. In 2012 he produced the Sony released comedy GRABBERS which premiered at Sundance and was the recipient of five film festival audience awards.

In 2014 Piers produced the Sci - Fi family adventure ROBOT OVERLORDS starring Sir Ben Kingsley and . He then produced Nick Hamm’s THE JOURNEY starring Tim Spall, Colm Meaney, , and which was selected for the Venice and Toronto Film festivals in 2016.

In 2016 Piers also produced CHURCHILL starring Brian Cox, , and Ella Purnell which was directed by Jonathan Teplitzky and released by Lionsgate in the UK. In 2017 Piers produced THE WIFE starring Glenn Close, and Christian Slater. THE WIFE screened at the Toronto, San Sebastian and Zurich Film festivals and was released by Sony Classics in America in the summer of 2018. Glenn Close won the 2019 Golden Globe Award, Critics Choice Award, SAG Award for best actress for her performance in THE WIFE and was nominated for a BAFTA and Academy Award.

In 2017 /2018 Piers produced the John DeLorean film DRIVEN starring Jason Sudeikis, Lee Pace and Corey Stoll which was selected as the closing film for the 2018 Venice film festival, and which will be released domestically by Universal in the Autumn of 2019. In 2018 Piers also produced TEDDY PENDERGRASS – IF YOU DON’T KNOW ME, a feature documentary with BBC Films on the singer Teddy Pendergrass.

In 2018 / 2019 Piers produced ORDINARY LOVE starring Academy Award nominees and which Focus Features and Bleecker Street will release in Q4 2019 and has completed photography on Dean Craig’s romantic comedy LOVE WEDDING REPEAT starring , Olivia Munn and for Netflix.

In 2018 / 2019 Piers produced 42’s MILITARY WIVES starring Sharon Horgan and Kristin Scott Thomas, which Lionsgate will release in 2020. Tempest is an alumnus of the film business academy at the Cass Business School and was a board member of the successful Bradford City of Film UNESCO Bid. He lectures on the UK’s Triangle training scheme and is a non-executive Director of The Peel Entertainment Group. He is a full member of the Producers Guild of America, BAFTA and the UK’s Production Guild.

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HUBERT TACZANOWSKI – Director of Photography

Born in Warsaw, Poland in the 1960s, Hubert Taczanowski grew up in an artistically charged environment. Having majored and graduated in Cinematography at the Lodz Film School (the most prestigious cinematic institution in Eastern Europe), Hubert began work in the Polish film industry, where he shot many features.

Arriving in as a political refugee in the 1980s, one of Hubert’s very first music videos scooped the MTV Music Video of the Year Award.

Hubert went on to work as a Cinematographer on a great number of feature films and television series on both sides of the Atlantic, including: THE OPPOSITE OF SEX, the award- winning directorial debut of screenwriter Don Roos; and TADPOLE directed by Garry Winick. His move to the UK in 2013 saw him lens ’s THE LOOK OF LOVE, before collaborating with him again on the thriller THE FACE OF AN ANGEL.

Hubert’s television credits include critically acclaimed series RIVER, created by Abi Morgan; period drama HARLOTS, by Coky Giedroyc, and political drama , directed by , and starring Michaela Coel and .

More recently, he has worked on MRS WILSON, directed by Richard Laxton, starring , and feature films: HOW TO BUILD A GIRL (working again with Coky Giedroyc) and Peter Cattaneo’s new drama: MILITARY WIVES, starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan.

Currently, Hubert is shooting QUIZ for Left Bank Pictures with director .

JOHN BEARD – Production Designer

Before MILITARY WIVES, John’s career spans from THE LIFE OF BRIAN to THE LADY IN THE VAN.

He started as an assistant to when he was designing sets, was the art director with him in Brazil, then first became the production designer on Julien Temples ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS stylizing 1950s London. He continues to design a wide range of film subjects; THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST with Martin Scorsese, HACKERS, THE WINGS OF THE DOVE, and K-PAX with Iain Softley, ENIGMA with Michael Apted, and THE HISTORY BOYS with amongst many others.

He is also known for many classic music videos and commercials.

CHARLOTTE HAYWARD – Make-Up Designer

Hair and Make-Up Designer Charlotte Hayward has worked on a number of feature films and television dramas with a variety of artists including Kristin Scott Thomas, Glenn Close, Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Murray, Christian Slater, Russell Crowe, Ray Winstone and Ralph Fiennes.

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Hair and Make-Up Design credits for film include THE WIFE directed by Björn Runge, BEES MAKE HONEY directed by Jack Eve, THE WEDDING GUEST directed by Michael Winterbottom, SULPHUR AND WHITE directed by Julian Jarrold and LOST IN LONDON directed by Woody Harrelson. Charlotte’s experience in Personal Hair and Make-Up extends to working with Taylor Swift, Glenn Close, , Kate Hudson, Kristin Scott Thomas and .

Last year Charlotte was nominated for a Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Award in the category of Best Period and/or Character Hair in a Feature-length Motion Picture for her work on Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Charlotte is currently working on REBECCA, directed by Ben Wheatley, doing Personal Hair and Makeup for Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs Danvers.

JILL TAYLOR – Costume Designer

JILL TAYLOR (Costume Designer) was born in , and studied Fashion Design at Northunbria University where she obtained her degree.

After graduating, she moved into television, working for the BBC as an Assistant Costume Designer, eventually designing her own projects, most notably the BBC’s and series of one off films, including ”s PRIEST.

Jill”s films have included, THE FULL MONTY, , JOHNNY ENGLISH, PROOF, and three films for , MATCHPOINT, SCOOP and CASSANDRA”S DREAM.

Jill has received a BAFTA Film nomination for her work on , and a BAFTA tv nomination for THE MILL ON THE FLOSS.

She has won a Costume Design Guild Award for THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS, and was also Emmy nominated for the same project.

Other films include JACK RYAN with Chris Pine, and Kevin Costner. THE GUNMAN, with Sean Penn and Javier Bardem, CRIMINAL, with Kevin Costner and Gary Oldman, and ME BEFORE YOU, with and Sam Claflin. Her more recent films include THE COMMUTER with Liam Neeson and Vera Farmiga, FINDING YOUR FEET with and and soon to be released films THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN for Disney, and MILITARY WIVES, starring Kristin Scott Thomas.

Jill is currently working on Paramount’s INFINITE directed by Antoine Fuqua.

LESLEY WALKER – Editor

Lesley Walker is a veteran film Editor who has worked with such luminary directors as Sir , Stephen Frears, Terry Gilliam, , and , to mention just a few. A frequent collaborator with Terry Gilliam, Lesley edited , TIDELAND, THE BROTHERS GRIMM, FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, and more recently, THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE. Lesley also enjoyed frequent collaborations with Sir Richard

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Attenborough on , SHADOWLANDS, , GREY OWL, and IN LOVE AND WAR.

Lesley began her career working as an assistant film editor in the 1960’s on films such as FUNERAL IN BERLIN, THE LAST SAFARI and THE LION IN WINTER. Her first job as editor was on Joseph Strick’s A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN IN 1977, which she followed with ’s and Neil Jordan’s MONA LISA, for which she received her first BAFTA nomination. Other credits include Lewis Gilbert’s SHIRLEY VALENTINE, Mike Leigh’s ALL OR NOTHING, Stephen Gyllenhaal’s WATERLAND, Luis Mandoki’s BORN YESTERDAY, Tim Sullivan’s JACK AND SARAH, and Douglas McGrath’s EMMA and . Her recent credits include ’s THE DRESSER and THE HOLLOW CROWN: HENRY IV, and Phyllida Lloyds’ MAMMA MIA, which earned her an ACE Award nomination. Her latest film is Peter Cattaneo’s MILITARY WIVES.

ANNE SOPEL – Editor

Anne is currently editing THE LAST BUS starring Timothy Spall and directed by Gillies McKinnon, with whom she has collaborated many times.

Her career began as an assistant on iconic British films such as LOCAL HERO, David Lean’s A PASSAGE TO INDIA and WITHNAIL & I.

She has edited cult movies like DEATHWATCH and THE YOUNG POISONER’S HANDBOOK, TV and film dramas by Lynda La Plante and , as well as shows such as TORVILL & DEAN, PALE HORSE and POLDARK.

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