LFS

Biographies

Ben Gibson
From the late '80's to 2001 BEN GIBSON worked as a producer, and as Head of Production at the British Film Institute from '89 to '99. His credits as producer and executive producer include Terence Davies' The Long Day Closes, Derek Jarman's Wittgenstein, John Maybury's Love is the Devil, Carine Adler's Under the Skin and Jasmin Dizdar's Beautiful People, as well as 18 other low budget features and numerous shorts by UK directors including Patrick Keiller, Gurinder Chadha, Lynne Ramsay, Richard Kwietniowski and Andrew Kotting. From '81 to '87 he was a partner in distributors The Other Cinema/Metro Pictures, acquiring and promoting films by Almodovar, Marker, Akerman and Godard and opening the Metro Cinema. He has also been a theatre director, a repertory film programmer, founder of the London International Festival of Theatre and a film critic and journalist

Alan Bernstein
Alan Bernstein has a B.Sc Econ (Lond.), M. Sc. (Lond.) from University College London. His current post is Deputy director and Head of Studies, at the London Film School. Teaching responsibilities include First term Course Tutor, Lecture series: Directing Strategies. Alan's academic and professional responsibilities include: Freelance production assistant. Assistant director. Editing assistant. Part time course director at the London International Film School between 1976 - 1978. Teaching at Madraseh Ali Film o Television, Tehran, Iran 1978-1980: film theory and analysis. London Film School 1981 to present: External Member Validation Panel London Guildhall University June 1994. Public Lecture Series for the Greek Ministry of Culture in Athens March 1997. External Examiner Southampton Institute 1999-2003. External Examiner London Guildhall University 2000-2001 External Examiner Westminster University 2009 to present.

Harriet Cox
Harriet trained in the film industry before working as the Camera Operator on Distant Voices Still Lives [1989] with Director, Terence Davies. Harriet went on to work as the Camera Operator on The Long Day Closes [19920 for which Davies received a nomination for the Golden Palm, Cannes. Her current post as Head of Cinematography since 2001 includes curriculum and teaching responsibilities for cinematography theory and practice for the MA in filmmaking and professional training on Short course cinematography workshops. Harriet Cox holds a BA Hons in Social Anthropology and Visual Studies and an MA in Independent Film from The University of London.

Howard Thompson
Magadalen College. Oxford. 2:1 BA in English language and literature. Trainee at Granada TV, Floor Assistant BBC TV, Assistant Editor and Sound Recordist and Documentary Scriptwriter with Dateline Productions. Howard ran the sound department at the Royal Court Theatre during Oscar Loewenstein’s time as Producer. Sound designed productions For Lindsay Anderson, John Dexter, Anthony Page and others. Wrote three feature films for Children’s’ Film Foundation. Two novels based on the CFF features. (The Battle of Billy’s Pond, The Glitterball.) Howard was a freelance sound recordist and writer before starting in the School as a Visiting Lecturer in Sound and in scriptwriting. He became a full time Lecturer at The London Film School for a number of years before becoming Head of Sound.

Kate Hughes
Kate Hughes has 18 years film industry experience, spanning corporate affairs international sales and UK distribution. From 1994 - 2002 she worked for FilmFour Ltd, Channel 4´s production and distribution arm, most recently as Head of Corporate Marketing and Publicity and from 1990 - 1993 she was Head of Marketing at leading Australian exhibitor/distributor Dendy Films. She has also been a marketing consultant for several film organisations.

Diana Charnley
Diana's feature film credits for Production Design and Art Direction range from both contemporary and period drama and include High Hopes dir Mike Leigh 1989, Defence of the Realm dir David Drury 1985 , Clockwise dir C.Morahan 1986, The Dawning dir Robert Knights1987, Plenty dir Fred Schepisi 1985 ( asst art dir). Her experience includes the design and art direction of many commercials and television dramas with directors including Richard Eyre and Mike Leigh. She was Head of Production Design and Art Direction at the National Film and Television School and Fine Art Projects officer at the Royal College of Art . Published work includes : Production Design as Process in Cinema and architecture BFI 1998. She has lectured at Cambridge University.

Barry Salt
Barry Salt has a B.Sc and Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics and has been a ballet dancer, computer programmer and film lighting cameraman amongst other things. He has taught at the Slade School, University College and the Royal College of Art. Barry is the author of Film Style and Technology: History and Analysis publish by Starword, plus many published articles on film history.

Terry Hopkins
Terry Hopkins began shooting 16mm documentaries in New York in 1978. By the mid-1980s most of his work was for America's non-commercial Public Broadcast System, and Britain's BBC and Channel 4. By this time he had also begun working as a camera operator and 2nd unit DoP on 35mm feature films. The trend toward incorporating dramatic recreations into documentaries provided Terry with a way of combining his love of documentaries and lighting for drama. Never turning his back on film, he nonetheless began shooting on video in the mid-'90s as well. Three programs or series Terry has filmed have won Emmy Awards and two have been nominated for Academy Awards (Oscars). In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Terry continues to take on occasional projects outside the school, for which he shoots on anything from film to High Definition.Terry has a B.A. from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild.

Terry has a B.A. from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts

Brian Dunnigan
Brian has an MA in Sociology from Edinburgh University and is a graduate of the National Film and Television School. He is a published author and critic who has written songs, documentaries, plays and scripts for radio, television and cinema. He is an award-winning short filmmaker and director with special screenings of his work at the Cinematheque (Paris) and the National Film Theatre (London). His commissioned feature writing includes screenplays for Working Title, BBC Films and Scottish Screen. Formerly Head of Screenwriting at the Northern Film School he organizes workshops on an international basis most recently in Norway, Ghana, Cuba and the Scenario! screenwriting event with the Institute Francais in London. He is currently an External Examiner for the BA Media Programme at Southampton University and the Course Leader of the MA in Screenwriting at the London Film School.

Jaime Estrada-Torres
Jaime started as an assistant film editor in 1983 / Became an editor in 1990 / Applications Avid Editor in the United kingdom since 1994 / Avid Film Products Specialist for Avid Europe / Avid Certified Instructor / Avid Instructor and consultant for feature films using Avid Film Composer on projects such as: Bond's Tomorrow Never Dies; Lucas's The Empire Strikes Back; Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut; Spielberg-Hanks's Band of Brothers / Has given numerous workshops on non-linear editing for documentaries and feature films in Europe, Asia, and Latin America / Jaime has been working as a freelance film editor since 1999 and has wide experience supervising all the post-production stages to take film through to digital finishing.

Shirley Streete-Bharath

Director of Operations
Educated in Wolverhampton and moved to London in 1977 to work for W H Smith Head Office as Secretary to the International Co-ordinator. In June 1979, I was seconded from W H Smith to set up, run and co-ordinate one of the first initiatives of Government funded training schemes called Project FullEmploy. After joining the Film School as Scheduling Assistant in 1981, I became the Head of Programming in 1982. During this time I also represented the school as a member of the JOBFIT Council (Joint Board of Film and Industry Training) and BECTU Branch Officer. I am Secretary and Treasurer of FOLIFS (Friends of The London International Film School) and a member of the Institute of Leadership and Management.

Umpha Koroma

Projectionist
From Sierra Leone, Umpha is a hightly respected technician having worked at various top London cinemas including the former Oasis- owned Ritzy, The Price Charles, The Gate, The Electric, also the Screen Cinema Group, and the London Film School over which he presides today. Umpha is a Screentrade's technical advisor and chief troubleshooter, and among others, writes 'From Beyond the Porthole', which offers projectionists valuable time and money saving tips.

Les Blair

Term 2 &3 Tutor and Production Manager
After a degree in Economics and a spell as an advertising copywriter Les Blair enrolled as a student at the London Film School. In 1969 he spent six months in Prague as an exchange student at FAMU where he made a short documentary about life under the Soviet bloc invasion which was shown by the BBC before being snatched back by the Czech authorities. On returning to London he produced and edited Mike Leigh’s first film Bleak Moments before launching his own career as a director with a string of films made for television which he wrote and directed after extended improvised rehearsal with the actors. He also directed the work of other writers, most notoriously G.F.Newman’s Law and Order which secured a place in television history with its portrayal of endemic corruption in the police and judicial system. His TV films News Hounds and The Accountant both won BAFTA’s for Best Single Drama. He has written and directed feature films for the Cinema including Bad Behaviour which won the Evening Standard Peter Sellers award for comedy. His work for the theatre includes Becket’s Waiting for Godot and two plays of his own.

Margaret Glover

6th Term Tutor " Screenwriiting Lecturer
Margaret Glover graduated from the Yale School of Drama, where she worked with both emerging and established writers and directors, including Athol Fugard and August Wilson. After leaving drama school she worked in production off-Broadway and in regional theatres in and around New York. Since moving to the UK, she has worked as script editor and producer in television on several award-winning serials and single dramas, for both children’s and prime-time audiences. She is currently Senior Lecturer in Screenwriting at the London Film School, where she also oversees the development and production of the graduation films. Margaret also continues to consult and read for the UK Film Council and Regional Screen Agencies as well as several independents in the UK and Europe. Her screenwriting credits include Shadows in the Sun with director David Rocksavage and Kisna with director Subhash Ghai.

Andrew Speller-GBCT

Senior Camera Lecturer
Art school, then a post graduate course in Film at Bristol University was Andrew’s platform for entering the film industry. Extensive experience as an AC in documentaries led into becoming a 1st AC, assisting many cameramen before linking up with Solus, a group of Cinematographers including Jack Hazan, Dick Pope and Roger Deakins whom he assisted for several years, moving from documentaries to promos to TV Drama, Film 4 then Features. Credits include 1984, White Mischief and Defence of the Realm. An opportunity to operate on Defence of the Realm developed into operating on Commercials for Michael Seresin and then into TV Drama for many directors including David Richards. The move to DP was a natural progression and in 2001 having operated on the ‘10th Kingdom’ for Carnival Films Andrew was offered the chance to light a TV drama – ‘Perfect Day’. Having worked in all grades within the camera department Andrew is now a DP and has shot all over the world with both local and UK crews.In 2008 he joined the London film School as Senior Lecturer in Cinematography.

Ronaldo Fagarazzi

Stage Lighting
Ronaldo has been involved in the theatre, television and film industries for almost twenty years. During that time he has worked as Lighting Designer on numerous stage productions in London, Cambridge , Brighton and the Edinburgh Festival. In 1993 he joined the lighting department at Fountain Television in Wembley, working on numerous productions, including Friends, The Fast Show and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, rising to the position of Studio Manager in 1998.

In 2001 he decided to return to freelance work and was involved in a wide range of projects, including six months in the USA, where he was employed as Lighting Designer at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Centre in New York on productions which included Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, Nine and The Mikado. After a tour of Britain and India with Chitraleka Dance Company on their innovative Story of C he joined the London Film School. What was originally intended to be a short-term contract has become permanent and he is now responsible for the schools lighting equipment, stages and health and safety - as well as teaching students safe use of lighting, electrics etc.

Carlo Muzzi

Camera Equipment Supervisor
After graduating in Architecture (Rome University) and working in Stills both in Rome and in Paris, Carlo joined the film industry in London in 1981, freelancing on a wide range of productions, mainly documentaries but also drama, for the BBC and Channel 4 and others in the independent sector. He covered a variety of roles ranging from Asst. Cameraman to Camera Operator, mainly on film at first and from the mid-‘90s also on tape. He joined LFS in Jan 2005.

Stefania Marangoni

Senior Editing Lecturer
After graduating in Fine Arts and Critical Studies at Goldsmiths College University of London, Stefania trained as an assistant editor on 16mm and 35mm film and worked on BFI and independent film productions. She started working as an editor in 1997 and since then has edited several short fiction films and documentaries. She managed the Film and Video Lab at Goldsmiths College Visual Arts Department for 6 years and during that period also taught editing at several organizations, before taking up her position at the London Film School in 2006.

Adam Sharman

Editing Instructor
Since starting work in the film industry in 1998 Adam has worked in post production in Australia, Canada, Europe and London. He has numerous feature film assistant editor credits as well as editor credits on many films, documentaries, mini-series, TV shows, commercials and music clips. Before starting at the London Film School in 2009 he was Services & Facilities Manager of a prominent Sydney based post production facility which provided editing facilities, editors and support for many feature films from around the world.

Wojciech Wrzesniewski

Senior Sound Lecturer
Studied Electrical Engineering, after graduating worked for a number of years as a service engineer and industrial product designer. Sound recordist on a number of factual, educational and documentary strands for BBC and Channel 4 such as Inside Tracks, On the Record, Panorama, Breaking the Fear (independent feature) and shorts You're In There Ltd. and Konfident.

Karen Warnock

Sound Department Assistant
Before joining the London Film School I was a freelance Sound Editor working on Feature films, T.V. Dramas and Documentaries in South Africa and the UK. Member of the Association of Motion Picture Sound AMPS.

Suzy Gillett

Head of Projects
Following six years in Paris working in documentary film and TV production Suzy returned to the Uk, setting up an independent film club ScreenStation screening world cinema documentaries for 5 years and was Director of Mosaiques Film Festival at the French Institute London for 5 years also co-ordinating the French Film Seasons with Unifrance and Scenarios with the London Film School where she now works as Head of Projects and coordinates the annual Media funded Low Budget Film Forum.

Carolyn Atherton

Workshops Administrator
Carolyn Atherton began a career in the arts in 2001 at the Dukes Theatre & Cinema in Lancaster. She then worked at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe where her role as House Manager involved the setting up and day-to-day running of a brand new festival venue in its first year. She later worked at The Electric Theatre in Guildford in a varied role which comprised box office management, duty management of performances, press & marketing assistance and curating the venue’s regular film seasons (classic, art-house and world cinema). Since May 2008 she has worked at The London Film School as LFS Workshops Administrator. She continues to curate film programmes in Guildford.

Becky Shaw

Becky has worked in numerous administrative and production roles across theatre, film and television for over twenty years. She has worked for the Royal Court Theatre, for the Head of Film at Film Four, at Soho Theatre, in the Film Festivals department at the British Film Institute and until recently in the artistic programming department at Southbank Centre. She is also a budding writer and has had several scripts developed including a children’s play, THE LOST VOICE, which was professionally produced for several seasons at Southbank Centre and in the E4 Udderbelly from 2009-11

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