Introduction to the Screen Summit
Liza Marshall, the British producer of Chloe Zhao’s award-winning film Hamnet, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, will be joining the Screen Summit, taking place on September 30th at the BFI Southbank. Marshall has just returned from the Toronto International Film Festival, where Hamnet won the prestigious TIFF People’s Choice Award, catapulting the film into this year’s award season.
The Film Hamnet
Based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, Hamnet follows Agnes and William Shakespeare as they mourn the loss of their son. The drama premiered in Telluride and will be released in the USA on November 27 by Focus Features.
Liza Marshall’s Career
Marshall will join Ed Guiney and See-Saw Films’ Iain Canning on the Trailblazer panel, where they will discuss building a successful British production company and navigating the challenges of life as an independent film producer. Since founding Hera Pictures in 2017, Marshall has built the company into a film and television powerhouse, with credits including Mahalia Belo’s The End We Start and TV series I Am the Law, Mary and George, and How It Feels to Be a Girl.
Previous Experience
Before Hera, Marshall worked as Head of Drama at Channel 4 and had a stint as Head of Scott Free Productions UK, where she oversaw films like Get Santa and Before I Go to Sleep.
The Screen Summit
The second annual Screen Summit, titled "Building on Britain’s Global Success", will bring together producers, financiers, and distributors for a day of open discussion about how the British indie film sector can strengthen its success on the global market.
Speakers and Partners
Further speakers include John Friedberg, President, International at Black Bear, Kezia Williams, Managing Director for the UK and Ireland at Universal Pictures International (UPI), Zygi Kamasa, Founder and CEO of True Brit Entertainment, Gabrielle Stewart, CEO of Hanway Films, David Garrett, CEO of Mister Smith Entertainment, Vanessa Saal, Executive Consultant & UK Lead at Paris-based MK2 Films, Iain Canning from See-Saw Films, Ed Guiney from Element Pictures, Kate Phibbs from Film Soho, Debbie Adler, Gerwyn Evans of Great Point Studios, BBC Film’s Eva Yates, Interim Director of Film4, Farhana Bhula, and Mia Bays from the BFI Filmmaking Fund; and Sarah Brocklehurst from Brock Media, Andy Paterson from Virtual Circle, and Helen Simmons from Erebus Pictures. Ben Roberts, Managing Director of the British Film Institute, will deliver a keynote speech.
Event Details
To learn more about the event, visit the Screen Summit website. The event partners of Screen Summit 2025 are CentTrip, Elevate Finance, Film Soho, Garden Studios, Great Point Studios, Strike Media, and the British Global Screen Fund. For sponsorship options, please contact Scott Benfold.
