SALLY CAPLAN

Sally is a qualified solicitor and worked as an entertainment lawyer for EMI Records where she was part of a team producing and exploiting music videos and programming. Subsequently, Sally was Director of Business Affairs for PolyGram’s newly created video division, where she worked for three years.

When PolyGram started its feature film production and distribution arm, Sally was appointed as Director of Business Affairs and Acquisitions for PolyGram Filmed Entertainment in the UK (“PFE UK”).  PFE UK was regarded as PolyGram’s flagship distribution company and over the course of five years, Sally was responsible for, or involved in, the acquisition of high profile projects such as Malice, Shallow Grave, Trainspotting, Priest, Usual Suspects and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

When Universal acquired PolyGram Filmed Entertainment in 1998, Sally was promoted to Senior Vice President of Worldwide Acquisitions for Universal.

In 2000, Momentum Pictures, then a fledging UK distribution company, approached appointed Sally as Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Business Affairs. During her four years at Momentum, Sally acquired films such as The Magdalene Sisters, Amelie, Get Over It, No Man’s Land, Lost In Translation and Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind.  During Sally’s time with Momentum, turnover increased from £2.5m to over £35m.

Sally joined Icon Film UK as President in April 2004 where she oversaw all the activities of the UK distribution company including acquisitions, marketing, sales, press, TV sales, exploitation of home entertainment rights etc.

In April 2005, Sally was appointed Head of the Premiere Fund at the UK Film Council where she has awarded funding to, and been involved in the production of  over 30 films to date. Head of Premiere Fund’s responsibilities encompass involvement in the deal for film financing and recoupment; working with filmmakers on script development, casting and appointments of HOD’s, creative involvement throughout production and post-production such as viewing rushes, seeing and commenting on cuts of the film, attending test screenings, meetings with distributors, advice, where necessary, on possible sources of financing and international sales agents and distributors.

Some of those films already released include Miss Potter with Rene Zellweger; Becoming Jane starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy; Venus, directed by Roger Michel and starring Peter O’Toole and Jodie Whittaker; Ol Parker and Barnaby Thompson’s St Trinians; How To Lose Friends and Alienate People directed by Bob Weide and starring Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst; Mike Leigh’s Happy Go Lucky; Brideshead Revisited and Cheri. Upcoming films include Sam Taylor-Wood’s John Lennon drama, Nowhere Boy, with Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott-Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff; Neil Marshall’s Centurion with Michael Fassbender, Dominic West and Noel Clark; Chris Smith’s psychological thriller Triangle: Daniel Barber’s Harry Brown with Michael Caine; Stephen Frears, Tamara Drew and Tom Hooper’s King’s Speech with Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth.