Cat Cooper

Cat is a producer and executive producer who founded Elfin Productions in 2008.

Prior to this, Cat gained production experience on films including Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Sony’s Casino Royale,where she assisted esteemed Exec, Anthony Waye.

However, it was also during Casino Royale that she helped produce her first short film, award winning, Love you, Joseff Hughes.

Shortly after this, Elfin Productions was established – but not before Cat fulfilled one other ambition: working as a Christmas Elf.

Unsurprisingly, one of her favourite films is ‘Elf’.

Alongside, she has been selected for several schemes including BFI's Think-Shoot-Distribute, 2008 as featured in Screen International, and Film Junction, 2010 led by Angus Finney and where she was mentored by Paul Trijbits, Ruby Films.

Cat is currently a participant of Guiding Lights 2011/12, the UK film industry's most prestigious mentoring schemes, with Tim Bevan, Working Title confirmed as her mentor.

Sandra Gorel

Sandra Gorel is a producer who began her career at the BBC as an interactive TV producer working on programmes including Walking with Beasts, Pyramid, Test the Nation, Restoration, Fame Academy and The Life of Mammals.

Winner of a BAFTA, two EMMAs, a BIMA, two RTS Awards and two BAFTA nominations, Sandra was also named in Broadcast magazine's “Sharpest Shooters”.

Sandra worked in Australia as executive producer for Sky News Active and Sky Sports Active and was more recently a Multiplatform Commissioner at the BBC for Entertainment, commissioning services for T in the Park, Eurovision, and National Lottery programmes.

Sandra’s short film, Love You Joseff Hughes, was her first collaboration with Cat Cooper. The film was nominated for a BAFTA Cymru, won the NPA award for Best Short and screened at festivals internationally.

She has produced several music videos and recent collaborations with director Michael Davies, whom she met whilst on the BFI's Think Shoot Distribute scheme, include What’s Virgin Mean? which has won five audience awards and screened at over fifty five festivals, and Love At First Sight, starring John Hurt and Phyllida Law, which has been shortlisted for an Oscar by the AMPAS, and longlisted for a BAFTA.

Maggie Parke

Maggie Parke, Head of Development for Elfin Productions is currently completing a PhD in Film and New Media at Bangor University’s National Institute for Excellence in the Creative Industries.

Her research focuses on the adaptation process of popular novels into event films (Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Twilight, etc.), and the incorporation and management of the source text’s fan base and author. She has worked with a number of film events such as TwiCon, LeakyCon, Twilight’s UK premiere, and Breaking Dawn’s book release in New York City, and also consults on fan management and development in event film adaptation.

She had some early training from The Script Factory in London, and has since read for a number of projects and companies including development for Film Agency Wales.

Raised on tales such as The Dark is Rising sequence, Mary Stewart’s Merlin trilogy, and the works of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott, she loves an unlikely hero, a well-done, mythical fantasy, heart warming characters, and a happy ending.

www.imstillwandering.blogspot.com

Twitter: @MaggieParke