Focus Films Ltd. is an independent feature film development and production company in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. It was founded in 1982 by
David Pupkewitz and Marsha Levin and is based in Finchley Road, London.
Background
Focus's early successes with television documentaries (''
Via Namibia'') and dramas such as ''
Kolmanskop'' and ''
Othello'', all of which were broadcast by
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
, led to its transition to feature film production for the international market starting with Crimetime directed by
George Sluizer in 1995. Further films produced by Focus are ''Secret Society'', ''Book of Eve'', and their biggest budget film to date, ''
The 51st State'' directed by
Ronny Yu. The film stars
Robert Carlyle,
Samuel L. Jackson.
During the hiatus encountered by the independent British film industry between 2004 and early 2007, Focus re-organised its team and strategy and in 2007 co-produced the
Bruce Dickinson–scripted film''
Chemical Wedding'', directed by Monty Python veteran
Julian Doyle. The film stars
Simon Callow and
John Shrapnel. It was released theatrically by Warner Music in the UK and Ireland at the end of May 2008.
Films
*
Hyde Park on Hudson (directed by
Roger Michell)
*''
Miss Romance'' 2009 (directed by
Ryan Little)
*''
Heaven and Earth'' 2010 (directed by
Marleen Gorris featuring
Natascha McElhone and
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He was the fifth actor to play the fictional secret agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bond in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film series, starri ...
)
*''
Master Harold...and the Boys'' 2008 (directed by
Lonny Price and featuring
Ving Rhames
Irving Rameses Rhames ( ; born May 12, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying IMF Agent Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible (film series), ''Mission: Impossible'' film series (1996–2025) and crime boss Marsellus Wal ...
and
Freddie Highmore)
*''
Surviving Evil'' 2008 (directed by Terence Daw and features
Billy Zane,
Christina Cole and
Natalie Mendoza)
*''
The 4th Kind'' 2008 (directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and features
Milla Jovovich and
Elias Koteas
* ''
Chemical Wedding'' 2007 (directed by
Julian Doyle and starring
Simon Callow,
Kal Webber,
Jud Charlton and
Lucy Cudden)
* ''
The Bone Snatcher'' 2003 (directed by Jason Wulfsohn and starring Scott Bairstow,
Rachel Shelley and Warwick Grier)
* ''
The Book of Eve'' 2002 (directed by
Claude Fournier and starring
Claire Bloom, Daniel Lavoie and Susannah York)
* ''
The 51st State'' 2001 (directed by
Ronny Yu and starring
Samuel L. Jackson,
Robert Carlyle,
Rhys Ifans,
Emily Mortimer,
Sean Pertwee and
Meat Loaf)
* ''
Julie’s Spirit'' 2000 (directed by
Bettina Wilhelm and starring
Sylvie Testud and Julia Richter)
* ''Secret Society'' 1999 (directed by
Imogen Kimmel and starring Lee Ross and Charlotte Brittain)
* ''
Crimetime'' 1996 (directed by
George Sluizer and starring
Pete Postlethwaite,
Stephen Baldwin and
Sadie Frost)
* ''
Diary of a Sane Man'' 1989 (Independent Film and Video, Channel 4)
* ''Othello 1987'' (TV drama, directed by
Janet Suzman and starring
John Kani, Channel 4)
* ''
Via Namibia'' 1985 (documentary with original music by
Hugh Masekela)
* ''
Kolmanskop'' 1982 (feature)
References
{{reflist
External links
Official website
Film production companies of the United Kingdom
Mass media companies established in 1982
1982 establishments in England