Stephen Kelliher

Stephen Kelliher’s got a pretty wild ride in the film world—no kidding. He’s not just the Director, he’s also the big boss of Sales & Marketing over at Bankside Films, which, by the way, he actually co-founded back in 2007. The guy’s fingerprints are pretty much all over the international rollout of Bankside’s movies. He’s the one making sure their films don’t just sit around in the UK gathering dust, but actually make some noise on screens across the globe. But, you know, he’s not just crunching numbers and shaking hands at film markets. Stephen gets his hands dirty in the creative trenches, too. He’s right there with filmmakers at the script stage, tossing around ideas, and later on, he’s involved during post-production, making sure the end product is sharp enough to cut through the clutter. His whole thing is giving each film its best shot at grabbing attention—and, hopefully, some awards—on the international circuit. His credits are kind of impressive, too. He’s been Executive Producer on BELLE (directed by Amma Asante), FREEHELD (that’s Peter Sollett’s gig), and WAR ON EVERYONE from John Michael McDonagh. Oh, and he was Associate Producer for HECTOR & THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS. Before Bankside, he’d already racked up over two decades doing international sales and marketing for outfits like Beyond Films and Vine International Pictures. Plus, he’s a former chair of Film Export UK and pops up at industry events, probably handing out wisdom like candy. The dude’s a mainstay—always hustling, always in the mix.