Sigma strives for originality: producing prestigious, quality films that challenge audiences, genre and convention. To say that Sigma is ‘experimental’ would be misleading, but to recognise that there is something adventurous and strident about every film would be to find the thing that sets us apart. This was recently recognised by the UK Film Council with Sigma being one of 15 companies to receive a Vision Award for the coming 2 years.
BEGINNING...
Established in 1996, Sigma Films has become a leading UK film company driven by its principal Gillian Berrie, who formed the company with director David Mackenzie and actor Alastair Mackenzie.
Initially energies were concentrated on the production of shorts (notably, award winning productions California Sunshine and Somersault.)
In 2001 Sigma produced David Mackenzie's feature debut Last Great Wilderness and went on to develop and associate produce David's second feature Young Adam.
...MIDDLE...
Sigma has a diverse slate of projects in development including literary and theatre adaptations as well as original material from emerging European writing talent. Directors attached include David Mackenzie, Jonathan Glazer, Paddy Considine, Johnny Barrington, Colin Kennedy, James Lees and John Mackay.
Over the years a close alliance has developed with Denmark's Zentropa, acting as their sole UK co-producer, most notably on Wilbur (Wants To Kill Himself), Brothers, Dogville, Manderlay and After the Wedding (Oscar nom & European Film Award).
Sigma and Zentropa have recently collaborated on three film concept Advance Party. The project was initiated by Lars von Trier with Gillian Berrie and Sisse Graum Jorgensen and was designed to encourage collaboration between filmmakers. Lone Scherfig and Anders Thomas Jensen created characters which will appear in all three films played by the same actors. The first was Red Road, directed by Andrea Arnlod (Oscar and Cannes Jury Prize winner) and the second was Donkeys directed by Morag McKinnon (BAFTA winner).
2009 is a big year. The premier of David Mackenzie's latest film Spread (Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche) starts the year for us at Sundance. Quickly following is the 59th Berlinale and the launch of an even more ambitious Advance Party II with a slate of eight films from debut writer/directors from across Europe.
We anticipate a busy times ahead with a number of projects on the slate scheduled to go into production...
...TO BE CONTINUED
You can follow the stories of various Sigma productions at the blog