Epoch Films Launches UK Production House
Award-winning bicoastal US commercial production company EPOCH FILMS, today announces its expansion to the UK. Alongside company founder Mindy Goldberg, and partners Melissa Culligan and Martin de Thurah, Epoch’s London office will be helmed by former Smuggler director of talent Megan Campbell and former Tony Kaye Films, Stink, and Smuggler producer Nick Fewtrell. Campbell has been appointed as executive producer and director of talent UK, and Fewtrell as managing director and executive producer of Epoch Films UK.
Campbell and Fewtrell will collaborate, pitch on projects, and oversee talent. De Thurah, who for the past eight years has been integral to Epoch’s brand evolution and a major catalyst in creating the company’s creative and spiritual DNA in the US, will spearhead instilling the same ethos via his role to the UK entity. Together the leadership team will share responsibility in maintaining the company’s creative culture, keeping diversity and inclusivity at the heart of the company and quality work at the forefront on Epoch projects.
The transition to Epoch Films UK for acclaimed filmmaker de Thurah also marks a pivotal move in his career. After 17 years with Academy Films in the UK and 11 years with Epoch in the US as both a partner and talent, he makes the full transition to being with Epoch on both sides of the globe.
Comments de Thurah on his Epoch Films journey: "I was adopted, or taken into this Epoch family, in 2011. Sometimes you find people in your life where something clicks in a special way. In 4th grade I wrote an essay, saying 'friends are very important, and therefore I’m happy I started school - if I stayed at home all the time I would never meet new friends. It’s important - you can have a good hygge and a good camaraderie.' I guess I already had some kind of compass at that time. They made me come over,” he jokes. "Academy Films was my first production company, before Bacon and Epoch…leaving them in the UK was a hard decision. It’s an exciting time in my career, both in terms of directing and thinking about the future. I wish to make beautiful work, mentor younger directors, and be part of building a business culture for Epoch. It feels good to take big life steps into new chapters."
“We are just thrilled to have this all-star team of Megan Campbell and Nick Fewtrell joining our team, and launching our UK office with Martin de Thurah and them at the reins,” comments Epoch’s founder Mindy Goldberg. “Megan is a talented executive full of energy and fresh ideas on how to build a business outside traditional models and Nick is the yin to that yang. An accomplished producer, he is a practical thinker who can get anything done incredibly well, and do so effortlessly. And Martin — he is icing on the cake!”
Pictured left to right: Nick Fewtrell, Megan Campbell, and Martin de Thurah
The execs brought on by Goldberg and Culligan bring a vast wealth of combined industry experience to Epoch’s expansion in the UK. Over the last decade, Campbell has worked alongside numerous high-end creative production houses where she’s represented talent and built communities. Her global and diverse background in advertising, entertainment, and tech in the US/UK/EU territories provides the company a uniquely advantageous perspective across the ever-changing media terrain. Complementary to that, Fewtrell has produced numerous projects for leading directors at multiple production houses on both sides of the Atlantic. His 25+ years of deep production knowledge in the advertising, film, and music video industries brings a multi-faceted intelligence essential for the constant demand of creative content in both the advertising and entertainment arts arenas.
“When Mindy and Melissa approached me about launching Epoch in London, I was immediately excited at the prospect of working with such badass women in the industry,” shares Megan Campbell on aligning with Epoch Films UK. “It’s an honor to be part of bringing such a forward thinking and established company to the UK. I’m really looking forward to building the Epoch office with its incredible roster of directors alongside Nick Fewtrell and the amazing extended team in the US.”
On joining the company, Nick Fewtrell also comments: “What excited me the most about this opportunity is the diverse talented roster. To be able to shape a UK offering to the market in the mold that myself and Megan believe in was too good to turn down. I’m lucky enough to have worked with some very talented people in our industry and being able to bring that level of craft and creativity to the market place gives me enormous pleasure - in turn building on the ethos of Epoch which Mindy and Melissa have worked so hard to achieve.”
Epoch’s managing partner/executive producer Melissa Culligan adds: “Europe is hungry for new voices. Brands are hungry for new voices - diverse voices that more accurately reflect audiences they’re speaking to. We believe in that mission. We knew the timing was right to enter the UK market to accommodate the constant production demand for compelling creative content across the advertising and entertainment worlds. We’re elated to have Megan and Nick leading our new office, working as a team across the US and into the UK/Europe market together as one entity.”
Epoch Films UK roster will be established with acclaimed directors from its US roster including DA Yirgou, Dugan O'Neal, Emile Thalund, Emma Westenberg, Hannah Pearl Utt, JILL, Matias & Mathias, Matthew Swanson, Zachary Heinzerling, in addition to Partner Martin de Thurah, and it latest signed talents, Carl Sundemo and Ruganzu "Riggs" Howard.
Its UK office is only the first step in Epoch’s larger plan to build out opportunities for its talent across branding and content platforms. Alongside the expansion of Epoch Films in the UK/EU market, upcoming they will be venturing further into the feature film and television realm by forging a new alliance and creating a 360-degree production entity with a European long form production and management company. The two companies will be working together to provide the 360-degree filmmaking model to brands, platforms, and directing talent. Details surrounding this alliance are planned to be announced this summer at the Cannes Film Festival and Cannes Lions. Currently, Epoch has two long form television projects in various stages of development, including one based on a novel they optioned and another centered on an off-broadway one-woman show.
“The Epoch team of directors and producers have been committed to advertising as well as long form film projects since Epoch started 30 years ago. We’ve succeeded at both. We’re just more grown up now, so we are ready to announce these endeavors officially. I hope we deliver on our expanded vision — that’s always the challenge,” comments Goldberg. “Our ethos as a company has been to make great things — which we’ve done. Now, we’re laying that foundation for bigger plans. What’s even better - like Martin shared - is how much we all genuinely like each other and want to support success for everyone involved in the company globally. It’s all very exciting and a really good feeling.”
