Third Channel Signs to Agent Elson

Directors L-R: Adu Lalouschek, Jen McGowan, Jessie Ayles, Marcus McSweeney, Somayeh and Cosima Spender.

Agent Elson has announced the signing of Third Channel to its roster.  

Third Channel creates compelling stories proven to drive business for brands across TVC’s, long form documentary, digital, social, branded content and internal comms.

The leadership team consists of Dorothea Gibbs MD, Marcus McSweeney, film and creative director and Brad Finlay strategy and creative director. The three met whilst working on a film series project for Skype/ Microsoft, where Brad was the in-house Creative Lead, and decided to join forces in 2017.

To build on Marcus’s directing work, Dorothea launched Third Channel’s search for new directors in 2017, with a determination to create a gender- balanced roster with diverse experiences and backgrounds, that make their stories raw, real and heartfelt.

 Third Channel offers a fresh inclusive and non-exclusive approach to director representation. They encourage their directors to work across all platforms and brands and unusually they do not insist on always being the agency's production partner equally at ease taking on the productions themselves or simply facilitating introductions to their directors so agencies can use their in-house resources if required.

“Third Channel's directors beautifully portray a universal truth told in a new and authentic way with a genuine honesty, a quality that fits well with clients and agencies.” Kate Elson MD Agent Elson

Adu Lalouschek has travelled all around the world, capturing coastal fisherman in his native Ghana, to the comedy of Britain’s black barber shops. Adu built the award winning video team and the indispensable travel website Culture Trip.  During his time there, Adu developed and directed several TV series including Beyond Hollywood, a comedy doc series that delves into the cinema industries around the world from Ghallywood to Bollywood

Jen McGowan’s, first feature with Juliette Lewis and Cybill Shepherd won the Game Changer Director award at SXSW.   In partnership with Level Forward, she is the creator of Glass Elevator, an international skill-sharing, networking & jobs resource for professional women in film & television. With over 4,000 members, Glass Elevator was named Best in LA by LA Weekly and was featured in Forbes. Jen’s latest short is premiering in the international competition at the Shorts Festival in Tokyo, an academy award qualifying festival.

Jessie Ayles has worked with brands including Nike, Google, Burberry, Nissan and Adidas to name but a few.  Of Jewish-South African heritage she has developed a strong interest in socially conscious stories from the region, highlighting marginalised voices and injustices with the aim of creating and impact and awareness through her work.  Awards include the social impact media award (SIMA), best documentary at Barcelona International  Short Film Festival, Youth Jury Prize at Encounters and Best Documentary at Triforce Film Festival.



Marcus McSweeney’s work as a narrative director has been awarded at Tribeca and shortlisted by the Academy Awards and BAFTA. He has created notable commercial work for Beats by Dr Dre, Vice and the Face - easily building rapport with talent, he has worked with a range of personalities including Dua Lipa, Jorja Smith, Rosalia, Alessandro Del Piero, Headie One and BAFTA winner Seapa Allen. 

Iranian- born female storyteller Somayeh is the newest addition to the roster, her personal history is often layered into her work, the story of her own heritage and self identity often becomes interlaced with her subject matter to produce an intimate and very feminine language on screen.

London based director Cosima Spender, is an NFTS Documentary filmmaking graduate. Cosima has made three films for BBC Storyville including La Dolce Vita Africana, the Importance of Being Elegant and Without Gorky, about her grandfather, abstract expressionist Arshile Gorky.  Available on Netflix. Palio, Cosima’s latest feature, won best documentary Editing at Tribeca Film festival and was nominated for a BIFA.  In 2019 Cosima made a 25min film, Phyllida, about sculptor Phyllida Barlow with Hauser & Wirth and Third Channel.