Hilary Strong, the chief executive officer of John Gore Studios, Gabrielle Tana, producer of anticipated Toronto title Elsinore, and Emily Morgan, the founder of UK production outfit Quiddity Films, have joined the lineup of speakers for the 2026 Screen Summit, ‘Financing the future of UK film’.
The third annual Screen Summit is taking place at the BFI Southbank on September 29. Tickets are on sale now. The Super Early Bird offer price is £195+VAT.
Since joining John Gore Studios in 2025, Strong has overseen a slate of films in the £5m-£15m budget range, fully financed by the company. They include The Return Of Stanley Atwell, starring Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Purnell and Damian Lewis, Mike Newell’s My Duchess, starring Joan Collins and Isabella Rossellini, The Queen Of Fashion, in which Andrea Riseborough stars as the late Isabella Blow, Frank And Percy, starring Ian McKellen and Roger Allam, and John Madden’s Toronto 2026 title Onwards And Sideways, starring Rhys Ifans and Laura Linney.
Tana is one of the UK’s most successful independent producers. She founded Magnolia Mae Films with Carolyn Marks Blackwood in 1996, through which she has produced award-winning films including Stephen Frears’ Philomena, Ralph Fiennes’ The Invisible Woman, The White Crow and Coriolanus, and Karim Ainouz’s Firebrand. Her latest films, Simon Stone’s Elsinore and Anton Corbijn’s A Talent For Murder, are both screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Morgan is renowned for her ability to bring together international partners and nurture rising filmmakers, such as Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not A Witch), Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor (Dreamers) and Chilean director Felipe Gálvez (The Settlers). Her upcoming slate includes Nathalie Álvarez Mesén’s The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands, starring Darla Contois and Alexander Skarsgård, Konstantina Kotzamani’s Cannes 2026 selection Titanic Ocean, a thriller set in a Japanese mermaid school, and Gálvez’s Impunity, based on Philippe Sands’ non-fiction novel 38 Londres Street, with Sebastian Stan and Ana de Armas attached to star and Pathé on board for worldwide sales.
They join previously announced speakers including Tricky Knot’s Phin Glynn, Pathé UK head Ben Browning, Saatchi & Saatchi chief creative officer Franki Goodwin, and Logical Pictures’ Frederic Fiore.
‘Screen Summit 2026: Financing the future of UK film’ will bring together executives, filmmakers and fresh voices for a day of talks and networking to explore the new money, talent and ideas driving the sector at a time of significant disruption and opportunity.
The sessions will cover a range of topics, including: why the UK film sector is a worthwhile investment for private investors; how filmmakers can structure projects to appeal to global brands and collaborate with the rising generation of content creators; strategies for producers to make the most of budgets and structure production financing; how to access regional funding options; detailed case studies of financing indie films; working with UK studio facilities; and the bold ideas that could transform the future of UK film.
The full line-up of speakers and sessions will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Screen Summit 2026 is sponsored by Centtrip, Entertainment Partners and Garden Studios.
For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Scott Benfold.
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