Behind the scenes of ‘ON ISLAND WEST’
Screen Cornwall is the regional screen agency for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We support film, TV and creative technology by connecting people, developing talent, and enabling production across the region.
We work with industry, education and partners to build a skilled, sustainable and inclusive screen sector, supporting projects from early development through to production and beyond.
To sustainably grow the screen sector economy in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, creating employment for freelancers, nurturing a diverse range of talent, supporting business development and connecting local networks with incoming productions, as well as regional and national opportunities, to achieve their creative and commercial aims.
Our work is inclusive and accessible, inspiring the next generation of creatives, as well as promoting production practices that have the lightest environmental footprint.
Agile – we respond to opportunities and challenges quickly and efficiently
Collaborative – we thrive on professional partnership working
Connected – we have our finger on the pulse, creating links within and beyond the region
Innovative – we are curious and embrace new technologies
Open – we are friendly and supportive
Having started in corporate communications and advertising, Laura studied for an MBA and worked as a management consultant, making short films on the side, before moving to the British Film Institute in 2011.
After moving to Cornwall in 2014 she has run projects for the British Film Commission, Raising Films, the UK Film Centre in Cannes and taken a delegation to the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai, as well as working for an app company and as a creative business adviser for an European funded programme supporting the creative sector.
Laura set up Screen Cornwall in 2019 and also continues to work as a producer of short and long form content through her company Storm Force Films. She is creative industries representative on Cornwall Council’s Economic Forum. Laura is passionate about sustainable growth and one of the founders of Goodfest Cornwall CIC.
Since 2017, Dom has developed a versatile production career across Scripted HETV, Features, Documentary, Live Events, and Factual Entertainment.
His portfolio includes coordinating high-profile BBC titles such as Casualty, Antiques Roadshow, and the Coronation Concert, alongside the natural history series Big Little Journeys, a complex international production filmed across multiple continents. During this time, he was also a skills and development lead for the BBC’s Young Talent Network, where he helped design and created internal development opportunities for staff under 35 across the organisation.
As Film Office Manager, Dom applies this front-line experience to provide specialised, solutions-led support for incoming projects. Acting as the primary contact for location scouting, permitting, and local authority liaison, he utilises his industry background to streamline filming in Cornwall. By matching technical crew requirements with regional infrastructure, he ensures productions of all scales have the expert local intelligence needed to navigate complex shoots effectively.
Originally from West Cornwall, Dom has always been driven by a passion for talent development and a commitment to helping local people find their footing in the industry. He currently oversees the BFI-funded Production Ready Pathways training and is committed to ensuring Cornwall remains a premier, film-friendly destination that supports a sustainable local talent pipeline while meeting the needs of global broadcasters and streamers.
Esme Lansdowne is Events & Communications Coordinator at Screen Cornwall. She has a background in marketing, communications and events management across the creative industries, with experience delivering audience engagement and industry facing programmes.
Her most recent role was Festival Coordinator for Doc Edge Film Festival in Auckland, New Zealand, where she supported the delivery of a major international documentary festival and its associated events and communications.
Alongside her role at Screen Cornwall, Esme works as a freelance digital marketing and creative strategy consultant for creative businesses, supporting organisations with brand development, content and audience growth.
She is also a visual artist based in Penzance, working across painting, assemblage, sculpture and moving image, with a practice rooted in place, materiality and Cornwall’s cultural landscape.
Louise has a strong background across film and television production, finance, and project coordination.
Her screen credits include finance roles on major productions such as Bridgerton, The Beast Must Die, and Liaison, as well as feature films including Fighting With My Family and Finding Your Feet.
Alongside her production work, Louise has extensive experience in bookkeeping, financial reporting, and administrative systems, supporting a range of development projects and organisations. She is highly organised, detail-focused, and confident managing data, budgets, and processes.
Earlier in her career, Louise worked in the museums and arts sector, leading engagement programmes and delivering multi-partner projects for organisations including Tate St Ives and Royal Cornwall Museum.
As Projects & Finance Coordinator, Louise combines financial expertise with strong project coordination skills, ensuring programmes are well-managed, effectively reported, and delivered smoothly.
Nada is a media executive with vast experience of evaluating TV, Film and short film projects for finance, acquisition and sales companies.
Originally from Birmingham, Nada studied Russian in Manchester and has an MA in Slavonic and East European Studies from UCL.
Her first job in TV was as a secretary at MTV Networks and her first job in Film was for FilmFour Limited. More recently she has gained experience with finance companies and public bodies evaluating funding applications.
As Investment Manager Nada manages the application process for potential Screen Cornwall production investment.
Alex MJ Smith is a screenwriter who lives in Penryn, Cornwall.
He was a member of the inaugural BBC Cornish Voices cohort and has since participated in other schemes for regional voices including Channel 4 New Writers and Bristol Old Vic Early Career Playwrights.
Alex is committed to helping grow Cornwall’s screen sector and reminding the wider industry that not only do people live here (all year round!), but a disproportionate number are very talented with unique perspectives to share.
In 2023 he collaborated with local comedy talent on Wosson Cornwall for BBC Radio 4, writing satirical sketches including ‘Kernolingo: Cornish Language App’ and ‘Inside Cornwall’s Toughest Second Homes’. Many of his projects for stage and screen are set in Cornwall, rooted in the landscapes, folklore, history, and contemporary challenges. He is currently collaborating with University of Exeter on a tabletop roleplaying game project inspired by Cornish folklore. He is represented by Gemma Hirst Associates.
Amanda has over 25 years experience working in film finance and distribution for US Studio and independent producers, sales agents, financiers, broadcasters and public funders.
In 2011 Amanda set up AP Media Consultancy advising on production finance, UK and international distribution deals, and managing royalties and recoupment on single projects and libraries. Clients include See-Saw Films, BBC Film, Film4, Channel 4, Protagonist Pictures, AI Film, Catalyst Global Media and independent UK & US producers.
Previously Amanda was a senior member of the Production Finance team at BFI and UK Film Council overseeing Lottery investment in new productions. Prior to that Amanda was Manager of International Royalty Income at Universal Pictures International and Focus Features, and a specialist video accountant at PolyGram. Before moving into film, Amanda was Record and Music Publishing Royalty Manager at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group.
Lindsey Hall MBE, CEO of Real Ideas, leads and manages the organisation to develop innovative approaches to creative regeneration; restoring heritage spaces; enabling others, particularly young people to set up and run creative, socially entrepreneurial activities; solving problems; developing creative careers, businesses and skills.
Passionate about inclusive growth, a recent development is the Devonport Creative Quarter. Focused on creative technology, it includes a state-of-the-art 360 immersive dome; artist’s studios and traditional making facilities. Partners in the Devonport Creative Quarter are Real Ideas, Plymouth Community Homes, Arts University Plymouth, the University of Plymouth and local communities, together attracting global interest, supporting creatives, providing pathways for local people and building creative businesses.
From building award-winning programmes in the UK to driving groundbreaking initiatives internationally, Lindsey has the experience and skills at management, board, and executive level to steer creative, impact driven business ideas towards success, making money and making a difference at the same time.
Lindsey is the Social Value Lead for Team Plymouth, driving innovation in impact led social value.
Lindsey is a NESTA Cultural Leadership fellow, an INSEAD graduate, trustee of Kernow Education Arts Partnership, Newquay Community Orchard, Destination Plymouth, Screen Cornwall, Screen Devon and the Rank Foundation. Member of the Exeter University Business School’s Advisory Board, chair of Plymouth Culture, Inclusive Growth Champion, member of Plymouth Growth Board, Social Value Lead for Team Plymouth and one of the WISE100 social enterprise leaders.
As a senior executive and entrepreneur, Mandy has built a wide experience of the creative and cultural industries, working across the digital media, entertainment and arts sectors. She has set up and led innovative companies and projects exploring new thinking and innovation, products and services in both the public and private sectors.
Mandy advises companies, organisations and individuals on areas including strategy, leadership, change, partnerships and public and private finance.
Mandy’s early career was in East London, ranging from drama workshops and street theatre to running community based projects across multiple arts forms including film and video. She co-founded a major charity supporting economic growth, diversity and inclusion, helping marginalised young people gain opportunities in London’s creative and digital industries. She has worked closely with senior business leaders, public bodies and government at ministerial level and forged strong cross-sectoral partnerships. She developed a centre in London’s Soho, creating a space for collaboration between the converging audio-visual and interactive digital media sectors. She established a network for the digital media sector, featuring UK, US and European players, exploring and imagining the future direction of commercial and creative practice in the 21st Century and helped set up the London Games Fringe Festival. She was co-founder and CEO of a digital filmed media distribution service for non cinema venues.
Mandy lives in Cornwall. She is Chair of Miracle Theatre, a trustee of Creative Kernow and a member of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Creative Industries Sector Body.
After a long career as a producer and executive producer in the Drama department at the BBC, responsible for shows such as ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’, ‘Our Mutual Friend’, ’North and South’, ‘Jane Eyre’, ‘Emma’, series 1-3 of ‘Luther’ and Silent Witness, I set up Bandit Television, based out of Cornwall, in 2019 and made three series of ‘Delicious’ with Emilia Fox and Dawn French for Sky TV and ‘Rillington Place’ for BBC1.
It was the experience of filming down in Cornwall, where I have now lived for the past 15 years, that led me to get together with Laura Giles to create Screen Cornwall which I now chair.
Simon is the Artistic Director of o-region.
He has produced the award winning feature films Long Way Back (2022) (Winner Best Film Wales International Film festival 2022) Brown Willy and Weekend Retreat* (Winner Best Director film London Independent 2012) by Writer / Director Brett Harvey.
*Co produced with Denzil Monk. He also produced The Midnight Drives by Bafta award winning Writer / Director Mark Jenkin. He also co-produced the 360 Immersive short film Gans’n Dhama Wedhen (In the Company of the Mother Tree) by Adam Laity for 360 Full Dome and Planetarium cinemas.
Simon is also an accomplished theatre director whose work has toured extensively across the UK and Internationally (Ireland, USA, Canada and Australia) and played in the West End.
Recent credits include Olivier award winning Pride and Prejudice (Sort Of) and FUP (adapted from the novel by Jim Dodge) at The Minack Theatre, White Horse (which he also wrote) at the Regal Theatre, Brief Encounter for Cunard Cruises and Widdershins for David Mynne.
Simon is a Council Member for Stage Directors UK, a member of City of Truro Male Choir and a Bard of the Gorsedh.
If you’d like to work with us, collaborate, or find out more about opportunities in Cornwall’s screen sector, we’d love to hear from you.
For filming enquiries, locations, permits, crew, and production support in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly:
For press, media, website enquiries, marketing, events, and general communications:
If you’re unsure where to direct your enquiry, please get in touch and we’ll forward it to the right team:
Wether you are bringing your production to Cornwall
or building your screen career, search here.
