Chairman

Jeremy Thomas began his film career working in the cutting rooms and soon became an editor on such films as A MISFORTUNE (1973), directed by Ken Loach, and BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME by Phillipe Mora. In 1974, Thomas produced his first film, also by Mora, MAD DOG MORGAN starring Dennis Hopper, and then founded Recorded Picture Company.

Thomas has since gone on to produce over fifty films, such as Jerzy Skolimowski’s THE SHOUT (1978), Nic Roeg’s BAD TIMING (1980), and Nagisa Ôshima’s MERRY CHRISTMAS MR LAWRENCE (1982). In 1986, Thomas collaborated with director Bernardo Bertolucci on THE LAST EMPEROR, which won nine Academy Awards® including Best Picture, and many other international awards. Thomas has remained an independent producer, resulting in a diverse body of work, including such titles as Nic Roeg’s EUREKA (1982), Takeshi Kitano’s BROTHER (2000), Jonathan Glazer’s SEXY BEAST (2000), Richard Linklater’s FAST FOOD NATION (2006), and Jon Amiel’s CREATION (2009). Throughout his career, Thomas has worked with many other leading filmmakers including Stephen Frears, Phillip Noyce, Wim Wenders and David Cronenberg.

In 1992, Thomas was appointed Chairman of the British Film Institute, and was made a Life Fellow in 2000. He has been President of the Jury at the Tokyo, San Sebastian, Berlin and Cannes film festivals (Un Certain Regard), and has also served on the main Jury at Cannes.

In 2010, Thomas premiered Jerzy Skolimowski’s ESSENTIAL KILLING and Takashi Miike’s 13 ASSASSINS at the Venice Film Festival, both of which he executive-produced. ESSENTIAL KILLING went on to win the Jury Prize and two others, a triple win unprecedented in the Festival’s history. He also executive-produced Wim Wenders’ 3D dance film PINA, which premiered at the 2011 Berlinale. At Cannes 2011, Thomas premiered Takashi Miike’s new film, HARA-KIRI: DEATH OF A SAMURAI, the first 3D film to show In Competition.

Thomas’ upcoming releases include David Cronenberg’s A DANGEROUS METHOD, written by Christopher Hampton and starring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender and Vincent Cassel, which will premiere at the 2011 Venice, Toronto and New York Film Festivals. He is currently in post-production on the epic adventure KON-TIKI with directors Joachim Roenning and Espen Sandberg.