US production company, Epoch Film, has expanded to the UK. Leading the company will be founder, Mindy Goldberg, and partners, Melissa Culligan and Martin de Thurah, joined 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 will spearhead the new Epoch arm. He has been integral to Epoch’s brand evolution and a major catalyst in creating the company’s creative and spiritual DNA in the US for the past eight years. 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 also marks a pivotal move in de Thurah’s 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.
He commented, “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.
“Academy Films was my first production company, before Bacon and Epoch…Leaving it 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,” added 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.”
The new executives also add international experience to Epoch UK. Campbell has a diverse global background in advertising, entertainment, and tech in the US, UK and Europe and provides the company with a unique perspective. Fewtrell has produced at a number of production houses on both sides of the Atlantic and his work covers advertising, film, and music video.
Culligan add commented, “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 directors from its US roster – 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.
Epoch is also planning to venture 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 it optioned and another centered on an off-Broadway one-woman show.
