John Giwa-Amu

John Giwa-Amu
Giwa-Amu at the UK Premier of the Raindance Film Festival representing The Machine (2013)
OccupationFilm producer
Years active2004–present

John Giwa-Amu is a film producer best known for sci-fi thriller, The Machine, Little White Lies, Don't Knock Twice, The Call Up and The Party. He runs a production, distribution and financing company called Red and Black Films alongside writer/director Caradog James and video game company Good Gate Media Ltd.

Film career

Giwa-Amu's first feature was the 2006 BAFTA Cymru winning[1][2][3] and BIFA-nominated Little White Lies.[4] At Cannes 2015 Giwa-Amu was named one of the world's most promising new producers by Screen International in its yearly showcase, Future Leaders.[5]

He won the UK Film Council Breakthrough Brits Award in 2008.[6]

The Machine starring Toby Stephens, Caity Lotz, and Denis Lawson was released in cinemas March 2014[7] The film was commissioned as a TV pilot by NBC Universal/SyFy which Giwa-Amu executive produced in early 2017.[8][9] The film hit number 2 in the UK iTunes charts and number 5 in the United States and Germany. The film had its world premiere in Tribeca having been selected from over 6,000 films. It won a British Independent Film Award, Best Sci-Fi and Best Actress at Toronto After Dark, three BAFTA Cymru awards[10] including Best Film and Best UK Feature of the Raindance Film Festival[11] and winning the Screen Award for UK distribution which was also managed by Giwa-Amu.[12][13]

John was involved in the co-production of the film, The Silent Storm, starring Damien Lewis and Andrea Riseborough, which was released in cinemas in May 2016 by Sony.[14][15]

In 2016, Giwa-Amu produced Don't Knock Twice which was again directed by James, starring Katee Sackhoff, Lucy Boynton, Nick Moran, Javier Botet and Richard Mylan.[16]

In 2017, Giwa-Amu executive produced The Party, by Sally Potter, starring Cillian Murphy, Timothy Spall, Kristin Scott Thomas, Bruno Ganz and, Patricia Clarkson. The film premiered in Berlinale 2017.[17] It was awarded the Guild Prize at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival.[18] He would again work with Potter on the 2020 film, The Roads Not Taken, starring Javier Bardem, Elle Fanning, Laura Linney, and Salma Hayek.[19]

Giwa-Amu found further success when he developed and distributed a video game adaptation of Don’t Knock Twice. This led to the foundation of his interactive company Good Gate Media. The company’s debut, The Complex, was released in 2020 across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and Steam. Since its debut, Good Gate Media has developed and published eight more games of multiple genres, including Five Dates, Night Book, Bloodshore, and the upcoming Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?

In 2021, Giwa-Amu produced, Count Me In, a music documentary that explores drummers and their careers. The documentary features, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Cindy Blackman (Santana), Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Roger Taylor (Queen), and many other drummers. Count Me In (film) was released worldwide by Netflix.

In 2024, Giwa-Amu produced The Man In My Basement based on Walter Mosley’s novel starring Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe and Tony Award nominated Corey Hawkins.

Member

Giwa-Amu sits on the board of Ffilm Cymru Wales[20] and BAFTA Cymru.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ "That winning feeling". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  2. ^ "'Little White Lies' tipped to win the Amazon International Film Competition". Bafta.org (in Welsh). 27 January 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Hollywood embraces Britain's black film talent". The Independent. 10 May 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  4. ^ Chamberlain, Laura (10 December 2010). "Little White Lies up for $1m film prize". BBC Online. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Future Leaders 2015: Producers". Screen International. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Breakthrough Brits showcased at Hollywood Black Film Festival". Screen. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  7. ^ "'The Machine' Reboot Not Moving Forward at Syfy". The Hollywood Reporter. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  8. ^ "'The Machine': Bridger Zadina, Olly Rix, Malachi Kirby & Indira Varma Cast In Syfy AI Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  9. ^ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (15 September 2016). "Syfy Orders Three Pilots Including TV Adaptation of 'The Machine' Film". Variety. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  10. ^ "2013 Cymru Special Achievement Award for Film". BAFTA Awards. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Stephens' Machine gets indie honour". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  12. ^ Doran, Lorna (17 May 2013). "How the Welsh film industry will be making an impact at Cannes". WalesOnline. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  13. ^ "The Machine". The Arts Desk. 17 March 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  14. ^ Lodge, Guy (23 October 2014). "Film Review: 'The Silent Storm'". Variety. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Production report: The Silent Storm". Screen. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  16. ^ Evans, Keith (30 September 2016). "Raindance Film Festival world premiere for made-in-Wales supernatural thriller "Don't Knock Twice"". West Wales Chronicle. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  17. ^ Barraclough, Leo (2 February 2017). "Berlinale: Watch the First Clip From Sally Potter's 'The Party'". Variety. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  18. ^ "The Awards of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival" (PDF). Berlinale 67. Berlin International Film Festival. 18 February 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  19. ^ Debruge, Leo (26 February 2020). "'The Roads Not Taken': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  20. ^ Williams, Angharad. "FFILM CYMRU WALES PAVES WAY WITH NEW BOARD MEMBERS". Ffilmcymruwales.com. Retrieved 3 February 2018.