Founder and Managing Director
Christopher Hird is a leading figure in UK independent documentary making. With Dartmouth Films he has pioneered new ways of funding, producing and distributing documentaries in the UK, as well as promoting the work of new and emerging filmmakers.
Christopher Hird
Matt Hird
Head of Distribution
Matt Hird’s career includes working as a television researcher, as campaign officer for human rights and environmental campaigning groups and in the press office of music festivals. He has overall responsibility for Dartmouth’s distribution and marketing.
Lidia Ciszewska
Head of Production
Lidia Ciszewska is a graduate of Journalism and Political Sciences faculty at Warsaw University and Film and TV Production at National Film School in Łódź. Her career includes working on a variety of productions from feature films to TV entertainment and documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4.
Distribution & Sales Manager
Wayne earned his MA from King’s College London for his study on emerging distribution practices in the British film industry before joining Dartmouth. His previous experience includes working on a film trade market, a South Asian cross-border children’s film development network, and programming and production for film festivals. In 2019, he won Rising Star at the Screen Awards.
Wayne D'Cruz
Usman Khan
Accounts
Usman is our Finance Manager and manages all the accounts and finance operations of the businesses.
Sparky
Hospitality Assistant
Sparky joined Dartmouth Films in October 2017. He is a rescue from Battersea Dogs' Home, responsible for staff entertainment and recycling any lunch leftovers.
Independent Directors
Ashley Pegg
Director/Producer
Ashley is an award-winning graduate of the National Film and Television School. He was shortlisted for a Grierson Award and is developing a number of films for broadcast.
Sue Carpenter
Director/Producer
Sue is a journalist and photographer, and co-founder of Asha Nepal, a charity helping exploited girls in Nepal. I Am Belmaya is her first film. Sue has known Belmaya since 2006, when she spent 9 months in Nepal teaching photography to disadvantaged girls, including Belmaya, then aged 14.
Vicki Lesley
Director/Producer
Vicki has worked in production and development on numerous high profile documentaries/series in the UK and United States for over 15 years. More recently, she’s combined working in mainstream TV with producing and directing independent shorts and NGO videos screened online and on the festival circuit.
Giovanni Ulleri
Nelly Ben Hayoun
Director/Producer
Award-winning director and designer of experiences Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun is a critical explorer, and a fearless and passionate provocateur.
In 2019 Nelly's I AM (NOT) A MONSTER was a Grierson Award nominee at the BFI London Film Festival. She is currently working on her latest feature documentary, RED GOLD.
Director/Producer
Award-winning filmmaker and investigative journalist Gio has worked with networks like Al Jazeera, BBC and Channel 4.
He is also an experienced
self-shooter, having shot documentaries all over the world in challenging locations. He is now working on his next documentary which is currently in pre-production.
Hilary Powell
Dan Edelstyn
Director/Producer
From film and book production to performance and print Hilary works with overlooked processes, materials, people and places in unexpected ways.
She is now working with Dan Edelstyn on the upcoming documentary Bank Job.
Director/Producer
Dan is a documentary filmmaker and screenwriter.
He released his first documentary film How to Re-Establish a Vodka Empire in 2011, in which he found his dead grandmother’s memoir and decided to retrace her life.
He is currently working with Hilary Powell on their new project Bank Job.