Stephen Woolley is one of the most prolific and established producers in Europe. Alongside his Number 9 Films partner Elizabeth Karlsen he was recently awarded the BAFTA for Outstanding British contribution to Cinema. His most recent films include Living, Mothering Sunday, Colette, On Chesil Beach, Their Finest, Limehouse Golem, Youth, and Carol. His work with Elizabeth Karlsen has garnered a total of 52 BAFTA nominations and wins and 20 Academy Award® nominations and wins.

Stephen’s career began in 1976 at the Islington Screen cinema in London. He later became a programmer at The Other Cinema and subsequently owned his own cinema, The Scala, receiving acclaim for its diverse and original programming. 1982 saw Woolley launch Palace Video/Pictures, with Nik Powell, releasing titles such as David Lynch’s Eraserhead and Werner Herzog’s Fitzcaraldo. Palace acquired, marketed and distributed some 300 independent movies from Ken Loach to Mike Leigh , The Evil Dead to Blood Simple, Diva to When Harry Met Sally. Woolley and Powell founded Scala Pictures, where they made Backbeat (1994), Little Voice (1998), Twenty Four Seven (1997), and a series of low budget UK features.

Stephen quickly moved into production, his first film, the 1984 Angela Carter/Neil Jordan collaboration, A Company of Wolves. He has since produced over thirty films, and executive produced as many. Credits include Absolute Beginners, Byzantium, Stoned (which he also directed), Breakfast on Pluto, Intermission, The End of the Affair, Michael Collins, Interview with a Vampire, Backbeat, The Crying Game, Scandal, Mona Lisa, among many others.