See-Saw Films
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film and television production |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Iain Canning, Emile Sherman |
| Headquarters | London, Sydney , United Kingdom, Australia |
Area served | United Kingdom, Australia |
Key people | Iain Canning (Co-managing director), Emile Sherman (Co-managing director), Patrick Walters (Executive producer, television development), Simon Gillis (Chief operating officer) |
| Products | Film and television productions including The King's Speech, Top Of The Lake, Lion, The Power of the Dog, Slow Horses, Heartstopper |
| Parent | Mediawan (majority owner since March 2025) |
See-Saw Films is a film and television production company operating across the United Kingdom and Australia, established in 2008 by Iain Canning and Emile Sherman. The company maintains offices in both London and Sydney. Their portfolio features acclaimed projects such as The King's Speech, Top Of The Lake, Lion, The Power of the Dog, Slow Horses, and the British youth-oriented series Heartstopper.
History
In 2008, producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman launched See-Saw Films.
The company achieved significant recognition in 2011 when it received the Academy Award for Best Picture for The King's Speech, directed by Tom Hooper and featuring performances by Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter.
See-Saw's debut television project was Top Of The Lake, directed by Jane Campion with lead roles played by Elisabeth Moss and Holly Hunter. Released in 2013, the series garnered eight Emmy Award nominations alongside two Golden Globe Award nods. Its follow-up season, Top Of The Lake: China Girl, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, with Moss returning and joined by Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie.
The company also produced Lion, which debuted at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, and Rooney Mara, the film received six Academy Award nominations, secured two BAFTA Awards, and won 12 AACTA Awards.
In 2019, See-Saw brought forth the British short-form comedy series State of the Union, which premiered on Sundance TV. The first season starred Rosamund Pike and Chris O'Dowd, earning three Emmy Awards. A second season arrived in 2021 featuring a new cast including Brendan Gleeson and Patricia Clarkson.
The year 2021 saw releases such as the British television drama The North Water, written and directed by Andrew Haigh, starring Jack O'Connell and Colin Farrell, alongside the Australian series Firebite, created by Warwick Thornton, who also co-directed with Fletcher and Krawitz. Both titles premiered on AMC+ in the United States.
Later in 2021, Netflix distributed The Power of the Dog, marking See-Saw’s second project with Jane Campion. This film earned two BAFTA Awards including Best Film in 2022, accumulated twelve Academy Award nominations with Campion winning Best Director, and debuted at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where Campion received the Silver Lion for Best Director.
Television offerings in 2022 included seasons one and two of Slow Horses, Apple TV+’s The Essex Serpent, as well as Netflix’s first season of Heartstopper. That year’s film releases comprised Operation Mincemeat and The Stranger. Additionally, Florian Zeller’s The Son premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival with plans for theatrical distribution in early 2023.
In March 2025, See-Saw Films became majority-owned by French media group Mediawan, which acquired a 51% stake through a combination of cash and stock in a transaction whose financial details were not disclosed.
People
See-Saw Films was established by Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, who continue to serve as co-managing directors as of June 2022.
In 2014, Patrick Walters, a UK-based executive producer, became part of the team and was elevated in 2018 to lead television development across the UK, US, and Australia. He also acts as executive producer on selected UK productions.
Simon Gillis holds the position of chief operating officer.
Subsidiaries and associated companies
See-Saw includes an internal sales arm called Cross City Films, which handles international sales in designated regions.
During 2019 and 2020, See-Saw initiated joint ventures: I Am That with director Garth Davis (known for Lion) and Picking Scabs alongside Samantha Strauss, creator of The End. I Am That is a fifty-fifty collaboration focusing on creating feature films and TV content for Davis in partnership with Canning and Sherman. Picking Scabs develops projects written and produced by Strauss in collaboration with See-Saw.
Film
| Year | Film | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Linear | Anton Corbijn | ||
| 2010 | Oranges and Sunshine | Jim Loach | Rona Munro | Received multiple nominations at Australian film awards |
| The Kings of Mykonos | Peter Andrikidis | Nominated for AFI Readers' Choice Award | ||
| The King's Speech | Tom Hooper | David Seidler | Awarded Academy Award for Best Picture, BAFTA Best Film, PGA Award; garnered numerous international nominations | |
| 2011 | Shame | Steve McQueen | Steve McQueen; Abi Morgan | Nominated for British Academy Award for Best British Film among others |
| 2012 | Dead Europe | Tony Krawitz | Louise Fox | Nominated for AACTA Best Film and FCCA Award |
| 2013 | Tracks | John Curran | Marion Nelson | Received nominations from AACTA Best Film and Australian Film Critics Association Award |
| 2015 | Life | Anton Corbijn | Luke Davies | |
| Macbeth | Justin Kurzel | Jacob Koskoff; Michael Lesslie; Todd Louiso | ||
| Mr. Holmes | Bill Condon | Jeffrey Hatcher | ||
| Slow West | John Maclean | John Maclean | ||
| 2016 | Lion | Garth Davis | Luke Davies | Nominated for Academy Award Best Picture, Golden Globe, PGA Award among others |
| 2017 | How to Talk to Girls at Parties | John Cameron Mitchell | ||
| 2018 | Mary Magdalene | Garth Davis | ||
| Widows | Steve McQueen | |||
| The Day Shall Come | Chris Morris | |||
| Ammonite | Francis Lee | |||
| The Power of the Dog | Jane Campion | Jane Campion | ||
| 2022 | Operation Mincemeat | John Madden | ||
| The Stranger | Thomas M. Wright | Thomas M. Wright | ||
| The Son | Florian Zeller | |||
| 2023 | Foe | Garth Davis | ||
| The Royal Hotel | Kitty Green | |||
| One Life | James Hawes | |||
| TBA | Wizards! | David Michôd |
Television
| Year | Title | Screenwriter(s) | Director(s) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Top of the Lake | Jane Campion, Gerard Lee | Jane Campion, Garth Davis |
|
| 2015 | Banished | Jimmy McGovern, Shaun Duggan | Daniel Percival, Jeffrey Walker | Nominated for the AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Miniseries |
| 2016 | Codes of Conduct | Matthew Michael Carnahan | Steve McQueen | |
| Love, Nina | Nick Hornby, Nina Stibbe | S.J. Clarkson | ||
| 2017 | Top of the Lake: China Girl | Jane Campion, Gerard Lee | Jane Campion, Ariel Kleiman | Nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television |
| 2018 | The New Legends of Monkey | Jacquelin Perske | Gerald Johnstone | Recognized with a nomination for the AACTA Award in the Best Children's Television Series category |
| 2019 | State of the Union | Nick Hornby | Stephen Frears | Awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series |
| 2020 | The End | Samantha Strauss | Jessica M. Thompson, Jonathan Brough | Nominated for the AACTA Award for Best Miniseries or Telefeature |
| 2021 | The North Water | Andrew Haigh | Andrew Haigh | |
| Firebite | Warwick Thornton, Brendan Fletcher | Warwick Thornton, Brendan Fletcher, Tony Krawitz | ||
| 2022 | Slow Horses | Will Smith, Morwenna Banks, Mark Denton, Jonny Stockwood | James Hawes | |
| Heartstopper | Alice Oseman | Euros Lyn | Garnered nine nominations at the Children's and Family Emmy Awards | |
| The Essex Serpent | Anna Symon | Clio Barnard | ||
| 2024 | Sweetpea | Kirstie Swain | Ella Jones |