MICHAEL RILEY Company Director/Producer



Michael graduated from UUC, Northern Ireland and began his film career in music promos and theatre. He made a SKY TV documentary in 1991 about Tibetan refugees filmed throughout India, featuring the Dalai Llama. He followed this by producing and directing a number of acclaimed TV films including FLUSH (Granada), MOTHER’S DAY (Yorkshire/Tyne Tees) and EVERYTHING'S FINE for ZDF Germany. 

He moved to feature film production in 1995 with the rites-of-passage picture BOSTON KICKOUT. Distributed in the UK by First Independent and in the US by Fox Lorber the film won numerous awards at international film festivals, including San Sebastian. This was quickly followed by a succession of feature films including RESPECT - a cross-cultural love story, LOOP - a quirky romantic comedy starring Susannah York, HARD MEN - a comedy spoof and OUT OF DEPTH - a thriller. 

From 1997 to 2001 he developed and produced the 10x50 min family saga IN A LAND OF PLENTY for the BBC, one of the largest dramas ever commissioned by the broadcaster. The show went on to air in 2001 to enormous acclaim, was nominated for Best European Drama at the Koln Conference and for an RTS Award. His next feature film, the irreverent black comedy LAVA, was released by Universal Pictures and gained enthusiastic critical and public reaction. 

He then produced the cult horror film VAMPIRE DIARY (Winner: Best Film Milan International Film Festival 2008) and the drama/thriller OUTLANDERS (Winner: Best Film/Best Director Braga Cine Int. Film Festival) due for UK release in 2008. He has also completed SPOOOKED!, a CGI-heavy comedy pilot film as well as the short film A GIRL AND A GUN starring Ian Hart proving hugely popular on global download charts. Michael has also acted as co-producer on the comedy/drama THE MAN WHO WOULD BE QUEEN and produced the thriller SUGARHOUSE released in August 2007 (Gala Screening premier at the Edinburgh International Film Festival). In 2007 he also produced the documentary WILD WEST CHINA shot in the remote western Chinese Taklamakan desert and WAITING, the Turner Prize nominated installation project filmed in Kenya for artist ZARINA BHIMJI. Michael also co-produced the romantic drama FRENCH FILM starring Eric Cantona and Hugh Bonneville. 

Michael has participated in numerous media business, film finance and co-production courses and forums including the MEDIA II Film Business School in Ronda. He was on the selection panel for the UK Film Council's First Light production awards, has acted as Head of Production for Arts Alliance-backed producer/distributor Slingshot Studios and is a member of BAFTA and The European Film Academy.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0727121/
STERLING : PICTURES ____________________________________________________________________________________