Elizabeth Karlsen

Elizabeth co-founded Number 9 Films with Stephen Woolley in 2002 after a long collaboration at leading independent UK film distribution and producing company Palace Pictures.

Most recently they produced The Limehouse Golem adapted from Peter Ackroyd’s novel, written by Jane Goldman, and directed by Juan Carlos Medina, starring Bill Nighy, Olivia Cooke and Douglas Booth; Their Finest, directed by Lone Scherfig and starring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin and Bill Nighy. Both films premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival to rave reviews and are released through Lionsgate this spring.

Last year’s releases included the multi award winning critical and box office success Carol, an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel, written by award winning scribe Phyllis Nagy, directed by Todd Haynes, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Mara was awarded the Best Actress award in Cannes where the film was selected for 2015 Cannes competition. The film was the most nominated film of 2015 receiving six Golden Globe nominations, 6 Academy Award nominations, 9 BAFTA nominations, the winner of four New York Film Critics Circle Awards including Best Picture and multiple other nominations and wins worldwide.

They also co-produced in the same year Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth starring Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel and Jane Fonda, which was selected for 2015 Cannes competition, nominated for an Academy Award and the winner of 3 European Film Awards including Best Film.

Other credits include: Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game, nominated for six Academy Awards; Mark Herman’s Little Voice, nominated for six Golden Globe Awards, an Academy Award and six BAFTA Awards, including Best Picture; the HBO single drama Mrs Harris starring Annette Bening and Ben Kingsley nominated for 12 Emmys, three Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Producer’s Guild of America Award; the BAFTA-nominated Great Expectations, written by David Nicholls, directed by Mike Newell and starring Jeremy Irvine, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Robbie Coltrane; Byzantium, written by Moira Buffini, directed by Neil Jordan and starring Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan; Hyena, directed by Gerard Johnson and starring Peter Fernando, which opened the Edinburgh Festival in the UK and screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York; Made in Dagenham, nominated for three BAFTAs, four BIFAs, two Evening Standard Awards and a London Critics Circle Award; and also Made in Dagenham the Musical, which opened at the Adelphi in London’s West End in October 2014 starring Gemma Arterton.

This Autumn sees production commence on On Chesil Beach, an adaptation by Ian McEwan of his best-selling Booker Prize short-listed novel, directed by Dominic Cooke and starring two-time Academy Award nominee, Saoirse Ronan followed in the new year by Colette written and directed by Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice) starring Keira Knightley.

Elizabeth has served on the board of EM Media, The Edinburgh Festival, was chair of Women in Film and TV UK and she is on the advisory board for the 2016 NFTS Gala.