Company Profile

Scala was formed by Nik Powell and Stephen Woolley in 1992. In the early 2000s, Stephen set up his own shingle Number 9 Films with producer Elizabeth Karlsen and Ian Prior joined Scala as Nik’s partner.

Academy Award-nominee Milcho Manchevski’s WILLOW, on which both Powell and Prior are executive producers, premiered to acclaim at the Rome Film Festival before a host of screenings and awards on the festival circuit. Variety called the film “powerful, evocative, beautifully played” while Screen International described it as “poignant and profound”, The Hollywood Reporter “riveting..dazzling..illuminating”. WILLOW was long-listed for 2020 European Film Awards and selected as North Macedonia’s entry for the Academy Awards.
Amongst Scala’s earlier credits is LADIES IN LAVENDER, starring Dame Judi Dench and Dame Maggie Smith which premiered as the UK’s Royal Film Performance in the presence of HRM Queen Elizabeth II before grossing US$25million worldwide. LITTLE VOICE with Michael Caine and Brenda Blethyn was Oscar-nominated while Shane Meadows’ debut feature TWENTY FOUR SEVEN won the FIPRESCI Prize in Venice and Iain Softley’s BACKBEAT was adapted into a hit West End musical. Nik was also an executive producer of Martin Koolhoven’s Venice Premiere BRIMSTONE starring Dakota Fanning, Kit Harington and Guy Pearce.

Forthcoming Scala projects include THE OLD MAN & THE PRINCESS supported by Screen Ireland, Manchevski’s absurdist comedy KAYMAK and UK/Netherlands co-production TRULY NAKED with BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Muriel d’Ansembourg.