Rose Garnett, an executive at the British movie company Film4, has found herself in an unusual situation lately.
After watching Oscar nominees such as “Carol,” “45 Years” and “Ex Machina,” acquaintances in the entertainment business have walked up to Garnett and asked if she’s seen those films.
That’s an odd statement for a simple reason: Garnett is a principal at the company that helped make them.
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“They’ll ask if I’ve seen these movies, and I’ll say, ‘Well, yes, actually,’” Garnett noted dryly.
Such is life for the executives at Film4, the biggest Oscar powerhouse you’ve never heard of.
Outside of 20th Century Fox, which has racked up nominations via all-category contenders such as “The Revenant,” Film4 is behind more Oscar nominees than any of the major studios, including perennial Academy favorites the Weinstein Co., Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Co. Film4 has 15 nominations, including best picture contender “Room,” which it developed and co-financed.
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Still, as Film4 basks in an unusually high batting average, it also faces a crossroads. Under current director David Kosse, the company is caught between its traditional focus on developing high-quality films that yield all these Oscar movies and the increasing pressures of globalization and technology. The Oscar business isn’t easy.
Formed in the early 1980s as a production extension of the government-owned television station Channel4, Film4 began hitting its stride a little more than a decade ago under former chief Tessa Ross. The company began solidifying a reputation for the kind of upscale movies that tend to win awards.
Though it is not sufficiently capitalized to fully finance movies itself, London-based Film4 is often the point of entry for filmmakers, acquiring material and helping to mold it into a camera-ready state.
Because the company is on board projects so early, it’s often overshadowed when a film moves further through the pipeline. “Carol” and “Room,” for instance, are most associated with distributors Weinstein and A24, which is why Film4’s Oscar attention is so scant.
In fact, the company is so under the radar that its executives won’t be attending the ceremony.
Film4’s approach has been to work closely with directors — finding a balance between the silence of an absentee investor and the hands-on approach of note-happy studios — then stay with them as their careers advance.
“In Britain there’s an expression of ‘riding the talent ladder,’” said Kosse, an American from the Pacific Northwest who has long lived in England. “We don’t want to just make the film; we want to make the film before and maybe even the film before the film before.”
“Room” director Lenny Abrahamson, for example, made three films with Film4 along with producing partner Ed Guiney, while the company has collaborated repeatedly with “45 Years” helmer Andrew Haigh.
Most famously, Film4 ushered into the world “12 Years a Slave” director Steve McQueen’s first movie, “Hunger,” nearly a decade ago, then followed him as he climbed the rungs to his 2014 best picture winner.
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Writer-actor Sylvester Stallone, star of the Oscar-winning film “Rocky,” congratulates Peter Finch’s widow, Eletha, center, after Finch was posthumously awarded the lead actor award at the 1977 Academy Awards. Faye Dunaway, right, won for lead actress. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
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Jack Palance uses molar power to pull Oscar onstage at the 65th Academy Awards, as Billy Crystal enjoys the ride. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Jessica Lange at the Governors Ball in 1995. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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David Letterman with Oscar dog in 1995. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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Susan Sarandon accepts her lead actress Oscar for “Dead Man Walking” in 1996. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Björk on the red carpet at the 73rd Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium.
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Julia Roberts wins lead actress for “Erin Brockovich,” at the 73rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Adrien Brody surprises presenter Halle Berry with a kiss after he wins lead actor for “The Pianist” at the 75th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
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Charlize Theron wins lead actress for “Monster,” at the 76th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Jamie Foxx hugs Halle Berry as daughter Corinne looks on, after winning lead actor for “Ray,” during the 77th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenter Julia Roberts wipes her lipstick kiss off Clint Eastwood’s face as he accepts his Oscar for director for “Million Dollar Baby,” during the 77th Academy Awards.
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Jamie Foxx, who won lead actor for “Ray,” is congratulated by Charlize Theron onstage at the 77th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Ben Stiller reads the winner of the visual effects award during the 78th Academy Awards show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Actors Will Ferrell, left and Steve Carell present the Oscar for makeup during the 78th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre.
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Reese Witherspoon kisses her then-husband, Ryan Phillippe, after hearing her name announced as the lead actress winner for “Walk the Line,” during the 78th Academy Awards.
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Steven Spielberg snaps a photo of Ellen DeGeneres and Clint Eastwood while Beyoncé looks on during the 79th Academy Awards.
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Leonardo DiCaprio congratulates Helen Mirren at the 79th Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Javier Bardem is embraced by his mother, Pilar, after winning supporting actor at the 80th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenter Helen Mirren and Daniel Day-Lewis onstage after he won lead actor at the 80th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Forest Whitaker escorts Marion Cotillard off the stage after presenting her the Oscar for lead actress at the 80th Academy Awards.
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Hugh Jackman opens the show at the 81st Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Ben Stiller and Natalie Portman present at the 81st Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Phillipe Petit balances the Oscar after winning for documentary feature for “Man on Wire” as James Marsh looks on at the 81st Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Seal, left, and Mickey Rourke during the 81st Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Ben Stiller, as an Avatar blue man, backstage before an award presentation at the 82nd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Kathryn Bigelow backstage at the 82nd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Mauro Flore is congratualated for winning for cinematography for “Avatar” at the 82nd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Jeremy Renner, from left, Brian Geraghty and Anthony Mackie of “The Hurt Locker” rejoice after the film in which they co-starred won best picture at the 82nd Academy Awards. Screenwriter Mark Boal is at lower right. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Natalie Portman after winning lead actress for “Black Swan” at the 83rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Colin Firth and his wife, Livia Giuggioli, react after Tom Hooper wins best director for “The King’s Speech,” at the 83rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Jean Dujardin, after winning lead actor for “The Artist,” walks off the stage with Uggie the dog at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Muppet characters Kermit and Miss Piggy at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenters Rose Byrne, left, and Melissa McCarthy at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sandra Bullock at the 84th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Sacha Baron Cohen and entourage on the red carpet at the 84th Academy Awards. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Jennifer Lawrence slips on the stairs when going up to the stage to receive her lead actress Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Channing Tatum dances with actress Charlize Theron as host Seth MacFarlane looks on during the 85th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Anne Hathaway watches as her Oscar for supporting actress is engraved at the 85th Academy Awards the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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The cast and crew of best picture “Argo” at the 85th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Legendary actor Sidney Poitier and actress Angelina Jolie chat backstage. Jolie was the recipient of the 2014 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
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Actors Liam Neeson and J.K. Simmons, right, chat backstage at the 87th Academy Awards after Simmons won a supporting actor prize for “Whiplash” in 2015.
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With “Star Wars” reintroduced to a new generation by “The Force Awakens” film, it seemed only fitting to have droids R2D2 and C3PO grace the Academy Awards stage once again.
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Brie Larson is ecstatic as she walks off the stage with the lead actress Oscar for her role in “Room.”
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In a “Titanic” meetup, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet kiss backstage at the Oscars. DiCaprio won the lead actor Oscar for his role in “The Revenant.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) “I know a lot of companies say they’re filmmaker-friendly because that’s just the cool thing to say,” Guiney said in an interview. “But they really do follow the director wherever he wants to go.”
Guiney and Abrahamson are talking with Film4 about a new project, as is Haigh and his producing partner Tristan Goligher. And Film4 is working on new movies from British upscale favorites and past collaborators Andrea Arnold (“Wuthering Heights”) and Lynne Ramsay (“We Need to Talk About Kevin”).
“By definition we’re a place that’s not going to swallow you up,” Garnett said. “We’re a place where the ambition can be boundless but also safe.”
Film4’s business model is relatively straightforward. It takes only British television rights, for its premium-movie network. It has a number of equity investors providing funding for its movies, and also finances some of its films with National Lottery government funds. It aims to recoup investments as a profit participant on the films, collecting a portion of theatrical and ancillary revenue as well as fees when the movies sell to distributors.
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But change has been afoot in the prestige-film world, whose movies now must compete with streaming and other digital services, among other forces. To stay relevant, a company like Film4 must expand the territories in which it operates — not always easy for movies with a strong British pedigree. Kosse said it’s a matter of knowing your market.
“If you want to make films for a commercial audience, focus on that and be aware of it. If you want to make a personal film be aware of that,” he said. “If you’re thinking [about] films on a global scale, be aware of where the market in Latin America is going or that Russia likes certain types of films. We’re not leaving the core of what we do. But we do want to have this awareness.”
Kosse’s goal is to continue the tradition under longtime predecessor Tessa Ross — known in the business for an unstinting devotion to quality — while expanding it for a more global minded commercialism.
A former president of Universal International, Kosse was brought in about 18 months ago after Ross’ departure to help subtly expand the kinds of movies Film4 makes.
“Ex Machina,” for instance, though a movie by a well-regarded novelist and screenwriter in Alex Garland, is also a genre play that worked well in international territories. (That film was developed by Ross.) The company is behind “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” a U.S. military-inflected movie from Oscar-winning Taiwanese American director Ang Lee.
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Nominated for: lead actor Oscar in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” 2007 | lead actor Oscar for “Ali,” 2002 (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: supporting actress for “Junebug,” 2006 | supporting actress for “Doubt,” 2009 | supporting actress for “The Fighter,” 2011 | supporting actress for “The Master,” 2013 | lead actress for “American Hustle,” 2014 (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: lead actor Oscar for “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” 2008 | lead actor Oscar for “Finding Neverland,” 2005 | lead actor Oscar for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” 2004 (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: lead actress Oscar for “Gorillas in the Mist,” 1989 | supporting actress Oscar for “Working Girl,” 1989 | lead actress Oscar for “Aliens,” 1987 (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: Supporting actor Oscar for “Magnolia,” 2000 | lead actor Oscar for “Jerry Maguire,” 1997 | lead actor Oscar for “Born on the Fourth of July,” 1990 (Shown center with “Valkyrie” director Bryan Singer and writer Chris McQuarrie.) (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: supporting actor Oscar for “Tropic Thunder,” 2009 | lead actor Oscar for “Chaplin,” 1993. (Shown here at left with “Iron Man 3” director Shane Black.) (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: lead actress Oscar for “Love Field,” 1993 | lead actress Oscar for “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” 1990 | supporting actress Oscar for “Dangerous Liaisons,” 1989 (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)
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Nominated for: supporting actor Oscar for “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” 2002 | lead actor Oscar for “Gods and Monsters,” 1999 (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)
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Nominated for: best picture Oscar for “The Fighter,” 2011 (shared with David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman) | supporting actor Oscar for “The Departed,” 2007 (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: lead actress Oscar for “Albert Nobbs,” 2011 | lead actress Oscar for “Dangerous Liaisons,” 1989 | lead actress Oscar for “Fatal Attraction,” 1988 | supporting actress Oscar for “The Natural,” 1985 | supporting actress Oscar for “The Big Chill,” 1984 | supporting actress Oscar for “The World According to Garp,” 1983 (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: lead actor Oscar for “Witness,” 1986 (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: supporting actor Oscar for “Pulp Fiction,” 1995 (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)
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Nominated for: lead actor Oscar for “Pulp Fiction,” 1995 | lead actor Oscar for “Saturday Night Fever,” 1978 (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: supporting actress for “The Wings of the Dove,” 1998 | lead actress Oscar for “The King’s Speech,” 2011 (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: Lead actress Oscar for “The Help,” 2012 (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Nominated for: lead actor for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” 2012 (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
Film4 this year has more money to reach these goals — about $35 million compared with about $20 million past years. The idea is to take a bigger position in individual films as well as broaden the number and type of movies it invests in.
Still, there are challenges. The specialty-film business is littered with companies that tried to walk the prestige-commercial line.
“The question is whether they can expand and become more international while still maintaining their core of British good taste,” said an American independent-film executive with close knowledge of Film4, who asked not to be identified so as not to jeopardize their relationship with the company. “And that’s not easy.”
Focus Features, the U.S. specialty division of Universal, has struggled with that exact mandate, looking to retain upscale movies of a previous regime while also embracing genre and other commercial fare.
Kosse said he believes that these are lofty but workable goals.
“There’s a certain ambition,” he said. “We’re not kidding ourselves that it’s easy to achieve. But if you look at what we’ve been able to do with the movies this year and what we have in the pipeline, I think we can make films that fulfill these ambitions.”
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