Robyn Slovo began her career writing and producing for the stage. She segued to reading and story-editing for film and television, and in 1993 became executive in charge of all development for BBC Single Drama/Films. While at the BBC, she worked on a diverse slate of feature films, telefilms, and television dramas.
In 1997, Ms. Slovo joined George Faber and Charles Pattinson in forming Company Pictures. She was head of film at the U.K. production company, remaining with Company for a decade. Company credits during her stint there included Stephen Hopkins' The Life and Death of Peter Sellers; the original U.K. television series Shameless; Terry Johnson's Not Only But Always; and Tom Hooper's Elizabeth I.
Among her credits are producing Lynne Ramsay's Morvern Callar, starring Samantha Morton; co-producing Norman Jewison's The Statement, starring Michael Caine; executive-producing Penny Woolcock's Mischief Night and Dan Wilde's Alpha Male; and producing Gimme Shelter, a short film directed by Ben Affleck. The latter was made in late 2008 in the (Democratic Republic of) Congo, and made for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
Also for Focus Features and Working Title Films, Ms. Slovo produced Catch a Fire, starring Derek Luke as real-life South African hero Patrick Chamusso. The movie, made on location, was directed by Phillip Noyce from an original screenplay by Ms. Slovo's sister Shawn. In South Africa in the 1960s, their parents Joe Slovo and Ruth First faced imprisonment for their anti-apartheid actions, and the family was forced to flee their country. Robyn Slovo attended school and college in the U.K., and continues to live and work there. She returned to South Africa in the 1990s and again in recent years to produce and premiere Catch a Fire.
Focus Features
