dartmouth films

Core Team

Christopher Hird
Founder and Managing Director

Christopher Hird is a leading figure in UK independent documentary making. With Dartmouth Films he has pioneered new ways of funding, producing and distributing documentaries in the UK, as well as promoting the work of new and emerging filmmakers.

Lidia Ciszewska
Head of Production

Lidia Ciszewska is a graduate of Journalism and Political Sciences faculty at Warsaw University and Film and TV Production at National Film School in Łódź. Her career includes working on a variety of productions from feature films to TV entertainment and documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4.

Matt Hird
Outreach and Distribution

Matt Hird’s career includes working as a television researcher, as campaign officer for human rights and environmental campaigning groups and in the press office of music festivals. He has overall responsibility for Dartmouth’s distribution and marketing.

The World Today with Tariq Ali

Alex Morris
Producer

Alex is the producer of The World Today with Tariq Ali on Telesur English. His background includes producing broadcast news and political programmes, as well as making short films about arts, culture and history. Alex has recently returned to Dartmouth Films after 18 months producing UK news for Russia Today.

Staff

Irene Tausvik
Production Assistant

Irene assists with a range of daily office tasks from admin and updating websites to production and camera support. She studied a BA in editing in Oslo and an MA in directing in London.

Sparky
Hospitality Assistant

Sparky joined Dartmouth Films in October 2017. He is a rescue from Battersea Dogs' Home, responsible for staff entertainment and recycling any lunch leftovers.

Usman Khan
Accounts

Usman is our Finance Manager and manages all the accounts and finance operations of the businesses.

Wayne D'Cruz
Distribution Coordinator

Wayne earned his MA from King’s College London for his study on emerging distribution practices in the British film industry before joining Dartmouth’s distribution arm. His previous experience includes working on a film trade market and a cross-border children’s film development network in South Asia, as well as programming and production for film festivals in the UK.

Independent Directors

Sam Collins
Director/Producer

Sam is a freelance producer, journalist and author. Death of a Gentleman is his first film, which he conceived and directed for three years while covering the developing story.

Vicki Lesley
Director/Producer

Vicki has worked in production and development on numerous high profile documentaries/series in the UK and United States for over 15 years. More recently, she’s combined working in mainstream TV with producing and directing independent shorts and NGO videos screened online and on the festival circuit.

Ashley Pegg
Director/Producer

Ashley is an award-winning graduate of the National Film and Television School. He was shortlisted for a Grierson Award and is developing a number of films for broadcast.

Sue Carpenter
Director/Producer

Sue is a journalist and photographer, and co-founder of Asha Nepal, a charity helping exploited girls in Nepal. I Am Belmaya is her first film. Sue has known Belmaya since 2006, when she spent 9 months in Nepal teaching photography to disadvantaged girls, including Belmaya, then aged 14.