the media lunch club was established in 1994, by producer Martin Cahill, as a non-profit making, and politically neutral, networking society and has grown to become the film, tv and media industry's premiere café du commerce.
Monthly lunches are held in London's West End (and a Brighton away-day lunch during the summer), with an invited guest speaker. Some of our previous speakers include:
Producers: Tim Bevan, Stephen Evans, Rebecca O'Brien, Nick Manzi, Richard Holmes, Jeremy Thomas, Duncan Kenworthy, Michael Kuhn, Nik Powell, Marc Samuelson, Richard Holmes, Michael Deeley, Simon Channing-Williams, Simon Oakes (Hammer films), Paul Brett, Anne Beresford and Jeremy Bolt.
Directors: Sir Alan Parker, Dame Beeban Kidron, Stuart Baird, Waris Hussein, Roy Ward Baker, Vic Armstrong, Robert Young, Jack Cardiff, Ronnie Neame, Lewis Gilbert, John Glen, Guy Hamilton and Ray Harryhausen and John Irvin.
Executives: Daniel Battsek (former Film4 and Miramax), Duncan Reid (Ingenious), Greg Dyke (TV), Ian Hutchinson (Silver Reel), Lord Michael Grade, Amanda Nevill (BFI), Stewart Till (former UK Film Council Chairman), Lenny Crooks (formerly of New Cinema Fund, UK Film Council), David Thompson (formerly BBC Films), Steve Christian (Pinewood Films), Peter Bennett-Jones (Tiger Aspect), Dave Bishop (Protagonist), John Woodward (former CEO, UK Film Council), Jane Lighting (former CEO Channel 5), Simon George (Ealing Studios Productions), Lorraine Heggesey (ITV/BBC), Dr Kim Howells MP & Shaun Woodward MP (former Film Ministers), Sara Geater (all 3 media) and Robert Duval, David Cooke & David Austin (directors of BBFC), Mia Bays (BFI), Anna Higgs (Facebook) and Elliot Grove (Raindance).
Sales agents: Hilary Davis (Bankside), Mike Goodridge (Protagonist), Martin Myers (Miracle Communications), Andrew Loveday (Carnaby), Maura Ford (7 & 7), Alex Hamilton (former E One, now Pathe), David Grumbach (Juliette Films, Luxembourg), Michael Ryan (formerly J&M, now independent).
Actors: Sir Roger Moore, Britt Ekland, Honor Blackman, Judy Cornwell, Jenny Hanley, Sally Geeson, Virginia McKenna, Ray Brooks, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Bruce Montagu, Brian Capron, Victor Spinetti, Richard Kiel, Madeline Smith and Dame Virginia McKenna.
Writers: Dick Clement, Sir Ronald Harwood, Rob Sprackling, Jimmy Perry, Brian Clemens, Raymond Allen, Jimmy Sangster, Allan Scott, Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran and Dominic Minghella.
And others including: lyricist Don Black CBE, broadcasters Tony Blackburn OBE and Dame Joan Bakewell, director of photography Phil Méheux BSC, Ossie Morris OBE and composer David Arnold. …. to name but a few!
The media lunch club also hosts occasional evening networking events, from 2009 additional and occasional 'Briefing Lunches', (to focus on a more specialised subject in an intimate board-room setting) and during the Coronavirus pandemic switched to online podcasts, with guests in discussion with committee member and broadcaster Olly Smith.
Membership is inexpensive and open to all in the media business.
On April 19th 2013 Sir Alan Parker joined us for our 200th lunch, and cut the special birthday cake!
With a background in film sales at PolyGram and FilmFour, Colin Burch established Verve Pictures in 2003 to specialise in the release of independent film in cinemas and on DVD, offering audiences the chance to enjoy original and thought-provoking cinema from the UK and around the world. Colin has grown the company from a start-up business to a key independent UK film distributor.
Verve are passionate about film and discovering new talent, and are committed to releasing films that have become increasingly lost in today’s multiplex culture.
Since the company was founded they have released award-winning films such as My Brother The Devil, Kelly+Victor, Red Road, The Arbor, Bullet Boy, Dogtooth and Shell, helping bring important filmmakers such as Kieran Evans, Andrea Arnold, Dominic Savage, Amma Asante, Saul Dibb, Clio Barnard, Scott Graham, and Sally El Hosaini to wider public attention.
The company has a proven track record of working with first time filmmakers who have previously excelled in other visual fields - over 75% of their releases are from first time feature directors.
Verve’s titles have won the BAFTA Outstanding Debut Award (Kieran Evans, Kelly+Victor in 2014), the Sutherland Award at the London Film Festival (Las Acacias in 2011 and The Arbor in 2010), Best British Newcomer at the London Film Festival (Sally El Hosaini, My Brother The Devil in 2012), the BAFTA Carl Foreman Award (Andrea Arnold, Red Road in 2007 and Amma Asante, A Way of Life in 2004), the BIFA Douglas Hickox Award (Clio Barnard, The Arbor in 2010), BIFA Best Newcomer (Chloe Pirrie, Shell in 2013, James Floyd, My BrotherThe Devil in 2012 and Ashley Walters, Bullet Boy in 2004), and Most Promising Newcomer at Evening Standard Film Awards (Sally El Hosaini, My Brother The Devil in 2013).
In 2025 Verve picked up a trio of titles, including BFI Flare premiere A Night Like This, Sheffield Doc Fest premiere Where Dragons Live and BFI London Film Festival title Chicken Town.
It’s an exciting time for the company with a catalogue of over 70 films and more in the pipeline!
