Sands Films Explained

Founded:	1975
Industry:	Film production
Hq Location City:	London
Hq Location Country:	England

Sands Films is a small, independent, British film production company, founded by producer Richard Goodwin and director Christine Edzard in the early 1970s, and based in Rotherhithe, London. The company is known for its production of costumes for period dramas and is run by Olivier Stockman and Christine Edzard. Since 2005 the building has been open to the public regularly via the Sands Films Cinema Club and Music Room, adding to the "remarkable and very valuable operation, which not only creates in-house, but also opens a window on another world."^[1]

Background

The building that Sands Films occupies is a former granary, now a grade II listed building.^[2] The business was founded in 1975^[3] and, since 1976, it has housed a small film stage, film theatre, picture library, workshops and costume stores.^[4] The Goodwins initially used the derelict building rent-free, on the basis they completely repaired and renovated the property.^[5] Managing director Olivier Stockman has worked for Sands Studios since 1980.

In 2011, the company's annual turnover exceeded £1 million for the first time. After its rent almost quadrupled since 2000 and it had been asked to pay back-rent for an unrenovated part of the building, the company began to raise funds to purchase the property. This included selling shares at £500 each, and later in 2012, they successfully bought the property, with plans to modernise its production facilities. The studio and its struggle to survive increasing rent and costs was the subject of a BBC Inside Out program in 2012.^[6] The BBC film also highlights the four generations who have worked at Sands since it was founded.^[7]

As an independent film production studio Sands Films has its own soundproof stage, workshops, costume department, set construction workshop, cutting room, cinema and other services needed to make films. It is a self-sufficient and fully integrated production facility. Cinema and television companies as varied as Working Title, Talkback, BBC, Channel 4, Freemantle, Ridley Scott Associates, Sky TV, the Royal Opera House, the New York Metropolitan Opera and Canal+ have used the facilities at Sands Films for their projects.

The weekly film club is free, with donations invited, and is housed in a "cosy" cinema in the 18th century building which contains "a myriad of aesthetically pleasing spaces". These include music performances, book launches, political debates and theatre productions, as well as the non-digital Rotherhithe Picture Research Library which is an educational trust and is open to all at no cost. ^{[8] [9]}

With the covid-19 lockdown the studio intensified its live streaming activities. Stockman explained:

Since then all Sands Films’ music events have been hybrid, with a live audience in the theatre, online viewers at home and unrestricted access remaining the same. While performers are paid a minimum guarantee, Stockman says:

Griff Rhys Jones has described Sands Films as "romantic and inspiring; efficient, fun and creative. I love working down there. I love the atmosphere. You feel lucky to be there and privileged to get stuck into the serious business of creating fantasy in such surroundings.” ^[10]

Productions

Productions by Sands Films include Stories from a Flying Trunk (1979), The Nightingale (1981), Biddy (1983), Little Dorrit (1987), Old Ways New Ways (1988), The Fool (1989), As You Like It (1991), Amahl and the Night Visitors (1996), The IMAX Nutcracker (1997), The Children's Midsummer Night's Dream (2001) and The Good Soldier Schwejk (2018).

The studio has delivered full production packages to companies requiring a London studio base, such as A Passage to India (1984) and Bright Star (2009). Sands Films was the production base for The Long Day Closes (1992), including the building of all sets. Sands Films supplied facilities to Working Title's productions of Anna Karenina (2012) and Les Miserables (2012), and to Touching the Void (2003). The studio was a co-production partner on (1990), La luna en botella (2007) and Garbo: El espia (2009).

Other films the company has been involved in for production services include Agatha Christie films produced by EMI - Death on the Nile) (1978),^[11] The Mirror Crack'd (1980), Evil Under The Sun (1982) - and Seven Years in Tibet (1997). Sands hand-embroidered the costumes for the main characters in the BBC's 2015 series Wolf Hall.^[12]

In 2017, Sands Films produced The Good Soldier Schwejk, written and directed by Christine Edzard and based on The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek. The project partly was funded by the auction of a costume worn by Mark Rylance in the BBC's Wolf Hall.^[13]

Sands Films Productions

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer	Awards
1979	Stories from a Flying Trunk	Christine Edzard	Hans Christian Andersen, Christine Edzard	John Brabourne, Richard Goodwin^[14]
1981	The Nightingale	Christine Edzard	Hans Christian Andersen	Richard B. Goodwin^[15]	Won award at 12th International Short and Documentary Film Festival, Lille, 1982.^[16]
1983	Biddy	Christine Edzard	Christine Edzard	Richard B. Goodwin^[17]	Celia Bannerman (as Biddy) won an award at the Moscow Film Festival ^[18]
1987	Little Dorrit	Christine Edzard	Charles Dickens, Christine Edzard	John Brabourne, Richard B. Goodwin^[19]	Two Academy Award nominations for Actor in a Supporting Role (Alec Guinness and Writing (screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) (Christine Edzard) ^[20] LA Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress (Miriam Margolyes)^[21] Two BAFTA Award nominations for Best Screenplay – Adapted, and Best Costume Design, and one for the Golden Globes (USA) for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Evening Standard Award for Best Actor in 1987 (Derek Jacobi)^[22]
1988	Old Ways New Ways	Olivier Stockman	Olivier Stockman	Trevor Ingman ^[23]
1990	The Fool	Christine Edzard	Christine Edzard, Olivier Stockman	Celia Bannerman^[24]
1991	As You Like It	Christine Edzard	William Shakespeare, Christine Edzard	Olivier Stockman, George Reinhart ^[25]
1996	Amahl and the Night Visitors	Christine Edzard	Gian Carlo Menotti, Christine Edzard	Olivier Stockman ^[26]
1997	The IMAX Nutcracker	Christine Edzard	E. T. A. Hoffmann, Christine Edzard	Celia Bannerman, Andrew Gellis, Lorne Orleans, Olivier Stockman ^[27]
2001	The Children's Midsummer Night's Dream	Christine Edzard	William Shakespeare, Christine Edzard	Olivier Stockman ^[28]
2018	The Good Soldier Schwejk	Christine Edzard	Jaroslav Hašek, Christine Edzard	Olivier Stockman ^[29]

Making and supplying of period costumes

Year	Title		Designer	Academy Award Best Costumes	BAFTA/ Other Award Best Costumes
1992		TV movie	Claudie Gastine
1994	The NeverEnding Story III Escape from Fantasia	film	Vin Burnham, Monique Prudhomme
	Screen Two Episode: Hope in the Year Two	TV series
1997	Amistad	film	Ruth Carter	Nominee ^[30]
	Oscar and Lucinda	film	Janet Patterson	Nominee
	The Woman in White	TV series	Odile Dicks-Mireaux
1999	Great Expectations	film	Odile Dicks-Mireaux		Winner^[31]
	Topsy-Turvy	film	Lindy Hemming	Winner ^[32]
	Les Enfants du Siecle	film	Anaïs Romand
2000	Gormenghast	TV series	Odile Dicks-Mireaux		Nominee^[33]
2001	The Lady and the Duke	film	Pierre-Jean Larroque
2002	Gangs of New York	film	Sandy Powell	Nominee ^[34]	Nominee ^[35]
	Tipping the Velvet	TV mini series	Susannah Buxton
2003	The Lost Prince	film	Odile Dicks-Mireaux
2004	Vanity Fair	film	Beatrix Aruna Pasztor		Winner Satellite Awards
	Stage Beauty	film	Tim Hatley
	Phantom of the Opera	film	Alexandra Byrne
2005	Pride and Prejudice	film	Jacqueline Durran	Nominee ^[36]	Nominee ^[37]
	Oliver Twist	film	Anna B. Sheppard
	Une Vie	TV Movie	Catherine Leterrier
	Fingersmith	TV series	Susannah Buxton
2006	Marie Antoinette	film	Milena Canonero	Winner ^[38]	Nominee ^[39]
2007	Becoming Jane	film	Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh		Nominee Irish Awards^[40]
	Atonement	film	Jacqueline Durran	Nominee	Nominee ^[41]
	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street	film	Colleen Atwood	Nominee ^[42]	Nominee
2007-2008	Lark Rise to Candleford	TV series	Phoebe De Gaye, Pam Downe
2008	The Other Boleyn Girl	film	Sandy Powell
	The Duchess	film	Michael O'Connor	Winner ^[43]	Winner ^[44]
	John Adams	TV series	Donna Zakowska
2009	Bright Star	film	Janet Patterson	Nominee ^[45]	Nominee ^[46]
	The Young Victoria	film	Sandy Powell	Winner	Winner
	Creation	film	Louise Stjernsward
2010	Burke and Hare	film	Deborah Landis
	Alice in Wonderland	film	Colleen Atwood	Winner ^[47]	Winner ^[48]
	The Tempest	film	Sandy Powell	Nominee ^[49]
2011	Wuthering Heights	film	Steven Noble
	Albert Nobbs	film	Pierre-Yves Gayraud
	La Princesse de Montpensier	film	Caroline de Vivaise		Nominee Cesar Awards
	Jane Eyre	film	Michael O'Connor	Nominee ^[50]	Nominee ^[51]
	Anonymous	film	Lisy Christl	Nominee
	L'Apollonide	film	Anaïs Romand		Winner Cesar Awards
2012, 2016	The Hollow Crown	TV series	Odile Dicks-Mireaux Nigel Egerton		Nominee BAFTA Craft Awards
2012	Lincoln	film	Joanna Johnston	Nominee ^[52]	Nominee ^[53]
	Bel Ami	film	Odile Dicks-Mireaux
	Les Miserables	film	Paco Delgado	Nominee	Nominee
	Anna Karenina	film	Jacqueline Durran	Winner	Winner
	Great Expectations	film	Beatrix Aruna Pasztor		Nominee
		film	Varvara Avdyushko, Carlo Poggioli
	The Raven	film	Carlo Poggioli
	Quartet	film	Odile Dicks-Mireaux
2013	12 Years a Slave	film	Patricia Norris	Nominee ^[54]
	The Invisible Woman	film	Michael O'Connor	Nominee	Nominee ^[55]
	La Religieuse	film	Anaïs Romand
	The Devil's Violinist	film	Birgit Hutter
	Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball	TV movie	Amy Cartwright
2014	Mr Turner	film	Jacqueline Durran	Nominee ^[56]	Nominee ^[57]
	Amour Fou	film	Tanja Hausner
	A Little Chaos	film	Joan Bergin
	Outlander S1	TV series	Terry Dresbach, Glenne Campbell
	Casanova Variations	film	Andreas Donhauser, Renate Martin
2015	Far from the Madding Crowd	film	Janet Patterson		Nominee Satellite Awards
	Macbeth	film	Jacqueline Durran		Nominee Satellite Awards^[58]
	Wolf Hall	TV series	Joanna Eatwell
	Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell	TV series	Barbara Kidd
	Cinderella	film	Sandy Powell	Nominee ^[59]	Nominee,^[60] Nominee Satellite Awards
	If It Be Love	film	Johanna Elf
2016	Roots	TV series	Diana Cilliers Ruth Carter		Nominee Creative Arts Emmy Awards
	Victoria	TV series	Rosalind Ebbutt
	To Walk Invisible	TV movie	Tom Pye
	A Dangerous Fortune	TV Movie	Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh
	Love & Friendship	film	Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh
	Outlander S2	TV series	Terry Dresbach		Nominee Emmy (for "Not In Scotland Anymore") ^[61]
2017	Taboo	TV series	Joanna Eatwell
	Victoria and Abdul	film	Consolata Boyle	Nominee ^[62]
	Will	TV series	Kym Barrett
	Tulip Fever	film	Michael O'Connor
	Beauty and the Beast	film	Jacqueline Durran	Nominee	Nominee ^[63]
	Harlots	TV series	Edward Gibbon
	Outlander S3	TV series	Terry Dresbach		Nominee Emmy (for "Freedom & Whisky")^[64]
2018	Peterloo	film	Jacqueline Durran
	The Sisters Brothers	film	Milena Canonero		Nominee Cesar Awards ^[65]
	Mary Magdalene	film	Jacqueline Durran
	Un Peuple et son Roi	film	Anaïs Romand		Nominee Cesar Awards
	Le Retour du Heros	film	Pierre Jean Larroque
	Harlots 2	TV series	Charlotte Mitchell
	Outlander S4	TV series	Terry Dresbach, Nina Ayres
2019	Little Women	film	Jacqueline Durran	Winner ^[66]	Winner ^[67]
	The Personal History of David Copperfield	film	Suzie Harman Robert Worley		Winner BIFA Awards,^[68] Winner Satellite Awards ^[69]
	Gentleman Jack	TV series	Tom Pye
	Harlots 3	TV Series	Richard Cooke
2020	Ammonite	film	Michael O'Connor		Nominee,^[70] Nominee BIFA Awards ^[71]
	Outlander S5	TV series	Trisha Biggar
2021	The Irregulars	TV series	Edward Gibbon
	The Electrical Life of Louis Wain	film	Michael O'Connor
2022	The Gilded Age S1	TV series	Kasia Walicka Maimone, Patrick Wiley
	Emily	film	Michael O'Connor
	Chevalier	film	Oliver Garcia
	Outlander S6	TV series	Trisha Biggar
	The Corn is Green (National Theatre)	theatre	Ultz
	A Christmas Carol (Old Vic)	theatre	Rob Howell
2023	Firebrand	film	Michael O'Connor
	The Gilded Age S2	TV series	Kasia Walicka Maimone, Patrick Wiley
	Jeanne du Barry	film	Jurgen Doering		Nominee Cesar Awards
	The Little Mermaid	film	Colleen Atwood
	Napoleon	film	David Crossman Janty Yates	Nominee ^[72]	Nominee ^[73]
	Outlander S7	TV series	Trisha Biggar
	The Great S3	TV series	Sharon Long		Winner Emmy (for "Choose Your Weapon") ^[74]
	Tom Jones	TV series	Hazel Webb Crozier
2024	A Thousand Blows	TV series	Maja Meschede
	Manhunt	TV miniseries	Katie Irish
	Mary & George	TV miniseries	Annie Symons
	Renegade Nell	TV series	Tom Pye
		TV series	Phoebe De Gaye
	The Count of Monte Cristo	film	Thierry Delettre
	The Count of Monte Cristo	TV series	Ursula Patzak

External links

• Sands Films company website
• Londonist Discovers Rotherhithe Picture Research Library
• Knowledge of London Visits Sands Films and Rotherhithe Picture Research Library
• Sands Films at IMDb

Notes and References

1. Web site: Visit to Sands Films . Jonathan Chandler . The Greenwich Society .
2. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101385844-grices-granary-film-studios-rotherhithe-ward Grices Granary Film Studios
3. News: Izabella Scott . Expat lives: Paris to London . . 12 April 2013 . 29 March 2017 .
4. Web site: 2020-10-21 . Information . en-GB . www.sandsfilms.co.uk.
5. News: James Hurley . Sands Films seeks saviour in financial stars . . 21 February 2012 . 29 March 2017 .
6. Web site: BBC Inside Out at Sands Films . YouTube .
7. Web site: Lights, camera, action at Sands Films in Rotherhithe . Eliza Frost . October 4, 2023 . South London Community matters.
8. Web site: Talk About Sands Films Studio . September 2022 . The Cinema Museum .
9. Web site: Off the Beaten Path Guide to 10 of London's Quirkiest Places . untapped new york .
10. Web site: Sands Films . The Studio Map .
11. Web site: Sands Films Films and Productions . Acting Website . 19 Oct 2008 .
12. News: Gerard Gilbert . Behind-the-scenes with the costume makers for Wolf Hall, Broadchurch and Doctor Who . . 16 January 2015 . 29 March 2017 .
13. Web site: Mark Rylance's Wolf Hall costume being sold to fund anti-war film. 26 Apr 2017 . Gazette & Herald.
14. Web site: Stories from a Flying Trunk (1979). https://web.archive.org/web/20210516084852/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b6ac5a1. dead. May 16, 2021. www2.bfi.org.uk.
15. Web site: The Nightingale (1981) . https://web.archive.org/web/20230411164422/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b74cc728f. dead. April 11, 2023. BFI.
16. Web site: Awarded films . Fipresci – the International Federation of Film Critics . Apr 11, 2023.
17. Web site: Biddy (1983) . Allmovie.
18. Web site: Biddy . Network.
19. Web site: Little Dorrit 1. Nobody's Fault (1987). https://web.archive.org/web/20160306204240/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7399b797. dead. March 6, 2016. BFI.
20. Web site: The 61st Academy Awards - 1989. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
21. Book: Eugene O'Hare. Sydney & the Old Girl. 8 January 2020. Bloomsbury Publishing. 978-1-350-13000-5. 4.
22. Web site: Little Dorrit. . Mubi. Apr 11, 2023.
23. Web site: Old Ways, New Ways . BUFVC.
24. Web site: The Fool (1991). https://web.archive.org/web/20170321150457/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7a39aaef. dead. March 21, 2017. BFI.
25. Web site: As You Like It (1992). https://web.archive.org/web/20170302185056/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7ba041e0. dead. March 2, 2017. www2.bfi.org.uk.
26. Web site: Amahl and the Night Visitors (1996). https://web.archive.org/web/20230427172413/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b85453ba0 . dead . April 27, 2023 . BFI.
27. Web site: The IMAX Nutcracker (1997) . https://web.archive.org/web/20180603111013/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b807bd0a9. dead. June 3, 2018. BFI.
28. Web site: The Children's Midsummer Night's Dream (2001). https://web.archive.org/web/20170321152538/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b85444d06. dead. March 21, 2017. www2.bfi.org.uk.
29. Web site: The Good Soldier Schwejk (2018). IMDb.
30. Web site: The 70th Academy Awards (1998) Nominees and Winners . . August 27, 2011 .
31. Web site: BAFTA 2000 . Film Affinity .
32. Web site: The 72nd Academy Awards (2000) Nominees and Winners . . August 27, 2011 .
33. Web site: Gormenghast - The Film - Awards and Nominations. www.pbs.org.
34. Web site: The 75th Academy Awards (2003) Nominees and Winners . . August 27, 2011 .
35. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2003 . . 11 March 2022.
36. Web site: The 78th Academy Awards (2006) Nominees and Winners . . August 27, 2011 .
37. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2006 . . 11 March 2022.
38. Web site: The 79th Academy Awards (2007) Nominees and Winners . . August 27, 2011 .
39. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2007 . . 11 March 2022.
40. Web site: Winners 2008 . . 26 July 2012.
41. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2008 . . 2 October 2023.
42. Web site: The 80th Academy Awards (2008) Nominees and Winners . . October 2, 2023.
43. Web site: The 81st Academy Awards (2009) Nominees and Winners . . August 27, 2011 .
44. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2009 . . 11 March 2022.
45. Web site: The 82nd Academy Awards (2010) Nominees and Winners . . August 27, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006110009/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/82nd-winners.html . 2014-10-06 . dead .
46. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2010 . . 11 March 2022.
47. News: Oscars: Colleen Atwood wins for Alice in Wonderland costume design. LA Times. February 27, 2011.
48. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2011 . . 2 October 2023.
49. Web site: Nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. July 22, 2021.
50. Web site: Oscar Nominations 2012 . . February 27, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121229222408/http://oscar.go.com/nominees . December 29, 2012 .
51. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2012 . . 11 March 2022.
52. News: The 85th Academy Awards (2013) Nominees and Winners . September 22, 2013 . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141014074656/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2013 . October 14, 2014 .
53. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2013 . . 11 March 2022.
54. News: The 86th Academy Awards (2014) Nominees and Winners . April 12, 2014 . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . AMPAS . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141014193700/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2014 . October 14, 2014.
55. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2014 . . 11 March 2022.
56. Web site: The 87th Academy Award Nominations for the 2015 Oscars . . January 25, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121229222408/http://oscar.go.com/nominees . December 29, 2012 .
57. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2015 . . 11 March 2022.
58. Web site: Satellite Awards (2015). International Press Academy. pressacademy.com. IPA. 2 December 2015. 2 December 2015.
59. News: The 88th Academy Awards (2016) Nominees and Winners . February 23, 2015 . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160125161918/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2016 . January 25, 2016.
60. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2016 . . 11 March 2022.
61. Web site: 2016 - 68th Emmy Awards . . March 25, 2024.
62. Web site: Oscar Nominations: 'The Shape Of Water' Leads Way With 13 . Hipes . Patrick . January 23, 2018 . . January 23, 2018 .
63. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2018 . . 11 March 2022.
64. Web site: 2018 - 70th Emmy Awards . . March 25, 2024.
65. Web site: 44th César Awards - Nominees. 23 January 2019. 24 January 2019.
66. Web site: Oscar Nominations 2019: The Complete List. January 22, 2019 . . January 22, 2018.
67. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2020 . . 11 March 2022.
68. Web site: BIFA Winners: 'For Sama', 'The Personal History Of David Copperfield', Renée Zellweger Among Victors. Wiseman. Andreas. Deadline Hollywood. 1 December 2019. 6 December 2019.
69. Web site: 25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced . Van Blaricom . Mirjana . February 1, 2021 . . February 1, 2021 . 25 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210425122636/https://www.pressacademy.com/news/25th-satellite-awards-nominees-for-motion-pictures-and-television-announced/ . live .
70. Web site: 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Nominations. British Academy Film Awards. 9 March 2021. 12 March 2021.
71. Web site: British Independent Film Award Noms Led by 'Saint Maud,' 'His House,' 'Calm with Horses'. Indiewire. 9 December 2020. 13 January 2021.
72. News: The 96th Academy Awards (2024) Nominees and Winners . March 18, 2024 . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) .
73. Web site: Film Costume Design in 2024 . . 18 March 2024.
74. Web site: Peikert . Mark . January 6, 2024 . Full 2023 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Winners . January 16, 2024 . IndieWire.