Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith is a BAFTA-winning Director, Writer, Producer and Executive and one of the UK’s top grossing female film-makers at the WW Box Office. As Writer-Director of Sony’s Arthur Christmas & Fox/Disney’s Ron’s Gone Wrong (both created with Peter Baynham), she is one of only five women worldwide to have authored as well as helmed major original CG animated features, and the only UK woman to do so. She started her career in the BBC and Independent sector, making ground-breaking comedy, drama and satire for television and radio, including The League of Gentlemen, Armando Iannucci’s Friday Night Armistice, Fist of Fun and many more iconic titles. Her work has been nominated for every major industry award, Including 3 BAFTA’s, British Comedy Award, Golden Rose, RTS, British Animation Award, 8 Annie’s and a Golden Globe. She has also served as an industry-leading Executive in UK feature animation, first as Creative Director, Features, at Aardman Animations, before going on to co-Found the UK’s first high-end CG feature animation studio, Locksmith Animation, where she spent 7 years as CEO. She has created and steered animated feature projects for Sony, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Warner Bros & Netflix, bringing over $350m of investment into UK animated feature development and production.