What Number 9 Films does

Number 9 Films is a London-based independent film production company founded in 2002 by producers Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley. The company specializes in prestige cinema with a strong tilt toward literary adaptations, producing feature films, documentaries, and television content across genres including drama, thriller, romance, biographical, and period pieces. Its 40+ production catalog includes The Crying Game (Academy Award winner for Best Adapted Screenplay), Carol (six Academy Award nominations), Interview with the Vampire (two nominations), Michael Collins, Colette, Living (2022 Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation), and forthcoming 2025 releases The Assessment, The Salt Path, and A Pale View of Hills. The founders jointly received the 2019 BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema, and the company's collective work has earned 52 BAFTA nominations/wins and 20 Academy Award nominations/wins.

The business model is project-based and asset-light. Number 9 Films generates revenue from theatrical distribution deals, international territory sales, streaming platform licensing (e.g., Prime Video), and co-production financing from regional partners (Shochiku in Japan, augenschein Filmproduktion in Germany, Bunbuku, Shadowplay Features). The company monetizes through world sales agents (Rocket Science), regional distribution partners (Shochiku for Japan, Black Bear for North America), and direct licensing to streaming platforms. It secures non-dilutive development and overhead funding through long-term partner relationships such as the multi-year Shochiku first-look deal signed in 2019, and supplements production budgets with regional film fund support (Filmstiftung NRW, Creative Europe MEDIA).

Go-to-market is producer-led: Karlsen and Woolley personally drive relationships with directors, talent, financiers, and distributors, and the company premieres titles at Tier-1 festivals (Toronto, Cannes, Sundance) to generate buzz and attract distribution partners. The company operates with 11–50 employees from its London headquarters at 8–9 Stephen Mews, and remains privately held by its two co-founders with no external institutional investment or parent company.

Name

Number 9 Films

Legal name

Number 9 Films

Website

https://number9films.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Number 9 Films is a London-based BAFTA award-winning independent film production company co-founded in 2002 by Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley, producing prestige literary adaptations and original cinema distributed globally via sales agents and streaming platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Feature Film Production & Distribution: Number 9 Films produces feature films and derives revenue from theatrical distribution deals, international sales, streaming platform licensing, and co-production arrangements with regional distributors and studios.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Number 9 Films is an independent British film production company that develops, finances, and produces feature-length cinema across genres including literary adaptations, period dramas, contemporary dramas, horror, and musicals. The company operates a slate-based model, shepherding projects from development through production, post-production, festival premiere, and worldwide distribution via third-party sales agents and streaming platforms.

Product overview

Number 9 Films is a BAFTA award-winning UK independent film production company founded in 2002 by Elizabeth Karlsen and Stephen Woolley. The company produces theatrical films spanning multiple genres including drama, thriller, romance, biographical, and documentary. Their portfolio includes notable productions like Carol (Oscar-nominated), The Crying Game (Oscar winner), Interview with the Vampire, Michael Collins, Little Voice, Colette, and more recent releases including The Assessment, The Salt Path, and A Pale View of Hills. The company has received BAFTA's Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema award and has garnered over 52 BAFTA nominations and 20 Academy Award nominations across their productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mothering Sunday Feature film starring Odessa Young, Josh O'Connor, and Colin Firth; a literary adaptation directed by Eva Husson, produced in co-production with Blueprint Pictures and released theatrically and on streaming by Sony Pictures Classics in the US.
• Misbehaviour Feature film about the 1970 Miss World competition starring Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jessie Buckley; released by Paramount Pictures in the UK and globally via Netflix and other partners.
• The Personal History of David Copperfield Feature film adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel directed by Armando Iannucci and starring Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, and Peter Capaldi; distributed theatrically by Disney/Fox Searchlight in the US and Lionsgate in the UK.
• Colette Feature biographical drama starring Keira Knightley and Dominic West, about French novelist Colette; distributed by Bleecker Street and Lionsgate with Lionsgate handling worldwide sales at earlier stage.
• The Limehouse Golem Victorian-era horror thriller based on Peter Ackroyd's novel, starring Bill Nighy and Olivia Cooke; co-produced with LipSync Productions and released by StudioCanal in the UK.
• Carol Feature film adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 'The Price of Salt' directed by Todd Haynes, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara; distributed theatrically by The Weinstein Company in the US and StudioCanal in the UK; received nine BAFTA nominations.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BunbukucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Japanese production company Bunbuku is co-producing 'A Pale View of Hills' in association with Number 9 Films. The film is presented by U-Next, Japan's leading local streaming company.
• Augenschein FilmproduktioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024German production company augenschein Filmproduktion is co-producing The Assessment alongside Number 9 Films. The film received €1m from Cologne regional film fund Filmstiftung NRW.
• ShochikucoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2019Number 9 Films signed a first-look distribution deal with Japanese studio Shochiku for theatrical films. As part of the multi-year deal, Shochiku contributes to the production company's overhead as well as development funding.
• Rocket SciencecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRocket Science handles world sales for Number 9 Films productions including The Salt Path and Mothering Sunday, launching at international film markets.
• Shadowplay FeaturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShadowplay Features co-produces The Salt Path alongside Number 9 Films.
• Black BearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlack Bear releasing The Salt Path in April 2025.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Working Title Films: Long-standing UK independent film production company behind prestige titles such as Atonement, Pride & Prejudice and the Bridget Jones and Notting Hill franchises. Closely comparable to Number 9 Films in being a London-based, founder-driven prestige indie producer, though materially larger and now backed by NBCUniversal.
• See-Saw Films: UK/Australian independent production company known for The Power of the Dog, Lion and Slow Horses. Directly comparable as a boutique prestige producer with strong awards pedigree, multi-territory co-production capability and similar team size.
• Blueprint Pictures: UK indie production company behind Atonement, Darkest Hour and the Jack Reacher series. Comparable London-based prestige producer with similar size, literary adaptation expertise and A-list director relationships.
• Potboiler Productions: London-based indie producer of character-driven literary adaptations and prestige TV (Suspect, The Missing). Closely comparable in scale, founder-led structure and focus on literary IP and high-end drama.
• Bedlam Productions: UK independent producer of films and prestige TV (The White Queen, Noughts + Crosses). Comparable as a London-based indie with similar size, talent relationships and festival-to-broadcaster pipeline.
• Heyday Films: UK production company behind the Harry Potter series, Paddington and Gravity. Comparable London-based prestige producer with similar literary-adaptation expertise, though materially larger in scale.
• Sister Productions: London-based indie behind American Animals, Funny Woman and Jawbone. Comparable boutique UK producer with festival-led release strategy, similar team size and prestige positioning.

Broad incumbents

• A24: US independent studio and production company known for Moonlight, Lady Bird and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Comparable as the dominant Western prestige indie brand with similar literary/IP-driven, festival-first release strategy, though materially larger and vertically integrated.
• Focus Features: Universal-owned specialty film label and producer (Lost in Translation, The Banshees of Inisherin, Brokeback Mountain). Comparable as a distributor/producer of award-targeted literary adaptations with shared festival-led positioning.
• Searchlight Pictures: Disney-owned specialty film label behind Nomadland, The Shape of Water and 12 Years a Slave. Comparable as an awards-driven specialty producer/distributor that frequently licenses and co-produces literary adaptations similar to Number 9's slate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/number9films
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/number-9-films-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Number 9 Films