Gillian Berrie is a Scottish film producer and co-founder of the Glasgow-based production company Sigma Films with director David Mackenzie.
Berrie set up Film City Glasgow, creative cluster for production, picture and sound which spearheads independent production in Scotland. She also set up Jumpcut project which aimed to give young and underprivileged people access to working in the film industry through a pop-up film school that created an intensive, mentor-lead fast track into the industry. This was followed by Sharp Shorts which has produced 9 short films in 2020/21, with another nine to follow.
Career When starting out, Berrie worked on numerous no budget / low budget productions in many different capacities. Alongside David Mackenzie, she wrote and produced California Sunshine (1997) and Somersault (2000), both multi-award-winning shorts. She then went on to work in production on Ken Loach's Carla's Song (1996) and Peter Mullan's Orphans (1998) and as a casting director on Ken Loach's My Name is Joe (1998) and Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher (1999).
Berrie then embarked on developing and producing numerous feature projects, beginning with David Mackenzie's The Last Great Wilderness (2002) which was co-produced by Zentropa and premiered in Toronto in 2002.
Over the next two years Berrie received producer credits on 3 films including Lone Scherfig's Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002), Lars von Trier's Dogville (2003) and David Mackenzie's Young Adam (2003).
In 2004, Berrie co-produced Shona Auerbach's Dear Frankie starring Emily Mortimer and Gerard Butler. It premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and competed in Un Certain Regard at Cannes.
Berrie continued the relationship with Zentropa by co-producing Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002), Brothers (2004), Dear Wendy (2004), Manderlay (2005) and After the Wedding (2006). This collaboration has received numerous plaudits from critics with awards and recognition from all over the world including BAFTA, Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Awards.
Together with Zentropa's Sisse Graum Jorgensen, Berrie developed the Advance Party Project which was designed to give directors their first break at feature film level. It produced Andrea Arnold's Cannes-Jury-Prize-winning debut Red Road (2006) and Morag McKinnon's BAFTA-Scotland-winning Donkeys (2010).
Berrie and Mackenzie's second feature film collaboration was Hallam Foe (2007), starring Jamie Bell and Sophia Myles. It won many awards including a Silver Bear in Berlin 2007, the Golden Hitchcock and Kodak Award at the Dinard Festival of British Cinema 2007, and the 2008 National Board of Review Award for Top Independent Film, as well as numerous other nominations including for Bell and Myles' performances.
Berrie and Zentropa]collaborated again to make David Mackenzie's sixth feature film, sci-fi romance Perfect Sense (2011) with Ewan McGregor and Eva Green. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and picked up numerous awards at film festivals around the world including Edinburgh, Bratislava and Philadelphia.
Immediately afterwards Berrie produced the Mackenzie directed comedy musical You Instead (2011) [released as Tonight You're Mine in the US]. It was filmed over four and a half days at the Scottish music festival T in the Park in 2010 where the cast and crew had to adopt a kind of guerrilla filmmaking approach to shoot amidst the chaos of a music festival alongside over 100,000 revellers. It sold to numerous territories throughout the world and premiered at both T in the Park in 2011 and at Austin's SXSW.
Next, Berrie produced Mackenzie's Starred Up (2013), starring Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn and Rupert Friend. The story is based on writer Jonathan Asser's real-life experiences as a voluntary therapist in a London prison. The film was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards including the BAFTA Scotland 2014 Best Film and Best Director Awards, seven BIFA nominations and holds a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Berrie also co-produced Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin (2013) starring Scarlett Johansson. It had its World Premiere at Telluride at the same time as Starred Up, then played Venice Film Festival and has since picked up over 20 awards and 90 nominations internationally.
In late 2016, Berrie EP'd on TV pilot Damnation for the USA Network, directed by Mackenzie. Described as an epic saga of the secret history of the 1930s American heartland, it chronicles the mythic conflict and bloody struggle between big money and the downtrodden, God and greed, charlatans and prophets. In May 2017, Damnation was picked up to series by the USA Network and has been released by Netflix outside of the US.
In 2017, Berrie began production on David Mackenzie's tenth feature, Outlaw King. The film stars Chris Pine as Robert the Bruce, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing James Douglas, Florence Pugh playing Elizabeth de Burgh and Billy Howle as Edward, the Prince of Wales. Sigma Films produced the historical epic which was released internationally by Netflix on November 9, 2018.
In 2002, Berrie received the BAFTA Scotland Outstanding Contribution Award for her achievements in the Scottish film industry.
In 2014, Berrie received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West of Scotland for her contribution to film, culture and the arts.
2020 saw Berrie's Film City Futures at the centre of a new £1m talent development programme in partnership with Screen Scotland and The British Film Institute (BFI). The programme, Short Circuit, develops and provides opportunities for new and emerging writers, directors and producers from across Scotland. As well as producing up to 18 short films it will develop 10 feature-length scripts over two years, from 2020-22.
Berrie wrapped Tetris, a feature film for Apple directed by Jon Baird and starring Taron Edgerton, in March 2021.
In December 2025 Berrie's Relay, a feature starring Riz Ahmend and Lily James reached number one on Amazon Prime. Her latest feature, Fuze starring Aaron Taylor Johnson and Theo James was released internationally in April 2026. In September 2026 it was HBO's number 1 streaming hit.
Filmography FilmYearDirectorRoleCarla's Song1996Ken LoachProduction AssistantCalifornia Sunshine1997David MackenzieProducer, WriterMy Name is Joe1998Ken LoachCasting DirectorOrphans1998Peter MullanProduction CoordinatorRatcatcher1999Lynne RamsayCasting DirectorSomersault2000David MackenzieProducer, WriterThe Last Great Wilderness2002David MackenzieProducer, WriterWilbur Wants to Kill Himself2002Lone ScherfigCo-ProducerSong for a Raggy Boy2003Aisling WalshCo-ProducerThe Inheritance2003Per FlyCo-ProducerYoung Adam2003David MackenzieAssociate ProducerDogville2003Lars von TrierCo-ProducerBrothers2004Susanne BierCo-ProducerDear Frankie2004Shona AuerbachCo-ProducerDear Wendy2004Thomas VinterburgCo-ProducerDrabnet2005Per FlyCo-ProducerZozo2005Josef FaresCo-ProducerManderlay2005Lars von TrierCo-ProducerThe Judge2005Gert FredholmCo-Producer1:12006Annette K. OlesenCo-ProducerWe Shall Overcome2006Niels Arden OplevCo-ProducerWhen Children Play in the Sky2006Lorenzo HendelProducerRed Road2006Andrea ArnoldExecutive ProducerAfter the Wedding2006Susanne BierCo-ProducerDog Altogether2007Paddy ConsidineExecutive ProducerHallam Foe2007David MackenzieProducerI Love Luci2010Colin KennedyExecutive ProducerDonkeys2010Morag MacKinnonProducerPerfect Sense2011David MackenzieProducerYou Instead2011David MackenzieProducerA Royal Affair2012Nikolaj ArcelCo-ProducerCitadel2012Ciaran FoyExecutive ProducerSeaview2013Jane LinfootExecutive ProducerUnder the Skin2013Jonathan GlazerCo-ProducerStarred Up2013David MackenzieProducerGood Souls2014Elizabeth RandonExecutive ProducerDropping Off Michael2015Zam SalimExecutive ProducerSwung2015Colin KennedyExecutive ProducerMisgivings2016Adrian MeadeExecutive ProducerEnding2017James LeesExecutive ProducerHush2017Olaf de Fleur JohannessonExecutive Producer Damnation 2017 David Mackenzie Executive Producer Outlaw King 2018 David Mackenzie ProducerTetris (film)2020Jon S. BairdExecutive Producer
Awards Academy Awards YearNominated workCategoryResult2007After the WeddingBest Foreign Language Film of the YearNominated2013A Royal AffairBest Foreign Language Film of the YearNominated
BAFTA Awards YearNominated workCategoryResult2005Dear FrankieMost Promising Newcomer (Shona Auerbach)Nominated2007Red RoadMost Promising Newcomer (Andrea Arnold)Won2008Dog AltogetherBest Short FilmWon2013SeaviewBest Short FilmNominated2015Under the SkinBest British FilmNominatedBest Original Music (Mica Levi)Nominated
BAFTA Scotland Awards YearNominated workCategoryResult1997California SunshineBest Short FilmNominated2002Outstanding Achievement AwardWin2003Young AdamBest FilmWinBest Director (David Mackenzie)WinBest Actor in a Scottish Film (Ewan McGregor)WinBest Actress in a Scottish Film (Tilda Swinton)Win2004Dear FrankieBest Director (Shona Auerbach)NominatedBest First Time Performance (Jack McElhone)Nominated2006Red RoadBest FilmWinBest Director (Andrea Arnold)WinBest Actor in a Scottish Film (Tony Curran)WinBest Actress in a Scottish Film (Kate Dickie)WinBest Screenplay (Andrea Arnold)Win2007Hallam FoeBest FilmNominatedBest ScreenplayNominatedBest Actor (Jamie Bell)NominatedBest Actress (Sophia Myles)Win2011DonkeysBest Feature FilmWinBest Director (Morag McKinnon)NominatedBest Writer (Colin McLaren)NominatedBest Actor/Actress - Film (James Cosmo)WinBest Actor/Actress - Film (Brian Pettifer)NominatedAudience Award - Favourite Scottish FilmNominatedPerfect SenseBest Feature FilmNominatedBest DirectorNominatedAudience Award - Favourite Scottish FilmNominatedYou InsteadAudience Award - Favourite Scottish FilmNominatedI Love LuciBest Short FilmWin2012CitadelBest Feature FilmNominated2013Starred UpBest Feature FilmWinBest Directing in Film or TVWinBest Actor - Film (Jack O'Connell)Nominated2015SwungBest Actress - Film (Elena Anaya)NominatedBest Actress - Film (Elizabeth McGovern)NominatedDropping Off MichaelBest Short FilmNominated
Berlin International Film Festival YearNominated workCategoryResult2007Hallam FoePrize of the Guild of German Art House CinemasWinSilver Berlin Bear - Best Film MusicWinGolden Berlin BearNominated2012A Royal AffairSilver Berlin Bear - Best Actor (Mikel Boe Folsgaard)WinSilver Berlin Bear - Best Screenplay (Nikolaj Arcel & Rasmus Heisterberg)WinGolden Berlin BearNominated
British Independent Film Awards