Sands Films


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 making the film adaption of Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit in 1987, and for its production of costumes for period dramas. Sands Films is run by Christine Edzard and Olivier Stockman. 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."

Background

The building that Sands Films occupies is a former granary, now a grade II listed building. The business was founded in 1975 and, since 1976, it has housed a small film stage, film theatre, picture library, workshops and costume stores. The Goodwins initially used the derelict building rent-free, on the basis they completely repaired and renovated the property. 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. The BBC film also highlights the four generations who have worked at Sands since it was founded.
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.
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.”

Productions

Productions by Sands Films include Stories from a Flying Trunk, The Nightingale, Biddy, Little Dorrit, Old Ways New Ways, The Fool, As You Like It, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The IMAX Nutcracker, The Children's Midsummer Night's Dream and The Good Soldier Schwejk.
The studio has delivered full production packages to companies requiring a London studio base, such as A Passage to India and Bright Star. Sands Films was the production base for The Long Day Closes, including the building of all sets. Sands Films supplied facilities to Working Title's productions of Anna Karenina and Les Miserables, and to Touching the Void. The studio was a co-production partner on A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, La luna en botella and Garbo: El espia.
Other films the company has been involved in for production services include Agatha Christie films produced by EMI - Death on the Nile), The Mirror Crack'd, Evil Under The Sun - and Seven Years in Tibet. Sands hand-embroidered the costumes for the main characters in the BBC's 2015 series Wolf Hall.
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.
Filming began in October 2024 for a new production called The Man with the Plan which will star Simon Callow as William Beveridge and comedian Mark Thomas as the Narrator. Comedian Hal Cruttenden will also appear as Winston Churchill, and Andrew Tiernan as Nye Bevan. The film tells the story of a young woman of today who discovers Beveridge's 1942 report - the Plan - which led to the founding of the welfare state. On 12 and 13 April 2025, Sands Films held a filmed public event at their studios in Rotherhithe and invited political campaigners and activists to speak about their campaigns and issues, particularly in relation to the "giants" of Beveridge's report - squalor, idleness, ignorance, disease and poverty. Mark Thomas hosted the event and all speeches delivered onstage were recorded on the day and made available online.
YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerAwards
1979Stories from a Flying TrunkChristine EdzardHans Christian Andersen,
Christine Edzard		John Brabourne,
Richard Goodwin
1981The NightingaleChristine EdzardHans Christian AndersenRichard B. GoodwinWon award at 12th International Short and Documentary Film Festival, Lille, 1982.
1983BiddyChristine EdzardChristine EdzardRichard B. GoodwinCelia Bannerman won an award at the Moscow Film Festival
1987Little DorritChristine EdzardCharles Dickens,
Christine Edzard		John Brabourne,
Richard B. Goodwin		Two Academy Award nominations for Actor in a Supporting Role
LA Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Two BAFTA Award nominations for Best Screenplay – Adapted, and Best Costume Design, and one for the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Evening Standard Award for Best Actor in 1987
1988Old Ways New WaysOlivier StockmanOlivier StockmanTrevor Ingman-
1990The FoolChristine EdzardChristine Edzard,
Olivier Stockman		Celia Bannerman
1991As You Like ItChristine EdzardWilliam Shakespeare,
Christine Edzard		Olivier Stockman,
George Reinhart
1996Amahl and the Night VisitorsChristine EdzardGian Carlo Menotti,
Christine Edzard		Olivier Stockman
1997The IMAX NutcrackerChristine EdzardE. T. A. Hoffmann,
Christine Edzard		Celia Bannerman,
Andrew Gellis,
Lorne Orleans,
Olivier Stockman
2001The Children's Midsummer Night's DreamChristine EdzardWilliam Shakespeare,
Christine Edzard		Olivier Stockman
2018The Good Soldier SchwejkChristine EdzardJaroslav Hašek,
Christine Edzard		Olivier Stockman-

Making and supplying of period costumes

YearTitleDesignerAcademy Award Best CostumesBAFTA/ Other Award
Best Costumes
1992A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After ArabiaTV movieClaudie Gastine
1994The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from FantasiafilmVin Burnham, Monique Prudhomme
1994Screen Two Episode: Hope in the Year TwoTV series
1997AmistadfilmRuth CarterNominee
1997Oscar and LucindafilmJanet PattersonNominee
1997The Woman in WhiteTV seriesOdile Dicks-Mireaux
1999Great ExpectationsfilmOdile Dicks-MireauxWinner
1999Topsy-TurvyfilmLindy HemmingWinner
1999Les Enfants du SieclefilmAnaïs Romand
2000GormenghastTV seriesOdile Dicks-MireauxNominee
2001The Lady and the DukefilmPierre-Jean Larroque
2002Gangs of New YorkfilmSandy PowellNomineeNominee
2002Tipping the VelvetTV mini seriesSusannah Buxton
2003The Lost PrincefilmOdile Dicks-Mireaux
2004Vanity FairfilmBeatrix Aruna PasztorWinner Satellite Awards
2004Stage BeautyfilmTim Hatley
2004Phantom of the OperafilmAlexandra Byrne
2005Pride and PrejudicefilmJacqueline DurranNomineeNominee
2005Oliver TwistfilmAnna B. Sheppard
2005Une VieTV movieCatherine Leterrier
2005FingersmithTV seriesSusannah Buxton
2006Marie AntoinettefilmMilena CanoneroWinnerNominee
2007Becoming JanefilmEimer Ni MhaoldomhnaighNominee Irish Awards
2007AtonementfilmJacqueline DurranNomineeNominee
2007Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet StreetfilmColleen AtwoodNomineeNominee
2007-2008Lark Rise to CandlefordTV seriesPhoebe de Gaye, Pam Downe
2008The Other Boleyn GirlfilmSandy Powell
2008The DuchessfilmMichael O'ConnorWinnerWinner
2008John AdamsTV seriesDonna Zakowska
2009Bright StarfilmJanet PattersonNomineeNominee
2009The Young VictoriafilmSandy PowellWinnerWinner
2009CreationfilmLouise Stjernsward
2010Burke and HarefilmDeborah Landis
2010Alice in WonderlandfilmColleen AtwoodWinnerWinner
2010The TempestfilmSandy PowellNominee
2011Wuthering HeightsfilmSteven Noble
2011Albert NobbsfilmPierre-Yves Gayraud
2011La Princesse de MontpensierfilmCaroline de VivaiseNominee Cesar Awards
2011Jane EyrefilmMichael O'ConnorNomineeNominee
2011AnonymousfilmLisy ChristlNominee
2011L'ApollonidefilmAnaïs RomandWinner César Awards
2012, 2016The Hollow CrownTV seriesOdile Dicks-Mireaux
Nigel Egerton		Nominee BAFTA Craft Awards
2012LincolnfilmJoanna JohnstonNomineeNominee
2012Bel AmifilmOdile Dicks-Mireaux
2012Les MiserablesfilmPaco DelgadoNomineeNominee
2012Anna KareninafilmJacqueline DurranWinnerWinner
2012Great ExpectationsfilmBeatrix Aruna PasztorNominee
2012Abraham Lincoln: Vampire HunterfilmVarvara Avdyushko, Carlo Poggioli
2012The RavenfilmCarlo Poggioli
2012QuartetfilmOdile Dicks-Mireaux
201312 Years a SlavefilmPatricia NorrisNominee
2013The Invisible WomanfilmMichael O'ConnorNomineeNominee
2013La ReligieusefilmAnaïs Romand
2013The Devil's ViolinistfilmBirgit Hutter
2013Pride and Prejudice: Having a BallTV movieAmy Cartwright
2014Mr TurnerfilmJacqueline DurranNomineeNominee
2014Amour FoufilmTanja Hausner
2014A Little ChaosfilmJoan Bergin
2014Outlander S1TV seriesTerry Dresbach, Glenne Campbell
2014Casanova VariationsfilmAndreas Donhauser, Renate Martin
2015Far from the Madding CrowdfilmJanet PattersonNominee Satellite Awards
2015MacbethfilmJacqueline DurranNominee Satellite Awards
2015Wolf Hall S1TV seriesJoanna Eatwell
2015Jonathan Strange & Mr NorrellTV seriesBarbara Kidd
2015CinderellafilmSandy PowellNomineeNominee, Nominee Satellite Awards
2015If It Be LovefilmJohanna Elf
2016RootsTV seriesDiana Cilliers
Ruth Carter		Nominee Creative Arts Emmy Awards
2016VictoriaTV seriesRosalind Ebbutt
2016To Walk InvisibleTV movieTom Pye
2016A Dangerous FortuneTV movieEimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh
2016Love & FriendshipfilmEimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh
2016Outlander S2TV seriesTerry DresbachNominee Emmy
2017TabooTV seriesJoanna Eatwell
2017Victoria and AbdulfilmConsolata BoyleNominee
2017WillTV seriesKym Barrett
2017Tulip FeverfilmMichael O'Connor
2017Beauty and the BeastfilmJacqueline DurranNomineeNominee
2017HarlotsTV seriesEdward Gibbon
2017Outlander S3TV seriesTerry DresbachNominee Emmy
2018PeterloofilmJacqueline Durran
2018The Sisters BrothersfilmMilena CanoneroNominee César Awards
2018Mary MagdalenefilmJacqueline Durran
2018Un Peuple et son RoifilmAnaïs RomandNominee César Awards
2018Le Retour du HerosfilmPierre Jean Larroque
2018Harlots ''2TV seriesCharlotte Mitchell
2018Outlander S4TV seriesTerry Dresbach, Nina Ayres
2019Little WomenfilmJacqueline DurranWinnerWinner
2019The Personal History of David CopperfieldfilmSuzie Harman
Robert Worley		Winner BIFA, Winner Satellite Awards
2019Gentleman JackTV seriesTom Pye
2019Harlots 3''TV SeriesRichard Cooke
2020AmmonitefilmMichael O'ConnorNominee, Nominee BIFA
2020Outlander S5TV seriesTrisha Biggar
2021The IrregularsTV seriesEdward Gibbon
2021The Electrical Life of Louis WainfilmMichael O'Connor
2022The Gilded Age S1TV seriesKasia Walicka Maimone, Patrick Wiley
2022EmilyfilmMichael O'Connor
2022ChevalierfilmOliver Garcia
2022Outlander S6TV seriesTrisha Biggar
2022The Corn is Green theatreUltz
2022A Christmas Carol theatreRob Howell
2022Under the Banner of HeavenTV miniseriesJoseph La Corte
2022The Pale Blue EyefilmKasia Walicka, Maimone
2022The WonderfilmOdile Dicks-Mireaux
2022The Confessions of Frannie LangtonTV seriesNigel Egerton
2022PersuasionfilmMarianne Agertoft
2022Catherine Called BirdyfilmJulian Day
2022Our Flag Means DeathTV seriesChristine Wada, Gypsy Taylor
2022The Empress S1TV seriesGabrielle Reumer
2022JewelfilmLebo Motahane
2023FirebrandfilmMichael O'Connor
2023The Gilded Age S2TV seriesKasia Walicka Maimone, Patrick Wiley
2023Jeanne du BarryfilmJurgen DoeringNominee César Awards
2023The Little MermaidfilmColleen Atwood
2023NapoleonfilmDavid Crossman Janty YatesNomineeNominee
2023Outlander S7TV seriesTrisha Biggar
2023The Great S3TV seriesSharon LongWinner Emmy
2023Tom JonesTV seriesHazel Webb Crozier
2023Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton StoryTV miniseriesLaura Frecon, Lyn PaoloNominee Emmy
2023The Artful DodgerTV seriesXanthe Heubel
2023Polite SocietyfilmPC Williams
2024A Thousand BlowsTV seriesMaja Meschede
2024ManhuntTV miniseriesKatie Irish
2024Mary & GeorgeTV miniseriesAnnie Symons
2024Renegade NellTV seriesTom Pye
2024Belgravia: The Next ChapterTV seriesPhoebe De Gaye
2024The Count of Monte CristofilmThierry Delettre
2024The Count of Monte CristoTV seriesUrsula Patzak
2024HerefilmJoanna Johnston
2024Wolf Hall S2TV seriesJoanna Eatwell
2024HarvestfilmKirsty Halliday
2024The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick TurpinTV seriesRosa Dias, Richard Cooke
2024NosferatufilmLinda MuirNomineeNominee
2024The Empress S2TV seriesGabrielle Reumer
2025Leopardi. Il poeta dell'infinitoTV seriesLuca Costigliolo, Alice Di Luigi, Irene Trovato
2025InheritancefilmKriti Malhotra, Stacy Jansen
2025The Buccaneers S2TV seriesKate Carin
2025FrankensteinfilmKate Hawley
2025Dope GirlsTV seriesSophia Canale
2025The LeopardTV miniseriesCarlo Poggioli, Edoardo Russo
2025Snow WhitefilmSandy Powell
2025Colours of TimefilmPierre-Yves Gayraud