Entertainment One executives Polly Williams and Arielle Gottlieb have departed the company to set up the U.K. office of European production studio Federation Entertainment.
The outfit will be based in London with Williams as managing director and Gottlieb as creative director. They will also be partners in the operation.
Their remit will be to work with top drama creatives — particularly female creatives — making high-end content for a global audience.
Before jumping ship, Williams was head of scripted at eOne where she developed “Run” and “Red Rose,” while Gottlieb was VP of scripted, where she worked on “Dublin Murders” and “The Sister.”
Federation Entertainment, whose hits include “The Bureau” and “In Treatment,” now boasts production companies in territories including France, Los Angeles, Tel Aviv, Rome and Berlin. The company’s upcoming slate includes the ambitious “Around the World in 80 Days,” co-produced with Slim Film + Television.
“The U.K. has always been on our radar, but it was crucial we secured the right kind of creative talent to steer this new operation,” said Breton, Federation Entertainment’s managing director. “Both Polly and Arielle are dynamic executives with impressive track records who will be able to bring exceptional, original content into the company. We are absolutely delighted to welcome them to our ‘federation’ network.”
“I am thrilled to be partnering with the brilliant Arielle in this new venture,” said Williams. “We both think Federation is a very smart, exciting company. The opportunity to tap into their European networks with wonderful British writers and directors is very unique. Pascal and Lionel are incredibly inspiring and nimble, and we can’t wait to get going.”
