Compact is the successful evolution of Compact Pictures, Emmy- and Prix Europa-winner John McKay’s start-up production company, based in Glasgow and designed to bring his extensive production experience across tv and film-making, and his developed network of industry relationships to bear on big, new, and innovative projects – coming together now with BAFTA-nominated Lothian Films’ Laura McBride, based in Edinburgh a leading young producer at the forefront of an emerging generation of diverse talent in Scotland – recently reborn as an equal partnership in founding a new company, Compact Ltd, where we currently share strategic, practical and development duties as co-owners and co-directors, for all of our screen work going forward.

Compact’s first feature film, Ayln Tezel’s FALLING INTO PLACE, co-produced with Weydemann Bros of Berlin (System Crasher, The Outrun) was completed earlier this year and has just been selected to make its international premiere in competition at Tallinn Black Nights 2023, before its further international release – made by McKay as producer and McBride as associate producer. 

As a direct result of this success Compact has been awarded BFI and Screen Scotland development for two further features – James Ley’s LOVESONG TO LAVENDER MENACE, a sparkling gay romcom based on his award-winning play, and THE PHARMACIST, an adaptation by Scots-Egyptian novelist Rachelle Attala of her debut novel, a tense psychological thriller set in a post-nuclear bunker; and received renewed interest in its developing slate of series TV, including James Mavor’s uncanny eco-thriller ASSYNT, set in the remote north of Scotland, and Alice Clarke’s MUNITIONETTES, charting the path to glory of a womens’ football team in the last days of WW1.

Compact Pictures was selected for BFI Insight 2020 and John was chosen as a MIPTV ‘Producers to Watch’ in 2020. McKay’s most recent TV film, Katy, won an International Emmy in 2020, a 2019 Rockie Award for Best Children’s & Youth Fiction at BANFF, and won Children’s BAFTAs in 2018 for Best Script and Best Young Performer. Compact’s first film project, 1745, was awarded a Jury Special Mention at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2017, was nominated for Best Short at the Scottish BAFTAs in the same year and was a winner both at AFRIFF (Africa International Film Festival) and the Underwire Festival (Screenwriting Award) in 2017.

John McKay has had a long and successful career as a writer and director on films such as Crush, starring Andie MacDowell and Imelda Staunton, and Piccadilly Jim, starring Sam Rockwell. His 2012 film about Jean Shrimpton and David Bailey, We’ll Take Manhattan, which he wrote and directed, won him the prestigious Prix Europa for Best Drama. TV credits include iconic BBC series Life on Mars, starring John Simm and Philip Glenister, Lip Service with Laura Fraser and Fiona Button and ITV’s Bobby Moore biopic, Tina and Bobby, starring Lorne MacFadyen and Michelle Keegan in the title roles.

For John’s writing work see www.johnmckaydirector.com

Laura McBride is founder of Lothian Films, championing diverse voices and women writers and directors. Projects include BFI NETWORK shorts SCUZZ (Alia Ghafar), BAFTA Scotland-nominated Groom (Leyla Coll-O’Reilly) and d/deaf film The Singer (Cora Bissett & Jamie Rea) (LFF Short Film Award nominee). Edinburgh-based Lothian’s feature slate includes Gift from God (Catriona MacInnes), Pricker (Cora Bissett), Yellow Moon (Alia Ghafar), selected for IFFR Producer’s Lab. Laura now co-produces with John McKay at Compact,

You can follow Lothian Films on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lothianfilms/?hl=en