Iain Alexander Canning (born July 1979) is an English film and television producer best known for producing the film The King's Speech (2010), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture and the BAFTA award for Best Film and Best British Film, and for executive producing television series Top of the Lake, which was nominated for an Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe award. He has been nominated for 3 Academy Awards and won 1, nominated for 5 BAFTAs and won 3, and nominated for 2 Emmy Awards and won 1. 9 Iain co-founded See-Saw Films with producing partner Emile Sherman in 2008. Their offices are based in London, UK and Sydney, Australia.
Career
Iain Canning co-founded See-Saw Films with Emile Sherman in 2008 and has produced several major films including Lion, winner of two BAFTA Awards, starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara, and The Power of the Dog, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons. Canning produced Jane Campion's Emmy Award-nominated TV series Top of the Lake. The second series, Top of the Lake: China Girl, also directed by Campion, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2017. Elisabeth Moss reprised her Golden Globe-winning role as Detective Robin Griffin, which also starred Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie.
Canning won an Academy Award in 2011 for The King's Speech directed by Tom Hooper. The film stars Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter
In 2019, Canning produced short-form British comedy series, State of the Union, which premiered on Sundance TV. The first season starred Rosamund Pike and Chris O'Dowd and won three Emmy Awards including Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series. In 2021, the series was renewed for a second season starring Brendan Gleeson and Patricia Clarkson.
Also in 2019, Canning and Sherman teamed up with Garth Davis to form a new production company called I AM THAT, with Samantha Lang as head of development.
2021 saw the releases of British TV series The North Water, written and directed by Andrew Haigh, starring Jack O'Connell and Colin Farrell, and Australian TV series Firebite, written by Warwick Thornton and Brendan Fletcher and directed by Thornton, Fletcher and Tony Krawitz. Both series premiered on AMC+ in the United States.
In November 2021, Netflix released The Power of the Dog, which is See-Saw's second collaboration with Jane Campion. In 2022, the film won 2 BAFTAs including Best Film, and was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, with Jane Campion going on to win Best Director. The film originally premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival and Campion was awarded the Silver Lion for Best Director.
See-Saw's latest TV projects to release in 2022 include Slow Horses and The Essex Serpent for Apple TV+, and Heartstopper for Netflix. Upcoming films include Operation Mincemeat, which stars Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Winton and Johnny Flynn; The Stranger, which stars Sean Harris and Joel Edgerton; and Florian Zeller's The Son, which stars Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby and Zen McGrath.
Prior to founding See-Saw, Canning executive-produced the award-winning films Hunger directed by McQueen and Anton Corbijn's Control.
Filmography
Film Year Film DirectorWriter Notes2006CandyNeil ArmfieldNeil Armfield; Luke Davies2007ControlAnton CorbijnMatt Greenhalgh2008HungerSteve McQueenEnda Walsh; Steve McQueen2009Mary and MaxAdam ElliotAdam Elliot2010Oranges and SunshineJim LoachRona MunroNominated – AACTA Award for Best FilmNominated – AFI Members' Choice AwardNominated – FCCA Award for Best FilmNominated – Inside Film Award for Best Feature FilmThe Kings of MykonosPeter AndrikidisThe King's SpeechTom HooperDavid SeidlerAcademy Award for Best PictureBAFTA Award for Best FilmBAFTA Alexander Korda Award for Best British FilmPGA Award for Best Theatrical Motion PictureNominated – ACCA Award for Best Motion PictureNominated – Davis Award for Best Motion PictureNominated – EDA Award for Best PictureNominated – European Film Award for Best FilmNominated – Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Film2011ShameSteve McQueenSteve McQueen, Abi MorganNominated – BAFTA Alexander Korda Award for Best British FilmNominated – Black Reel Award for Best FilmNominated – European Film Award for Best FilmNominated – Online Film & Television Association Award for Best Film2012Anton Corbijn Inside OutKlaartje QuirijnsDead EuropeTony KrawitzLouise FoxNominated – AACTA Award for Best FilmNominated – FCCA Award2013TracksJohn CurranMarion NelsonNominated – AACTA Award for Best FilmNominated – AFCA Award for Best FilmNominated – FCCA Award2015LifeAnton CorbijnLuke DaviesMacbethJustin KurzelJacob Koskoff, Michael Lesslie, Todd LouisoMr. HolmesBill CondonJeffrey HatcherSlow WestJohn MacleanJohn Maclean2016LionGarth DavisLuke DaviesAACTA Award for Best FilmNominated – Academy Award for Best PictureNominated – AACTA International Award for Best FilmNominated – Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best PictureNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – DramaNominated – Online Film & Television Association Award for Best FilmNominated – PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion PicturesNominated – Satellite Award for Best Film2017How to Talk to Girls at PartiesJohn Cameron MitchellPhilippa Goslett, John Cameron Mitchell2018Mary MagdaleneGarth DavisHelen Edmundson, Philippa Goslett Widows Steve McQueenGillian Flynn, Steve McQueen 2019 The Day Shall Come Chris MorrisChris Morris, Jesse Armstrong 2020 Ammonite Francis LeeFrancis Lee 2021 The Power of the Dog Jane CampionJane Campion BAFTA Award for Best Film Critics' Choice Award for Best Picture
AACTA International Award for Best Film
Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominated - Academy Award for Best Picture
Nominated - PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures 2022 Operation Mincemeat John MaddenMichelle AshfordThe StrangerThomas M. WrightThomas M. WrightPremiered in Un Certain Regard at the 75th Cannes Film FestivalThe SonFlorian ZellerFlorian Zeller, Christopher Hampton 2026 Tenzing Jennifer Peedom Luke Davies Post-production
Television Year TV SeriesWriter Director Notes2013Top of the LakeJane Campion, Gerard LeeJane Campion, Garth DavisAACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Miniseries
New Zealand Film and TV Awards for Best Television Feature or Drama
Nominated – Emmy for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
Nominated – PGA Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television2015BanishedJimmy McGovern, Shaun DugganDaniel Percival, Jeffrey WalkerNominated – AACTA Award for Best Telefeature or Miniseries2016Codes of ConductMatthew Michael CarnahanSteve McQueenLove, NinaNick Hornby, Nina StibbeSJ Clarkson2017Top of the Lake: China GirlJane Campion, Gerard LeeJane Campion, Ariel KleimanNominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television2018The New Legends of MonkeyJacquelin PerskeGerard JohnstoneNominated - AACTA Award for Best Children's Television Series2019State of the UnionNick HornbyStephen FrearsInternational Emmy Award for Short Form Series2020The EndSamantha StraussJessica M. Thompson, Jonathan BroughNominated - AACTA Award for Best Miniseries or Telefeature2021The North WaterAndrew HaighAndrew HaighFirebiteWarwick Thornton, Brendan FletcherWarwick Thornton, Brendan Fletcher, Tony Krawitz2022Slow HorsesWill Smith, Morwenna Banks, Mark Denton, Jonny StockwoodJames Hawes2022 HeartstopperAlice Oseman Euros Lyn2022The Essex SerpentAnna SymonClio Barnard
Music videos Year Music video Director Notes2009LinearAnton Corbijn2013Arcade Fire: ReflektorAnton Corbijn2016All Day/I Feel Like ThatSteve McQueen
References
External links
See-Saw Films website