About us

Run by independent producers Lee Magiday and Rory Gilmartin, Sleeper is focused on internationally driven, impactful and singular storytelling across film and television, with offices in London and Dublin.

Sleeper has recently completed filming on HIGH END, a film by Antonia Campbell Hughes, starring Raffey Cassidy, Andrea Riseborough, Alessandro Nivola and Guy Pearce, with sales by Beta Cinema and UTA in North America. Previously, Sleeper produced IN THE SHADOWS, starring Jasmine Jobson, Finn Cole and Gershwyn Eustache Jnr., directed by Emmy and BAFTA-winning director Anthony Wonke, with sales by Altitude Films along with UTA in North America, and UK distribution by True Brit Entertainment. Sleeper’s debut film CHRISTY, by director Brendan Canty, won the Grand Prix Award in the Generations strand at Berlinale 2025, as well as awards for Best Director and Best Film at the 2026 Irish Film & TV Awards, among others.

About us

Run by independent producers Lee Magiday, Rory Gilmartin and Wilf Varvill, Sleeper is focused on internationally driven, impactful and singular story-telling across film and television, with offices in London and Dublin.

Sleeper has recently completed Brendan Canty’s debut feature Christy alongside BBC FIlm and Screen Ireland, which opened the Generations strand at Berlinale 2025, and is in post-production on In the Shadows, starring Jasmine Jobson, Finn Cole, and Gershwyn Eustache Jnr., and co-produced with Madeleine Sanderson, directed by Emmy and BAFTA-winning director Anthony Wonke.

Meet the team

Lee Magiday

Partner/Producer
Lee founded Sleeper Films to build a strong independent Film & TV slate with compelling and resonant stories. Lee was a producer on Yorgos Lanthimos’ multi-award winning The Favourite starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, and his critically acclaimed film The Lobster, starring Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz, as well as Associate Producer on Irish box office hit The Guard starring Brendan Gleeson and Don Cheadle. Beginning her career in independent production, Lee worked at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Universal Pictures before heading up Focus Features’ European offices

Rory Gilmartin

Partner/Producer
Joining Sleeper as partner, Rory is a producer with over 25 years’ experience in the industry. Recent producing credits include Channel 4/Amazon comedy series Frank of Ireland written by and starring Domhnall and Brian Gleeson, and feature films Herself directed by Phyllida Lloyd and the Bafta-nominated Calm with Horses directed by Nick Rowland. Prior to this, Rory worked at funding agency Screen Ireland where he served as Executive Producer on, amongst other titles, The Lobster and Brooklyn. Prior to this, Rory headed up development for Independent Talent’s Brilliant Films, and for Constantin Films’ Impact Pictures. Rory heads up operations for Sleeper in Ireland.

Emmet Fleming

Senior Production Executive
Before joining Sleeper, Emmet worked as Line Producer on a host of international film and TV projects for BBC Films, A24, Apple TV, and Viaplay, among others, with credits including Herself directed by Phylida Lloyd, TV series Red Election directed by Jill Robertson, and God’s Creatures directed by Anna Rose Holmer and Saela Davis, starring Emily Watson and Paul Mescal. Prior to this, he produced a number of award-winning short films and commercials, including The Party directed by Andrea Harkin, which was nominated for a Bafta in 2017 for Best Short Film.

Daniela Ceresa

Senior Development Executive
Daniela joined Sleeper from HanWay Films, where she was responsible for identifying and developing feature film opportunities and building projects to maximise their potential in the international marketplace. She previously worked across sales and distribution for Lionsgate, Goldcrest Films and Universal Pictures.

Josh Green

Development & Production Executive
Previously, Josh was a development executive and associate producer for New Sparta Productions, working with writers and directors including Catherine Hardwicke, Toni Collette, and Sharon Maguire. Josh has a script development diploma from the NFTS, and his own work has screened at multiple BAFTA and Oscar-qualifying festivals.

Helen Cotinat-Flynn

Production Assistant
Helen studied Film, TV, and New Media Production at La Sorbonne in Paris, and holds a Master’s degree in Production from Université Paul Valéry, Montpellier. She has worked across a wide range of creative projects with artists and directors including Poulomi Basu, Bertrand Mandico, Mati Diop, and Barry Gene Murphy & May Abdalla, and has gained valuable experience as a production assistant at Floréal. Helen is passionate about working across different mediums and thrives on collaborating with bold, boundary-pushing artists who challenge conventional narratives.