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MEET THE TEAM
Emma Cooper
Film-maker, Producer and Founder
Cooper is an independent film-maker and Executive Producer recently founding Empress Films. Prior to this she was the Global President of Non-Scripted Television at Pulse Films. Delivering a strong slate of highly regarded non-fiction films and series which have won accolades at Sundance, Tribeca and Toronto Film Festivals and premiered on Netflix and other UK and US broadcasters and streamers.
Emma has most recently Exec produced 'Who Killed Jill Dando?', she directed the Netflix series 'Depp V Heard' which was No1 in 88 countries. She directed the feature doc, 'The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe; The Unheard Tapes', for Netflix. Emma’s other credits include: The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (series Netflix) Bikram (feature Netflix) Rock and Roll (series SKY) No Greater Law (A&E Indie Films) The Deal (series BBC 2) with a number of projects currently in production launching in 2020/2021.
Having previously held the position of Commissioning Editor in Documentaries at Channel 4, Cooper has a track record for developing award-winning, innovative and trend-setting non-fiction that encouraged discussion within her strand Cutting Edge. Titles include The Fried Chicken Shop, Teens, Freshers, Going To The Dogs, Tattoos, The Jihadi Next Door, The Murder Workers, Ian Brady: Endgames of a Psychopath and Meet the Police Commissioner.
Prior to Channel 4, Emma directed and produced films for the BBC including Louis Theroux: A Place for Paedophiles, Miami Mega-Jail and America’s Most Hated Family.
Matt Clifton
Head of Development
Matt joined Empress in 2024 as their first Head of Development. Prior to this he ran development at Minnow Films for three years, where he helped the company develop a range of projects including Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies and Scandal for Netflix, Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test (Fox), The Journey (Channel 4), Glitter: The Popstar Paedophile (ITV), and Picasso: the Beauty and The Beast, Katie Price: What Harvey Did Next, My Instascammer Friend and Stacey Dooley: We Need to Talk About Rape (all BBC).
Prior to this he worked for two years at Icon Films in Bristol, helping the company win business on both sides of the Atlantic, from World War Two: Behind Enemy Lines for Nat Geo and Mysteries of the Deep for Discovery to the Secrets of the Mega… for Channel 5.
Matt spent many years at Mentorn Media, being promoted from development producer up to head of development. This is where he first met and collaborated with Emma, developing and pitching successful projects for Channel 4 including Crazy About One Direction, Fried Chicken Shop and Angry, White & Proud and overseeing a diverse slate ranging from ob docs to fact ent to current affairs.
Matt has a passion for popular culture, social media and tabloid topics and a love of 1990s nostalgia and pop culture in particular.
Eben Davidson
Creative Executive and Producer
Eben Davidson, a native New Yorker, stands as a distinguished creative executive and producer with an impressive track record spanning over 20 years in the entertainment industry. His multifaceted career encompasses key roles at Paramount Pictures and notable contributions to both film and television.
Mr. Davidson's tenure at Paramount Pictures showcases his versatility and adept management of projects from development through production, sales, and distribution. Serving in various capacities, he notably held the position of Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Production, overseeing projects that collectively grossed over $1 billion and received 18 Academy Award nominations.
Among the many successful films under his purview were critically acclaimed works such as "Arrival," "Florence Foster Jenkins," "Top Five," and engaging projects like "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" and "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.”
Additionally, Davidson was part of Paramount’s outreach to China, developing numerous co-productions with Chinese Partners.
Transitioning seamlessly into television, Mr. Davidson assumed the role of Senior Vice President of Development at Paramount Pictures Television where he created the alternative division and oversaw projects, including "The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann" at Netflix. Continuing with a move to Blumhouse Television as Executive Vice President Scripted Programming, where he played a pivotal role in overseeing the anthology series "Into the Dark" on Hulu and bringing "The Purge" to USA Network.
Davidson joined Adam Goodman’s Invisible Narratives as head of creative where he produced the pandemic thriller “Songbird” at STX/Hulu co-produced with Michael Bay.
With an eye towards the international marketplace Mr. Davidson became head of production at Vision Entertainment, a premier management and production company representing Latin talent with offices in LA and Mexico City.
Beyond his executive and producing roles, Mr. Davidson shares his industry insights as an instructor in the UCLA Film certificate program. Paramount Pictures recently optioned "OK Boomer," a screenplay written by Davidson.
Currently, Davidson is an Executive Producer at Empress Film running the LA office, overseeing a wide slate of both scripted and factual projects in the US, UK and beyond.
Samia Murphy
Development Executive
Samia is an experienced development exec with a background in documentaries, specialist factual and factual entertainment.
She started in production, working on a weekly arts and travel series for CNN, before joining the BBC where she worked on the One Life strand, the Louis Theroux series and formats including What Not To Wear and The Week the Women Went. She then trained in development at the BBC, working across genres and channels.
Samia went on to work in development at Diverse, Dragonfly, Watershed and Lion, with commissions including: Handmade (BBC Four); Life and Death Row; Extreme Beauty Queens; My Hometown Fanatics (BBC Three) Human Zoo; Extreme A&E; Show Me Your Money; The Secret Life of the Holiday Resort and The Hunt for The Arctic Ghost Ship (Channel 4 and Nat Geo)
She joined the development team at Wonderhood when it was founded, and recently worked as a project-manager on the ground-breaking series Super Surgeons for Channel 4, before joining Empress Films.
Samia first worked with Emma in development at the BBC, but their working relationship was cemented on a recce in Kansas when they were forced to take shelter from a tornado on the highway just one hour after landing.
Jake Golbengian
Senior Producer
Jake first joined Empress in 2022, where he was brought on board to leverage his expertise in development projects.
Passionate about filmmaking, Jake aims to produce films with gripping narratives and true storytelling, infused with exciting twists that captivate audiences and transform the way we perceive true stories.
Most recently at Empress he has produced a range of premium features for streamers set to be released later in the year. He has also produced a feature with Universal Studios set for release in 2025.
Jake has also been involved in premium factual entertainment projects, notably Amazon Prime original series "007 Road to a Million."
With a strong background in commercial ventures, Jake has worked with several global brands, including Nike, Adidas, Coca-Cola, and M&S. His proficiency in creating online content spans across major platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.
Kate Sangway
Archive Producer
With over 20 years of experience in the television industry, Kate is a skilled Archive Producer celebrated for both her keen eye for a great shot and her ability to help transform archive into compelling stories.
She began her career at the BBC, gaining valuable experience in local news before moving to the ITN Newsroom, where she contributed to both editorial and production efforts. Notably, she was the launch archive producer for 'Tonight with Trevor McDonald', helping to create award-winning documentaries recognized for their engaging storytelling and topical nature.
Kate has worked on a wide range of projects, from countless fast-turnaround programs to more in-depth documentaries and series for global streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Discovery. Her notable credits include "History 101" (Netflix), "Gypsy's Revenge" (Discovery), and "Inside the Royal Wedding" (NBC).
As an Archive Team Leader Kate has mentored emerging archive producers, fostering a collaborative learning environment. She recently participated in a BAFTA panel discussing advancements in archival production.
Elle Mower
Producer
Elle is an experienced Producer with over ten years working in factual television. She joined Empress in early 2024 and is passionate about making sensitive, access driven documentaries.
She started at the BBC, focussing on observational documentaries filming in institutions such as hospitals and schools. In 2019, while at BBC Studios, Elle worked on the BAFTA award-winning series The Surgeon’s Cut (Netflix) which sparked her interest in retrospective storytelling and developed her skills in contributor care.
Elle has Produced a number of high profile first series, including Real PD: Kansas City (Channel 4 and Discovery-ID), Murder In The Family (ITV), Night Coppers (Channel 4) and an upcoming true crime series for Channel 4 about domestic abuse.
In 2023, Elle won one of four places on the BBC New Documentary Director’s Initiative and is developing her first film as a Director for the BBC this year. She's keen to continue making thought-provoking stories, focusing on the experiences of under-represented people in society
Katie Brown
Researcher
Katie is an experienced researcher who’s worked on multiple documentaries and factual entertainment programmes. She joined Empress in 2024 and is excited to continue making powerful films.
Most recently she worked as a casting researcher on a feature doc about the Covid-19 Pandemic. The film will be transmitted in 2025, 5 years on from when lockdown began. Previously she worked at Story Films on The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot, a documentary for Channel 4. Before getting into documentary filmmaking, Katie worked in talent management at All3Media where she would help crew up for over 30 different labels across scripted and unscripted television.
Katie is an alumni of the Royal Television Society’s Bursary award scheme. The award allowed her to break into the industry and secure her first few credits as a runner working on shows such as Educating Manchester, Race Across The World and Sort Your life Out.
Miranda Soto
Line Producer
Miranda Soto has over 20 years in the unscripted documentary market and has worked as the Executive in Charge of Production for Pulse Films in Los Angeles and Head of Production for Zig Zag Productions in London.
Recent credits include the Emmy Award Winning ‘George Carlin’s American Dream’ for HBO, 'Aka Mr Chow' for HBO, 'Robbie Williams' for Netflix and ‘Stay on Board’ for Netflix (winner of Outfest’s Audience Award).
When she's not busy working on one of Empress's productions you'll find her in her home in Pasadena, CA - probably watching a documentary!
Jamie Gray
Junior Researcher and Production Assistant
Jamie has been a Researcher and Production Assistant at Empress since mid 2023. He is currently studying for a degree at Newcastle University
During his time at Empress, Jamie has worked on numerous projects in development and production phases, including projects coming soon. Utilising skills such as operating camera, lighting and sound equipment alongside editing software.
Before Empress, Jamie studied Photography. In which he produced high quality documentary compositions on subject matter including Youth Culture, Contrasting Political Views and the Military. Alongside this, he produced a series of short films on British Football Culture and Food Poverty.
Suzannah Gray
Business Affairs
Suzannah is responsible for business affairs at
Empress Films.
Suzannah has worked on multiple productions including 'The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe' and 'Who Killed Jill Dando?'. As well as films set for release in the near future. Suzannah joined Empress in 2019 after a long career in the fashion industry working with brands such as Burberry, Jigsaw and Gap
Kate Glover
Executive Assistant
Kate joined Empress Films in April 2021. Prior to that, she has been an Executive Assistant in music and broadcast companies for many years, working for organisations such as FremantleMedia, National Geographic & Universal Music Group.
Starting with a temp role at FremantleMedia and staying for 8 years, ending as EA to the Global CEO until 2014. She then worked for National Geographic for 2 years, picking up lots of useful information about commissioning and the greenlight process, along the way, before moving to work for the CEO of a division of Universal Music Group called Universal Advanced Media, which was responsible for the production of music events (BTS, concerts, music videos, etc.) for any artist/label under the Universal umbrella.
