Pascal Pictures exec to launch See-Saw US

Negin Salmasi is leaving the prodco of former Sony Picture Entertainment boss Amy Pascal to launch a US branch of UK prodco See-Saw Films.

She has been named VP of creative affairs at the LA-based See-Saw office, overseeing film and television units, and joins with immediate effect.

Salmasi was previous with Pascal Pictures, the firm ex-Sony chief Pascal created after leaving the Hollywood studio in 2015.

At the Sony-backed business, she focused on developing films such as David Scarpa’s Cleopatra and Terence Winter’s Warhol.

See-Saw, which is behind Jane Campion series Top of the Lake: China Girl, is headquartered in the UK, and has an office in Australia.

Salmasi will work to expand the firm’s US TV and film slates, working closely with the UK and Aussie arms.

“It’s clear that Negin is an extremely talented creative executive with wonderful talent relationships and a deep understanding of quality material,” said See-Saw joint managing directors Iain Canning and Emile Sherman in a statement.

“Negin is the perfect person to spearhead our US presence as part of what is now a truly international production company.”

Salsami began her career in the international division of agency William Morris Endeavor, before movie to Fox’s indie movie unit, Fox Searchlight. She then moved to Sidney Kimmel Entertainment before joining Pascal Pictures.

I have always been so impressed by Iain and Emile’s exceptional taste, flawless reputation, and desire to take on ambitious projects, winning the hearts of international audiences as well as critical acclaim on top of it all,” she said. “To be welcomed into this next phase of growth is truly exciting.”

See-Saw is best known for movies such as The King’s Speech and Lion, but is currently in production on live action TV series The Legend of Monkey, which is for Netflix, Australian pubcaster the ABC and TVNZ in New Zealand.