BYRON BAY SYDNEY BRISBANE
Since then, Bronte Studios has also produced many other films. Including The Cost, The Greatest Surf Film in The Universe, Kane, Brando With a Glass Eye, Heart of the Man, and Fear Below.
Bronte’s latest film, Beast of War, starring Mark Coles Smith and written and directed by Kiah Roache Turner, is now available online and receiving rave reviews.
We also have several films in early development.
[ Blake Northfield ]
Managing Director / Partner
Blake Northfield is the Managing Director of Bronte Studios (formally Bronte Pictures), one of Australia’s fastest-growing film production companies. Since launching in 2015, Blake has built an internationally acclaimed slate of feature films, with titles distributed across global markets and major streaming platforms including Netflix, Stan, and Red Bull TV. In 2022, Bronte Pictures was honored with Screen Producers Australia’s Breakthrough Business of the Year award.
Blake began his industry journey as an actor, training in Los Angeles, Sydney, and Melbourne, with on-screen credits that include Home and Away, Please Like Me and The Story of Us. Transitioning behind the camera, he gained valuable experience in management under the mentorship of Mark Byrne before co-founding Bronte Pictures.
His producing credits include Streamline (2020), Wyrmwood: Apocalypse (2021), Fear Below (2023), Brando with a Glass Eye (2023), Take My Hand (2024), The Fabulous Four (2024) and Beast of War (2025).
Committed to nurturing the next wave of creatives, Blake spearheads the Bronte Pathway program, developed in partnership with Bond University and SAE College, to offer emerging filmmakers hands-on production experience.
[ Sandra Tahmasby ]
Head of Production / Partner
Sandra Tahmasby Baxter is a dynamic and versatile screen industry professional with over a decade of experience across film and television. A graduate of Sydney’s Macleay College with a Diploma in Journalism, Sandra has built a robust career through a diverse range of production roles spanning both local and international projects.
She spent several formative years on the set of Home and Away, Australia’s most iconic television drama, where she honed her skills in multiple capacities including Locations Assistant, Production Assistant, 3rd Assistant Director, and 2nd Assistant Director. Her credits extend to major productions such as Thor: The Big Salad (Marvel/Disney), The Moth Effect (Amazon) and Heartbreak High (Netflix/Fremantle).
Since 2020, Sandra has been an integral part of the Bronte Productions team, bringing her sharp instincts, logistical expertise, and passion for storytelling to Bronte’s slate of films including; Wyrmwood: Apocalypse, Fear Below, Beast of War, The Fabulous Four and Take My Hand to name a few.
As Head of Production, Sandra oversees all aspects of physical production through to post production across Bronte Studios’ slate of projects. She manages budgets, schedules, and crews ensuring each production runs smoothly, efficiently, and to the highest creative and technical standards.
Sandra plays a key role in leading the production team with a strong focus on problem-solving, collaboration, and execution.
[ Michelle Krumm ]
Producer / Partner
Michelle Krumm is a seasoned film producer and executive renowned for her dedication to compelling storytelling and her significant contributions to both Hollywood and Australian cinema. She began her career at Miramax Films and TWC where she acquired films such as The Road, Miss Potter and Vicky Christina Barcelona. She transitioned into full time producing and made The Spectacular Now which won the grand jury prize for Acting at Sundance and was on the National Board of Review for best films that year.
Michelle’s other producing credits include: All Good Things, Factory Girl, Bobby, Escape From Pretoria, Mercy Road, Seriously Red, Carnifex, Streamline, The Furnace and R.U.R. Krumm’s unwavering commitment to diverse and thought-provoking narrative continues to enrich the global landscape.
Mark Gooder is a veteran film executive and producer with over 25 years of experience in international film distribution, production and sales. He began his career in Australia and New Zealand before relocating to Los Angeles, where he served as President of Acquisitions at The Weinstein Company and earlier led Icon Distribution. At Icon and Weinstein, he was behind the acquisition and release of major films including Slumdog Millionaire, 12 Years a Slave, The Queen, Bend It Like Beckham, Paranormal Activity and The Iron Lady.
In 2015 he co-founded Cornerstone Films, a global sales and production company based in London and Los Angeles. Gooder has executive produced over 40 feature films, including Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (dir. Sophie Hyde, starring Emma Thompson), Pillion (Cannes Official Selection), Stuffed (Theo Rhys), The Radleys, A Mistake, Hard Truths, Mafia Mamma, Starve Acre and The Tank.
Through Cornerstone, he continues to support and bring diverse international stories to global audiences, bridging creative vision with market strategy.
With more than twenty years experience in the film industry, Todd Brown is an accomplished film critic, festival and project market programmer, acquisitions and development executive, and producer. With a particular focus on emerging talents within the genre world he has established himself as a global leader and trend setter within that space.
Brown is best known for his work at XYZ Films – the film production, finance and sales company which he joined in 2009 as Head Of International Acquisitions. His first title at XYZ Films hailed from a then-unknown Welsh writer-director based in Indonesia named Gareth Evans. That picture, titled MERANTAU, would open a long running collaboration between Evans and Brown that would include the global martial arts hits THE RAID: REDEMPTION and THE RAID 2: BERANDAL – both released globally by Sony and widely considered landmark martial arts hits – as well as hit Netflix Original features APOSTLE (starring Dan Stevens) and HAVOC (starring Tom Hardy). Through his seventeen years with XYZ Films, Brown would build upon his reputation for finding truly world class talent early in their careers and encouraging them through a process of smart, controlled growth. Talents supported by him in the earliest stages of their careers who have gone on to broad global success include Aaron Moorehead and Justin Benson (Marvel’s DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN, LOKI and MOON KNIGHT); Adam Wingard (GODZILLA VS KONG); Emma Tammi (FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S); Michelle Garza Cervera (THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE); Timo Tjahjanto (NOBODY 2, THE BEEKEEPER 2); Matt Johnson (BLACKBERRY, currently in post on Anthony Bourdain biopic TONY for A24); Ciaran Foy (SINISTER 2); Richie Mehta (DELHI CRIME); Gerard Johnstone (M3GAN); Tommy Wirkola (VIOLENT NIGHT), and many more. Brown’s work includes original features for major streamers – including Netflix’s Sundance grand prize winning title I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANY MORE and the launch title for Netflix in Indonesia, THE NIGHT COMES FOR US along with its acclaimed spin off title THE SHADOW STRAYS – and theatrical cult classics such as Panos Cosmatos’ critical and commercial hit MANDY. Of his upcoming titles, Kenji Tanigaki’s THE FURIOUS has secured global theatrical distribution via Lionsgate with Chandler Levack’s 2025 TIFF hit MILE END KICKS (starring EUPHORIA’s Barbie Ferreira) also guaranteed a significant theatrical run in 2026. Both THE FURIOUS and MILE END KICKS currently sit at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A staple on the global festival scene, Brown has been involved with more than fifty features selected to the Toronto International Film Festival; more than thirty features selected to Sundance and literally dozens more selected to Cannes, Venice, Berlin, SXSW, Tribeca, Busan, London and other major events around the globe.
Sofya Gollan is an award-winning multi-disciplinary artist, writer and director, and a graduate of NIDA and AFTRS. As an actor, she has worked with Sydney Theatre Company, National Theatre of the Deaf (USA), in various ABC dramas, The Australian Theatre of the Deaf and is widely recognised for being that Deaf presenter on Play School, bringing Auslan to Australian television.
Sofya is a four-time AACTA nominee for Best Screenplay and Best Director, an AWGIE winner (2024, Best Community Documentary Screenplay), and her multiple short films has screened internationally, including Imagined Touch at Lincoln Center, New York, now on SBS Online. Her digital artwork Threshold was exhibited at the MCA Australia, and she is one of Play School’s current Studio Director’s in 2026.
She is currently Authorial Director (for ADG) on the board of Screenrights and has held Executive roles across Screen NSW and major festivals. A trained Access Coordinator based in NSW, Sofya also delivered Australia’s first Access Coordinator training program with Screen Australia and UK’s Bridge06.
Clement Dunn is a lawyer and executive producer. He spent eleven years at one of Australia’s leading entertainment law firms, including three as principal. He has provided legal services on a range of film and television projects, including Lion, Ladies in Black, Upgrade, The Invisible Man, I Am Mother, The Nightingale, Power of the Dog, The Royal Hotel, Together, He Had it Coming, Sunny Nights and Mr Inbetween.
His executive producer work includes the AACTA-nominated thrillers Sissy and Beast of War.
He served as Company Secretary for the Australian International Documentary Conference from 2017 to 2023.
Bronte Studios is an Australian Movie Production Company with offices worldwide. Collaborating with some of the worlds largest movie production companies.