Mike Slee - Biography

In 1981 after graduating from the University of London LCP with a B.A. (1st Class with Hons) in Photography, Film and Television Mike joined BBC Film editing as an assistant. Work in post-production included David Attenborough's 'Life on Earth', 'The Living Planet' and films in the BBC Forty Minutes strand and the P.B.S.NOVA/BBC Horizon documentary strand.

In 1986 Mike partnered in The Principal Film Company Ltd. Over 15 years Principal became one of the UK's leading factual independents, with Mike producing/directing or executive producing more than 75% of Principal's productions - over 50 hours of primetime factual programming filmed in 25 countries on every continent on earth. This included the multi award winning international climate change special 'After the Warming' for PBS and Ace award winning 20 part series 'James Burke's-Connections2' for DCI/The Learning Channel also films for W.G.B.H., Discovery and National Geographic TV.

In 1997 Mike co-devised and directed Discovery's 'Wildfire - Feel the Heat', a $5 million giant screen action documentary for PLF, Principal's large format IMAX© (70mm) feature production arm. Mike was also Principal Picture's executive on 2 critically successful BBC TV Drama series 'The Passion' (Gina Mckee, Paul Nicholls) and 'Fish' (Paul McGann & Gemma Redgrave).

In 1999 Mike became Co-Chairman and Creative Director of Principal Media Group and Executive Produced Principal Picture's ratings hit Edwardian comedy film 'Gentleman's Relish' for BBC/ICON starring Billy Connolly and Sarah Lancashire. Mike also produced and directed a number of factual projects for international networks including Discovery, National Geographic, Le Cinqueme, Channel Four, ITV, C5, ABC, TLC.

In 2001 Mike co-wrote and directed PLF's groundbreaking large format period ghost story ' The Legend of Loch Lomond'.

2003 multi award winning giant screen 3D movie 'BUGS!'. This $9 million IMAX 3D natural history drama narrated by Judi Dench has, as of 2008 grossed over $35 million at the international box office and was a semi finalist in the 2004 Oscars.

2004/5 Mike wrote, produced and directed 2 films for National Geographic Television in the hit series 'Megastructures' - Golden Gate and North Sea Wall
Mike also co-wrote and directed a cinema feature on the plight of the Asian elephant - 'The Elephant's Story'. It was filmed across India in High Definition for WCCE/ORTV.

2005 Mike produced a popular Science History event for ITV 1 - 'The Gunpowder Plot - Exploding the Legend' presented by Richard Hammond. The 90 minute special was also written and directed by Mike for Darlow Smithson Productions. It was an ITV Network ratings success, became a global news story and was shortlisted for a specialist factual BAFTA. It was also very loud!

2005/2006 Mike produced and directed 'Icestorm' for Impossible Pictures. A documentary drama set in a near future when a freak icestorm shuts down Montreal, Canada. Part of the Emmy nominated series 'Perfect Disaster'

2006 Mike completed 'Ice King' - a film in the new BBC drama documentary series 'Voyages of Discovery' British Explorer Paul Rose journeys to the Artic and through the extraordinary story of Fridjtof Nansen and his bizarre, yet ground breaking, epic attempt to conquor the North Pole in 1895.

2007 - Mike co-directed 'Meerkat Manor -The Story Begins' a 90 minute feature film shot on location in Africa it dramatically re-tells the story of the world's most famous meerkat, Flower. Told by Whoopi Goldberg, the story follows Flower as she stuggles with her family, The Whiskers, to survive in the magical yet unforgiving Kalahari Desert. Distributed by The Weinstein Company. Selected for 2008 Tribeca Film Festival Spotlight.

2008 - Saw Mike complete filming in Taiwan for "Taipei Tower". A documentary revealing the unusual histories behind the construction secrets of the worlds's tallest building. Hosted by Richard Hammond and produced by DarlowSmithson/IMG it is part of the new National Geographic TV science/history series "Engineering Connections"

*Directors Guild of Great Britian *BAFTA *Blue Peter Badge (1969)



	Home \| Biog \| Credits \| Awards \| Reviews \| Photos \| Contact In 1981 after graduating from the University of London LCP with a B.A. (1st Class with Hons) in Photography, Film and Television Mike joined BBC Film editing as an assistant. Work in post-production included David Attenborough's 'Life on Earth', 'The Living Planet' and films in the BBC *Forty Minutes* strand and the P.B.S.NOVA/BBC Horizon documentary strand. In 1986 Mike partnered in The Principal Film Company Ltd. Over 15 years Principal became one of the UK's leading factual independents, with Mike producing/directing or executive producing more than 75% of Principal's productions - over 50 hours of primetime factual programming filmed in 25 countries on every continent on earth. This included the multi award winning international climate change special 'After the Warming' for PBS and Ace award winning 20 part series 'James Burke's-Connections2' for DCI/The Learning Channel also films for W.G.B.H., Discovery and National Geographic TV. In 1997 Mike co-devised and directed Discovery's 'Wildfire - Feel the Heat', a $5 million giant screen action documentary for PLF, Principal's large format IMAX© (70mm) feature production arm. Mike was also Principal Picture's executive on 2 critically successful BBC TV Drama series 'The Passion' (Gina Mckee, Paul Nicholls) and 'Fish' (Paul McGann & Gemma Redgrave). In 1999 Mike became Co-Chairman and Creative Director of Principal Media Group and Executive Produced Principal Picture's ratings hit Edwardian comedy film 'Gentleman's Relish' for BBC/ICON starring Billy Connolly and Sarah Lancashire. Mike also produced and directed a number of factual projects for international networks including Discovery, National Geographic, Le Cinqueme, Channel Four, ITV, C5, ABC, TLC. In 2001 Mike co-wrote and directed PLF's groundbreaking large format period ghost story ' The Legend of Loch Lomond'. 2003 multi award winning giant screen 3D movie 'BUGS!'. This $9 million IMAX 3D natural history drama narrated by Judi Dench has, as of 2008 grossed over $35 million at the international box office and was a semi finalist in the 2004 Oscars. 2004/5 Mike wrote, produced and directed 2 films for National Geographic Television in the hit series 'Megastructures' - Golden Gate and North Sea Wall Mike also co-wrote and directed a cinema feature on the plight of the Asian elephant - 'The Elephant's Story'. It was filmed across India in High Definition for WCCE/ORTV. 2005 Mike produced a popular Science History event for ITV 1 - 'The Gunpowder Plot - Exploding the Legend' presented by Richard Hammond. The 90 minute special was also written and directed by Mike for Darlow Smithson Productions. It was an ITV Network ratings success, became a global news story and was shortlisted for a specialist factual BAFTA. It was also very loud! 2005/2006 Mike produced and directed 'Icestorm' for Impossible Pictures. A documentary drama set in a near future when a freak icestorm shuts down Montreal, Canada. Part of the Emmy nominated series 'Perfect Disaster' 2006 Mike completed '*Ice King'* - a film in the new BBC drama documentary series 'Voyages of Discovery' British Explorer Paul Rose journeys to the Artic and through the extraordinary story of Fridjtof Nansen and his bizarre, yet ground breaking, epic attempt to conquor the North Pole in 1895. 2007 - Mike co-directed 'Meerkat Manor -The Story Begins' a 90 minute feature film shot on location in Africa it dramatically re-tells the story of the world's most famous meerkat, Flower. Told by Whoopi Goldberg, the story follows Flower as she stuggles with her family, The Whiskers, to survive in the magical yet unforgiving Kalahari Desert. Distributed by The Weinstein Company. Selected for 2008 Tribeca Film Festival Spotlight. 2008 - Saw Mike complete filming in Taiwan for "Taipei Tower". A documentary revealing the unusual histories behind the construction secrets of the worlds's tallest building. Hosted by Richard Hammond and produced by DarlowSmithson/IMG it is part of the new National Geographic TV science/history series "Engineering Connections" Directors Guild of Great Britian BAFTA *Blue Peter Badge (1969) Full credit list (pdf)