theOscarSite Bio: A producer of Best Picture nominee ATONEMENT (2007), Paul Webster previously teamed with Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner to produce ATONEMENT director Joe Wright's PRIDE & PREJUDICE (2005) for Focus Features and Working Title Films. That film's many honors included four Academy Award® nominations, among them a Best Actress nod for Keira Knightley.

Webster is an independent film producer based in London. In 2004, he launched the feature film division of Kudos Film & Television Ltd., one of Britain's premier television production companies, founded by joint managing directors Jane Featherstone and Stephen Garrett.

Webster most recently produced David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, also for Focus Features. The thriller stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, and Vincent Cassel, and is the first project for Kudos' new division to reach movie screens. Since its inception in 1992, Kudos has produced such notable projects as the hit caper series "Hustle"; the BAFTA Award-nominated cop fantasy series "Life on Mars"; Paul Lynch's International Emmy® Award-winning "The Magician's House"; Grant Gee's Grammy® Award-nominated feature documentary on Radiohead, "Meeting People is Easy"; and the BAFTA Award-winning spy drama series "Spooks" (titled MI-5 in the U.S.), which gave Matthew Macfadyen his breakout role.

Also for Focus Features, Webster is executive-producing Kudos' MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY, starring Frances McDormand and Amy Adams and directed by Bharat Nalluri, whose most recent credit was Kudos' miniseries "Tsunami: The Aftermath". That film is currently in post-production for a 2008 release. Rounding out the current Kudos slate of features in production under Webster is the documentary THE CRIMSON WING, co-directed by Matthew Aeberhard and Leander Ward, for Walt Disney Pictures.

Webster was executive producer of Walter Salles' award-winning DIARIOS DE MOTOCICLETA / THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES (2004, also a Focus release).

As the creator and head of FilmFour, the feature film arm of the UK's Channel Four, he oversaw a slate of original productions from 1998 through 2002 that included such movies as Gregor Jordan's BUFFALO SOLDIERS (2001); Jez Butterworth's BIRTHDAY GIRL (also 2001); Gillian Armstrong's CHARLOTTE GRAY (also 2001); and Jonathan Glazer's SEXY BEAST (2000) (for which Sir Ben Kingsley received an Academy Award nomination).

Prior to forming FilmFour, Webster was head of production at Miramax Films for over two years. In that capacity, he supervised such Academy Award-winning films as Anthony Minghella's THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996), Gus Van Sant's GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997), and John Madden's SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998).

He had previously worked as a producer, both independently and with Working Title Films, during which time he produced such films as Mel Smith's THE TALL GUY (1989); Peter Medak's ROMEO IS BLEEDING (1993); and James Gray's LITTLE ODESSA (1994), which won the Silver Lion Award at the 1994 Venice International Film Festival. He subsequently reteamed with the latter filmmaker as producer of THE YARDS (2000).

Other notable executive producing credits include BOB ROBERTS (1992), LITTLE VOICE (1998), MY LIFE SO FAR and THE WAR ZONE (both 1999), THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, CRUSH, LUCKY BREAK, INVINCIBLE, THE WARRIOR and DOG EAT DOG (all 2001), MIRANDA and ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MIDLANDS (both 2002), and IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE, THE PRINCIPALS OF LUST, THE ACTORS, TO KILL A KING and TOUCHING THE VOID (all 2003)

Prior to segueing into his producing career, he ran Palace Pictures, the theatrical distribution arm of the UK production company Palace. Webster began working in the film industry in the mid-1970s, clerking at the (Notting Hill) Gate cinema.

· Best Picture of the Year 2007: ATONEMENT - Producer (w. Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner)