Federation Stories hires Sugar Films duo to work on international drama slate

Federation Stories, the UK arm of French producer and distributor Federation, has added drama executives Sarah Best and Marissa Ogbeide to its team.

Sarah Best

Best joins as executive producer from Sky-backed Sugar Films, where she built an international slate of series alongside CEO Kwadjo Dajan, in partnership with broadcasters such as Sky, BBC, Channel 4, ABC Studios and Disney.

She began her career working as a runner in Liverpool before moving up to the production office, working with Stephen Frears, Jimmy McGovern and Samuel L Jackson along the way.

Best then worked at talent-led Natural Nylon and Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment, where she became head of UK drama after working in its artist and brand management unit for clients including Annie Lennox and the Pop Idol format globally.

Ogbeide, who joined as development executive, was also at Sugar Films and has worked across the film and TV industries in development and as a freelance script consultant and screenwriter.

Marissa Ogbeide

She was the development executive for DBK Studios on Unearthed Narratives, a series of five short films by up-and-coming filmmaking talent, released on Sky Arts in April.

Federation Stories was set up last year by MD and former Entertainment One (eOne) exec Polly Williams and creative director and former eOne executive Arielle Gottlieb as the UK arm of Federation.

Best and Ogbeide will work across the company’s expanding international drama production slate, which includes several projects in development with broadcasters.

These include screenwriter Sarah Phelps’ adaptation of Jackie Collins’ Lovers & Gamblers. Phelps will adapt the script and executive produce alongside Williams and Gottlieb.