Oxford Scientific Films was founded in 1968 by a group of Oxford scientists including Sean Morris who shared a passion for technical innovation and natural history. The company was one of the first independent production companies in the UK and it quickly established itself as a leader in its field receiving commissions from the BBC, National Geographic and other major broadcasters for its brilliantly crafted natural history films. The company went on to win numerous industry awards including Emmys, Pandas and World Medals.

In 1996 Oxford Scientific Films was sold to Circle Communications, before being acquired by the Australian production and distribution company Southern Star Entertainment Pty Ltd in 1998. During this time, the company continued to produce groundbreaking films such Heroes of the High Frontiers, The Elephant the Emperor and the Butterfly Tree and Bug World. With the sale of Southern Star to Endemol in December 2008, Oxford Scientific Films was retained by Southern Star’s parent company Fairfax Media.

Clare Birks joined Oxford Scientific Films in 2004 as Chief Executive and since then the company has undergone a period of change moving away from its reliance upon traditional natural history films to a broader mix of programming including science, history, presenter led series and returning series with popular international appeal e.g Meerkat Manor, created by Caroline Hawkins which has gone to 4 series and won numerous awards including a Panda for Best Popular Series at Wildscreen 2008. New executives such as Bafta-winning Alice Keens-Soper have joined the company and in 2008 OSF expanded the development team appointing Joe Evans as its first Head of Development.

OSF has continued to innovate, producing Fatal Attractions, its second hit series for Animal Planet, combining personal testimony, highly stylized dramatic reconstruction and expert interviews to great effect. The company won its first ever Bafta for Saving Africa’s Witch Children, a Dispatches Special for Channel 4 co-produced with Red Rebel Films. Determined to carry on OSF’s reputation for technical innovation we recently received our first commission for a 3D film.