Mike Auret

Mike Auret is the joint Managing Director of Spier Film UK, which has been established to distribute African films in the UK and Ireland and to sell them internationally.
Originally a lawyer, specialising in Entertainment and Media consulting, Michael is a serial entrepreneur having started and built an advertising agency, TV production company and radio station. He was, until 2007, the Festival Director of the Cape Town World Cinema Festival as well as CEO of the Sithengi Film and TV Market which he took over in 2001. These events were the biggest Film and TV events in Africa.
During this time he also established the Cape Town World Cinema Festival through which a number of South African films were launched into the global market. Since 2007 Michael has taken over the running of Spier Films in London and during this time has produced the feature films "Master Harold and the Boys" and "Black Butterflies" as well as the documentary "Who is Robert Mugabe" (2011). In 2008 Michael set up the sales side of Spier Films and launched a number of titles including "The Dead Girls feast" at Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2008 and "Kanchivaram" Toronto 2008. He has recently established the Spier Films production fund to finance films shot in South Africa and is involved in the financing and acquisition of documentaries for sale.