| Pamela Casey is the UK acquisitions executive for the largest international short film distribution company, Atom Films. Their London office is on a favourite street of mine, not for the Mousetrap theatre with its 326 odd years of Agatha Christie but for my beloved Ivy restaurant. Dangerous place to work I thought but I got the impression when I visited their West Street office that they haven't spent much on gluttony - it was an impeccable and utterly contemporary example of a balance of space and light. But these people have good taste in film too. I recall interviewing a great filmmaker called Omid Nooshin whose short film, Panic had been picked up by Atom. He extolled their flexibility to the point that, whenever an Atom related distress signal was intercepted by the towering receiver that is Netribution, I'd simply pass them on to Omid. All that's changed now because I can answer the questions about this vital link between a filmmaker's film and their pay cheque.
Over a café latte outside a sun blessed Bar Italia Pam told me all about Atom; the films they source, the length of their contracts, the different markets, the buyers' tastes, the vogue genres, the new opportunities open to distributors and their marriage to Shockwave. You all want to know how much they pay though don't you? Well I did ask but I got the answer I expected….. | 
