12
•
LMGI COMPASS
|
Summer 2026
LMGI Hosts Exclusive Access at St. Paul's
On Tuesday, June 2, the LMGI
and St. Paul's Cathedral co-
hosted the UKEA Summer
Drinks Reception, an event
designed to raise awareness
of the LMGI, bring colleagues
together, both old and new,
and offer rare exclusive access
to one of London's national
treasures.
St. Paul's has served as
the Cathedral Church of
the Diocese of London for
by Albert Chi/LMGI
more than 1,400 years. This
architectural masterpiece
has long been a sought-after
filming location, with past
projects, including
Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban, Mission: Impossible
– Fallout, Mary Poppins
Returns, Paddington 2,
Sherlock Holmes
(2009), Tom
Clancy's
Jack Ryan: Ghost
War
and the TV series The
Diplomat.
The event showcased the
cathedral's iconic triple-
shelled dome, geometric
staircase and library—one of
St. Paul's premier spaces and
an area never before offered
for filming.
Veteran LM and UKEA
member Mick Ratman/LMGI
began organizing the event
with Duncan Smith of St.
Paul's Cathedral soon after
they first met a few months
earlier. Once the cathedral
expressed interest in hosting,
Ratman set about "putting
the pieces together." Ratman
and UKEA Regional Director
and LMGI Board member
Kay Pointing Wilson sent out
invitations, and the original
attendance estimate quickly
grew to more than 100 guests.
At that point, LM Camilla
Stephenson/LMGI and her
team "volunteered to handle
the event check-in," Ratman
says.
Rain and a public
transportation strike affecting
London's Tube system
threatened attendance. But as
often happens with location
professionals, solutions
quickly followed. The guest
list ultimately, exceeded
expectations and attendees
enjoyed what LM Cat Ho/
LMGI described as "a fantastic
evening at one of London's
most iconic landmarks,
with a brilliant turnout." Ho
connected not only with
peers, but also with crew from
other departments, studio
executives, producers, film
commission representatives,
regional directors and
supporters of film. "It is
wonderful to catch up with
familiar faces and meet new
like-minded people," she adds.
Stephenson agrees: "It is one
of the most popular events
because people generally don't
get to stand in a place that
attracts thousands of tourists
a day all by themselves. As
film continues to evolve and
All photos courtesy of Kay Pointing Wilson/LMGI
