Job will combine roles of Tanya Seghatchian (development production funding) and Pete Buckingham (distribution and exhibition), who have recently left their posts at the BFI.

The British Film Institute has created a new post, Director of Film Fund, that will combine the activities of the Head of Fund job recently vacated by Tanya Seghatchian and the head of distribution and exhibition post recently vacated by Pete Buckingham.

The job holder will oversee the UK’s biggest public film fund, with an annual budget of more than  £21m. The role will report directly into BFI CEO Amanda Nevill [pictured].

The BFI says the new post will reflect a ‘holistic approach to public investment in British film, the new role will bring together the areas of development, production, distribution and exhibition, overseeing all of the BFI’s Lottery Film Fund investments.”

But some UK film industry experts have already expressed concerns that one gatekeeper shouldn’t be looking after both production and distribution activities, notably that most people have expertise in either production OR distribution, not both, so finding an ideal candidate that will look after the interests of each sector will be a challenge.

The BFI noted that the Director of Film Fund will play an important strategic role to help the BFI shape its Forward Plan for Film, which will be published after the results of the Film Policy Review. The Policy Review had once been earmarked to be released on Thursday Dec 15, but has now been pushed back to January.

The job description can be found at www.bfi.org.uk/jobs and applications close Jan 9. Interviews won’t take place until the week of Jan 31.