The BFI has appointed Heather Stewart to the newly created position of Creative Director of Public Programme, effective from May.

She will be charged with “bringing together all of the BFI’s cultural activities, including collections, venues, cinema and DVD releases, publishing and festivals.”

The appointment was made by BFI director Amanda Nevill along with the BFI Governors. She will report directly to Nevill.

Stewart is a 20-year BFI veteran who was previously Cultural Programme Director, UK Wide.

Her portfolio now adds BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX and BFI Festivals (including the LFF).

Amanda Nevill said: “I am delighted that Heather has accepted this new position at the BFI. She is hugely talented and respected throughout the film sector. Thanks to her knowledge, vision and energy she has already transformed the BFI’s DVD label, cinema distribution arm and the BFI National Archive – now the busiest film archive in the world. I am confident that Heather will bring together our entire public programme under a single cultural vision and ambition and really maximise the value we give to existing and new audiences.”

Heather Stewart added: “I feel really honoured to have been given this responsibility of bringing together the programming work of our venue and our festivals, and the work of our distribution arm, with the curation of one the biggest and greatest collections of film and TV in the world. As we develop our plans as the lead agency and funder of film in the UK, it is the perfect moment to put British film firmly at the heart of our programming, understanding our own national cinema in the context of a great programme of international contemporary and historical film.”

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