The UK film industry is deep in debate over who could be the next director of the BFI Filmmaking Funds, with Mia Bays’ five-year contract ending in October.
The role, which reports to BFI deputy CEO Harriet Finney, is considered one of the most influential in UK film. But it is a tough job to fill. It requires someone with strong independent filmmaking credentials, a creative and strategic eye, the skills to manage bold and ambitious creatives and the ability to manoeuvre through a publicly funded institution. All for a salary of $135,000 (£100,000) per year, for a five-year contract.
Headhunting firm Quicksmith has been talking to the industry for the past few months, helping to shape a job description that went live in late April. The position is open to anyone who wants to apply. A few names are cropping up for a role that over-indexes on prestige without the remuneration of equivalent posts at BBC Film, Film4 and the international funds. Many are former or existing BFI staffers.
They include Screen Scotland executive director Isabel Davis, who has an impeccable understanding of the BFI as its former head of international. Matimba Kabalika is the well-respected former assistant to BFI CEO Ben Roberts, when he headed up the BFI Film Fund. But Kabalika has since co-founded her own company B-Side Management and Production, and may be reluctant to leave.
Katie Ellen, a former BFI head of distribution and commercial strategy before moving to UK sales agent HanWay Films as head of production, is also being mentioned. However, Ellen took a new job at BBC Film as head of film finance less than six months ago, moving from HanWay Films.
Of the existing team, the BFI’s senior production and development execs, Ama Ampadu and Louise Ortega, are clear contenders, as is Denitsa Yordanova of the UK Global Screen Fund (UKGSF).
And from outside the BFI, the name of Film4 senior commissioning executive David Kimbangi is cropping up among UK industry executives.
It’s getting dangerously circular”
But what do UK producers want? The consensus appears to be they would prefer someone who has a track record as a boots-on-the-ground UK independent producer, not an executive from the UK public film funds; an individual with commercial nous; and fund executives who are hands-off editorially, in line with the approach of UKGSF, which is administered by the BFI but run separately.
“It should be someone who has never worked for BBC Film, Film4, or any of the regional funders, or ex-BFI staff returning,” says one UK producer, echoing a common sentiment. “Somebody who is not from the public sector,” says another. “It’s getting dangerously circular.”
“I would like to see someone who has been an actual producer and who has run a proper business, not a sole trader or former ‘institution staffer’,” agrees a third.
Emily Morgan of Quiddity Films and Tristan Goligher of The Bureau pop up on various producer wishlists, while veterans Rebecca O’Brien of Sixteen Films and Elizabeth Karlsen of Number 9 Films (and a BFI governor) would bring hard-won experience, say others. But would a producer be able to resist being too editorially involved with the projects they are funding? “Yes, I think so, if more guardrails were placed around the role,” says one. “For a producer to want to take that job, there’s a sense of wanting to take a desk job anyway.”
Some are open to a non-producer from a commercially-focused company in the role, citing the box-office success of many of the UK indie films handled by Studiocanal. Further names in the mix include Sky’s head of original film Andrew Orr, who would also bring market-facing sales agent experience from his many years as managing director of Independent Film Company.
Before Roberts, who came from film sales, Lottery fund heads at BFI Film Fund predecessor UK Film Council (UKFC) included Sally Caplan, who came from a distribution and marketing background, and Harry Potter producer and Heyday Films’ former development head Tanya Seghatchian. UKFC Premiere Fund head Robert Jones has been one of the few who was an established producer before taking the role.
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