Lee Magiday, former vice president of acquisition andproduction, Europe, at Focus Features, has joined Dublin-based productionoutfit Element Films as head of production. She will remain based in London.

Magiday (pictured) left Focus in 2005 to take some timeoff. At Element, she will have responsibility for acquiring, developing andoverseeing new feature film projects, working with company heads Ed Guiney andAndrew Lowe.

Magiday's appointment is part of a plan by Element toexpand their film and TV drama slate. "We are primarily an Irish-basedcompany," explained Lowe, "and we have been on the lookout for someone whoshares our sensibilities who can help us increase our activity as a Europeanproduction company."

Element is one of Ireland's premiere productionoperations, developing and producing its own projects and acting as an Irishco-producer on others. Its credits include Pete Travis' Omagh, Peter Mullan's The Magdalene Sisters, Charles Sturridge's Lassie and Lenny Abrahamson's Adam & Paul and its follow-up Garage.

Element co-produced Ken Loach's The Wind That ShakesThe Barley and Guiney was a producer onGabriel Range's Death Of A President.The company also has numerous production and co-producer credits on TV dramaand operates a joint venture with Jim Sheridan and Arthur Lappin called HellsKitchen International which acts as a co-producer on US films shooting inIreland such as Laws Of Attractionand The Honeymooners.

Lowe said that Magiday, who was involved with bringing inseveral films to Focus such as Swimming Pool, My Summer of Love and Hell,shared the same taste and sensibilities as Element while bringing in her strongrelationships. "By pooling our collective resources, we can cover more ground,"he said.