Farhana Bhula

Source: Film4

Farhana Bhula

Film4 has promoted Farhana Bhula to head of creative, filling the role vacated by Ollie Madden since his move to director of Film4.

Bhula moves up from senior commissioning executive. She joined Film4 in January last year from the BFI, where she had been a senior development and production executive at the Film Fund.

Bhula will continue to report to Madden, with senior commissioner David Kimbangi and head of development Ben Coren now reporting into Bhula.

In her new role, Bhula will have oversight of Film4’s creative team and creative strategy. She also joins Film4’s management team.

Titles Bhula has worked on as executive producer at Film4 include Will Oldroyd’s Sundance 2023 premiere Eileen and Soudade Kaadan’s Nezouh. Upcoming films include Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex, Amrou Al-Kadhi’s queer love story Layla and Andrew Haigh’s Strangers starring Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott.

At the BFI, she was executive producer on Charlotte Regan’s Sundance prize-winner Scrapper, Dionne Edwards’ Pretty Red Dress and Reggie Yates’ Pirates.

The move comes after Madden was promoted to director of Film4 in May last year, as part of a restructure that saw Daniel Battsek promoted to chairman.

“Film4 is uniquely placed to discover and grow distinctive new filmmakers as well as supporting them through ambitious long-term careers,” said Bhula. “I’m enormously excited by the passion and talent of my colleagues and the filmmakers we are privileged to be working with. Thank you to Ollie for trusting me to lead Film4’s creative team and I’m looking forward to working with them to shape the next chapter of Film4’s creative strategy.” 

“Farhana has quickly established herself at Film4 as a dynamic, artist-friendly and forward-thinking executive, with an expert eye for the very best filmmaking talent,” said Madden. “I can’t wait to see her creative vision put into practice, and I know she’ll thrive in her leadership of our brilliant creative team.”