Tessa Ross, Controller of Film and Drama at Channel 4, has been named an Honorary Associate of The London Film School. She was given the title last night at a Q&A event which followed a screening of Slumdog Millionaire

Ross’ credits as executive producer for Film4 include Slumdog Millionaire, The Last King of Scotland,This is England,In Bruge, Happy-Go-Lucky, It’s A Free World, and Looking for Eric. She also executive produced upcoming films Kevin Macdonald’s Eagle of the Ninth and Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones.

She was awarded her degree by the LFS Director Ben Gibson on behalf of LFS Chairman Mike Leigh. Previous recipients of the title include directors Stephen Frears, Pawel Pawlikowski and Mike Figgis, producer Jeremy Thomas and actor Jim Broadbent.

Tessa Ross said: “It is a huge honour to be awarded this – and from an institution which supports new talent, because that’s what I’m most passionate about.”

LFS has a tradition of honouring those figures who have made significant contributions to the film industry, going back to 1956 when an earlier version of the school was founded.