Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, is leaving the broadcaster after an eight-year stint to affix Netflix as Director Of UK Movie.
The information was relayed to Channel 4 workers this morning through a memo, which you’ll learn beneath. Madden is leaving in October.
Madden, who will report back to Anne Mensah, VP Content material at Netflix, will lead Netflix’s UK movie slate and act as the first UK contact for movies on Dan Lin’s slate the place the IP, expertise, and manufacturing are based mostly within the UK. He may also develop a handful of filmmaker-led collection.
Teresa Moneo, the Netflix vet who served as Director, Worldwide Unique Movie, and had assumed the pinnacle of UK movie function since final yr, quietly left the streamer earlier this yr however will proceed to work with them on Peaky Blinders.
Again at Film4/C4, Farhana Bhula, Film4’s Head of Artistic and Deputy Director, will take over as interim Director of Film4 efficient from 1st July. Gwawr Lloyd, Commissioning Editor, Drama, will turn out to be Interim Head of Drama reporting to Ian Katz and can be part of his HoDs from 1st July. We’ve requested whether or not there can be any formal interview course of for different candidates however haven’t heard again so it seems like (and studying between strains of the memo beneath) that barring any setbacks the plan is for Bhula and Lloyd to proceed in these roles long run.
Per the memo beneath, Madden will proceed to supervise the supply of initiatives till October. Bhula and Lloyd will oversee their respective groups alone however will work collectively to maximise expertise relationships and can co-exec Molly Manning-Walker’s new present with A24, which we introduced yesterday.
It’s a time of flux and problem at Film4/C4. Madden’s exit comes only one month after information that Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon would even be stepping down after eight years on the helm. Channel 4’s content material chief Ian Katz admitted to his group on the finish of April that his personal future was unsure. Lately the broadcaster has needed to take care of greater than 250 layoffs, additional strikes to digital and the channels’ relocation out of London. Extra lately, plans to develop an in-house manufacturing enterprise have ruffled feathers, whereas newest annual outcomes confirmed a decline in content material spend however a surge in government pay.
Madden’s mixed movie and TV function was an uncommon one within the enterprise. Bhula and Lloyd now return to a extra conventional construction. It has been a meteoric rise for the previous specifically. Bhula labored in improvement and manufacturing at UK indies between 2012-2019 however has scaled the ranks in six years since then to imagine one in every of Europe’s high movie business posts.
Madden continued Film4’s spectacular historical past of awards contenders and important hits. His slate included Oscar-winning movies Poor Issues, The Zone of Curiosity and The Favorite. His collection commissions had been simply ramping up and embody work from writers equivalent to Russell T Davies, Jack Thorne, Daisy Haggard, Roy Williams, Caroline O’Donoghue and James Graham.
Inside message to C4 and Film4 workers from this morning
Good day everybody,
We’re writing to let that after a outstanding eight years on the channel Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, can be leaving us in October.
Beneath Ollie’s management Film4 has backed a string of important and business hits from most of the most fun administrators working right now. He has overseen scores of award-winning movies together with 9 Oscar wins for The Favorite, The Father, Poor Issues and The Zone of Curiosity, and 24 BAFTA wins for Beast, The Favorite, The Father, Rocks, Poor Issues, The Zone of Curiosity and Earth Mama.
Ollie’s dedication, ardour and status for nurturing expertise has seen Film4 not solely work with among the best-known writers and administrators within the UK and Eire but in addition cement our business status as an enormous champion of recent expertise, backing over 27 debut movies and 5 collection by debut writers all through his Film4 tenure, together with Molly Manning-Walker’s How you can Have Intercourse and Rose Glass’ Saint Maud.
We’re thrilled that Farhana Bhula, Film4’s Head of Artistic and Deputy Director, will take over as interim Director of Film4 efficient from 1st July. Farhana has labored alongside Ollie to create a tradition of ambition, collaboration and creative excellence, enhancing Film4’s status as probably the most pioneering and dynamic groups within the enterprise. With a present slate that epitomises all the things Film4 stands for, the group will go from power to power underneath Farhana’s management.
Since taking over Channel 4 Drama early in 2024, Ollie and the group have commissioned one of many strongest drama slates in Channel 4’s historical past, making good on our promise to supply viewers sensible authentic drama each month from the beginning of subsequent yr. Tales from every nation of the UK written by various expertise – each established and new – can be coming to screens quickly. Main new reveals from Russell T Davies, Daisy Haggard, Jack Thorne, Molly Manning-Walker and Roy Williams, with extra to be introduced quickly, show Channel 4 at its greatest, supporting nice artists and nice work.
With our longstanding status as a champion of probably the most authentic writers and administrators and a slate of reveals that can play out via 2026 and 2027, Channel 4 Drama is brilliantly positioned for achievement within the years forward.
Gwawr Lloyd, Commissioning Editor, Drama, has been working intently with Ollie this previous yr and has been with the channel for over 5 years, overseeing acclaimed reveals together with The Gathering and Someplace Boy. We’re delighted that Gwawr will turn out to be Interim Head of Drama reporting to Ian Katz and can be part of his HoDs from 1st July. Gwawr is enthusiastic about our mandate to take dangers and has a transparent imaginative and prescient of how Channel 4 Drama will proceed to work with the easiest British expertise as we roll out our new drama slate.
Ollie will proceed to supervise the supply of initiatives till October, working alongside Farhana and the Film4 group and Gwawr and the Channel 4 Drama group.
Whereas Farhana and Gwawr will oversee their respective groups alone, they’ll proceed working intently collectively to maximise the synergy between expertise relationships
on each side and can co-exec Molly Manning-Walker’s new present, which we introduced solely yesterday.
Ollie has been an inspiring inventive pressure, nice colleague, and a champion and pal to numerous filmmakers. We’re extremely grateful for his distinctive contribution and need him all the most effective for the long run, and congratulate Farhana and Gwawr as they construct on this outstanding physique of labor.
