19/12/2002 - Channel Four CEO Mark Thompson appoints Tessa Ross new Head of Film and Drama at the all-new Film Four starting 20 December

UK broadcaster, Channel 4 has appointed its current Head of Drama, Tessa Ross to the helm of its new-look feature film department, Film Four: the company's former stand-alone film operation, Film Four Ltd, is officially closing down tomorrow Friday 20 December.
Ross, who will oversee both the new film division and C4’s Drama Department until a replacement is found, will report directly to C4’s CEO Mark Thompson. Formerly Head of Development at the now defunct British Screen Finance, Ross also briefly worked as Head of Drama for the BBC’s Independent Commissioning group (also now folded) where she executive-produced Stephen Daldry’s Billy Elliot for BBC Films. At C4, she oversaw the making of Ken Loach’s The Navigator.
Commenting on her appointment, Mark Thompson said, “Tessa’s knowledge and love of filmmaking, her formidable track record both in television drama and film, her understanding of Channel 4’s aims and values and her unrivalled contacts book, combine to make her the ideal candidate to lead the rebirth of Film Four.”
C4 has confirmed it will continue to be involved in feature film production and co-production, although on a much smaller scale than before: with an annual budget of around £10m (Euros 15million). “C4 will remain a major investor in film,” confirmed Tessa Ross, “and I’m confident we can go on to produce the kind of cutting-edge British films that have been so central to the channel’s cultural and creative success in the last 20 years”.
Among the first feature film projects Ross will oversee at the new Film Four is an adaptation of Alice Sebold’s US best-seller The Lovely Bones, to be directed by Lynne Ramsay (Morvern Callar).

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