23/03/2011

As the British Film Institute (BFI) prepares to assume power as the country’s apex film body from April 1, veteran Heather Stewart has been appointed to the newly created position of Creative Director of Public Programme.

Stewart, who has worked with the BFI for 20 years, was previously Cultural Programme Director, UK-wide, responsible for the BFI National Archive, film and video distribution and sales, and BFI Publishing, including Sight & Sound. In her new role she will now lead the BFI’s entire public programme, adding to her portfolio BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX and BFI Festivals. She will report to BFI Director Amanda Nevill.

Nevill said, “I am delighted that Heather has accepted this new position at the BFI. She is hugely talented and respected throughout the film sector. Thanks to her knowledge, vision and energy she has already transformed the BFI’s DVD label, cinema distribution arm and the BFI National Archive – now the busiest film archive in the world. I am confident that Heather will bring together our entire public programme under a single cultural vision and ambition and really maximise the value we give to existing and new audiences.”

Stewart said, “I feel really honoured to have been given this responsibility of bringing together the programming work of our venue and our festivals, and the work of our distribution arm, with the curation of one the biggest and greatest collections of film and TV in the world. As we develop our plans as the lead agency and funder of film in the UK, it is the perfect moment to put British film firmly at the heart of our programming, understanding our own national cinema in the context of a great programme of international contemporary and historical film.”

Photo: Amanda Nevill, Heather Stewart and Ann Griffiths from the BFI