Christine Langan to leave BBC Films

Having joined BBC Films ten years ago as an Executive Producer, Christine has been head of the department since April 2009. In that time BBC Films has supported more than 70 independent British films, working with a broad range of established and new talent, from Simon Curtis’ Academy Award®-nominated My Week With Marilyn, to Lynne Ramsay’s intense thriller We Need To Talk About Kevin and Stephen Frears’ Golden Globe and Academy Award®-nominated and Bafta-winning Philomena.

Other successes during Christine’s time as Head of BBC Films include Lone Scherfig’s Academy Award®-nominated and Bafta-winning An Education, Armando Iannucci’s Academy Award® and BAFTA-nominated In The Loop, Jane Campion’s Academy Award®-nominated Bright Star and Andrea Arnold’s Bafta-winning Fish Tank. Saving Mr Banks, from John Lee Hancock, was also Golden Globe and Academy Award® nominated.

Most recently, Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley, was nominated for three Academy Awards and won the Bafta for Best British Film, whilst Ken Loach’s upcoming film, I, Daniel Blake won the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Swallows And Amazons and Ricky Gervais’ David Brent: Life On The Road are currently enjoying summer box office success whilst Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie had the biggest opening for a British film since Spectre. In 2015, during its 25th anniversary year, BBC Films was recognised by Bafta with the award for Outstanding Contribution to British Cinema, which was collected by Christine.

Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, says: “I’ve loved working with Christine. She has a real eye for the popular as well as the idiosyncratic. She's collaborative, ambitious, a brilliant enabler of ideas - and a great ambassador for our country's film industry. She's done a great job for BBC Films. We'll miss her.”

Charlotte Moore, Director, BBC Content, says: “Christine has made an outstanding impact on the independent British film industry. The extraordinary range and quality of BBC Films is down to Christine’s editorial vision, dedication and passion. She has significantly increased the profile of BBC Films and raised the bar for British film across the industry. I would like to thank her for all her hard work and wish her the very best in her new role.”

Christine Langan says: “BBC Films is a precious resource to independent film makers in the UK and audiences everywhere. It's been a truly great privilege and very fulfilling experience to run the division and I'm extremely grateful, both to the BBC for the wonderful opportunity and to an amazingly hardworking and dedicated team, without whom it wouldn't have been possible. Enlightened leaders like Tony and Charlotte have embraced the vital role that BBC Films plays in our creative life and I hope that audiences will long enjoy the rich array of varied projects nurtured by BBC Films.”

Joe Oppenheimer, Commissioning Executive, BBC Films, will undertake the role of Acting Head of Films. The BBC will begin recruitment for a new Head of BBC Films.

Upcoming films include Amma Asante’s A United Kingdom which will open the London Film Festival, starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike, Lone Scherfig’s Their Finest, City Of Tiny Lights, starring Riz Ahmed and directed by Pete Travis, and The Mercy from James Marsh starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz. The former three titles will also feature at the Toronto Film Festival, alongside Denial, The Levelling, Lady Macbeth and I, Daniel Blake.

Notes to Editors
Christine joined the BBC in September 2006 as an Executive Producer in BBC Films and was appointed Commissioning Editor a year later. She became Head of the division in 2009, overseeing commissioning, development and production of the company’s entire slate of projects.

After graduating from Cambridge University and a three-year stint in the advertising world, Christine first made her name at Granada Television, producing the first three series of the award-winning TV show Cold Feet.

A move into the feature film arena in 2005 brought success with Pierrepoint, for which she was nominated for the Bafta Carl Foreman award, and the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated The Queen.

SA2