Film4 Chairman Daniel Battsek Exiting UK Broadcaster With Ollie Madden Set To Take Reins

Andreas Wiseman
·4 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Channel4 Chief Executive Alex Mahon this morning announced the departure of Film4 Chairman Daniel Battsek who is set to return to the U.S. from March. Read the internal statement below.

Battsek, former President of Miramax and National Geographic Films, is leaving after an eight-year stint and is expected to continue working in the U.S.

More from Deadline

Film4 Director Ollie Madden will step up to lead the UK broadcaster’s film division from March. He will also take on Battsek’s position on the Channel4 board.

Channel4 told us this morning the move has nothing to do with impending cuts at the organization and that Daniel’s departure is a “personal decision” and part of a long transition between himself and Madden. The company said there wouldn’t be any other immediate structural changes as a result of the move.

Cornerstone UK financier Film4 is currently riding high off the success of Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things, Jonathan Glazer’s critical hit The Zone Of Interest and Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex.

Battsek said today: “I have had eight incredible years at Film4 and am so proud of what that team has achieved in that time. I am very happy to have played a part in finding new ,and supporting established filmmakers, as they build their careers at home and abroad. The time is now right for me to take on some new challenges and pass on the baton to Ollie. Ollie and I have worked in close partnership since he joined and I am delighted that his appointment will allow a seamless transition and help Film4 maintain the considerable momentum we have built.”

Madden added: “Daniel has been an incredible leader, mentor, and more recently partner to me at Film4. I am very sorry to see him go, but grateful for the guidance and support he has given myself and the whole team – and the many fantastic filmmakers we work with. He leaves Film4 in outstanding form – with a truly world-beating, award-winning slate of influential films created by an eclectic and highly distinctive range of voices – and I am excited to maintain our trajectory and continue to fly the flag for British film.

Alex Mahon’s Internal statement:

“Hi everyone,

I’m writing to share that Daniel Battsek, Chairman of Film4, will be leaving us at the end of March after a trail blazing eight years.

Daniel has been a key partner to me, a trusted champion and friend to countless filmmakers and has driven Film4 towards ever-greater success.

Thanks to Daniel’s charismatic leadership and the outstanding team he’s built, Film4 has punched far above its weight – competing with the biggest international powerhouse studios for awards – and cementing its reputation as one of the most pioneering and influential film companies anywhere in the world.

The current slate epitomises everything Film4 stands for and is a tribute to Daniel, Ollie Madden and the team. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, a fantastical comedy about a young woman’s search for liberation, won two Golden Globes last weekend for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy and Best Performance for Emma Stone, plus the Golden Lion at Venice. Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest contrasts the hideous evil of Auschwitz with the banality of everyday life for the commandant’s family, and won the Grand Prix at Cannes. Molly Manning Walker’s How to Have Sex gave us a vibrant and complex look at female friendship and consent, taking home the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. Film4 broke its own record at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival with 10 feature films, including: Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, exploring the search for love and connection; Steve McQueen’s Occupied City, a documentary about Amsterdam under Nazi occupation; and the intimate story of a pregnant mother in Savanah Leaf’s debut feature Earth Mama. Film4 also closed the festival with Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya’s The Kitchen, a high-energy drama set in a dystopian future London.

Ollie Madden, Director of Film4, has been working closely with Daniel for the past six years, as Film4 has gone from strength to strength. I am delighted Ollie will now lead Film4, in his role as Director of Film4. Ollie is passionate about our mandate to take risks and innovate, and he has a clear vision of how Film4 will continue to support the very best of British talent.

I want to thank Daniel and wish him all the very best for the future.”

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.