Written by David Lewis on Jun 16, 2009. Posted in On Location

New chair for UK Film Council

The Culture Secretary, Ben Bradshaw, has announced that Tim Bevan will be the new chair of the UK Film Council.

Bevan, who is co-founder and co-chairman of Working Title Films, will take over from outgoing chairman Stewart Till. The appointment is for four years and will start on 30 July 2009.

Bradshaw said: "Tim Bevan will become chair during a tremendously successful year for British film. Box office receipts are in great shape, and the awards season was a reflection of the strength of the industry."

Bevan is an extremely successful producer since he co-founded Working Title in 1984. The company has made more than 90 films that have grossed over USD4.5 billion worldwide. Its films have won six Academy Awards, 26 BAFTA Awards and prestigious prizes at the Cannes and Berlin Film Festivals.

Bevan said: "This is an interesting time to become Chair of the UK Film Council. British film is enjoying great critical and commercial success, but at the same time everyone is facing the transition to a new digital era, the very real challenges of the credit crisis and the impact of online piracy."