Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, is leaving the broadcaster after an eight-year stint to join Netflix as Director Of UK Film.
The news was relayed to Channel 4 staff this morning via a memo, which you can read below. Madden is leaving in October.
Madden, who will report to Anne Mensah, VP Content at Netflix, will lead Netflix’s UK film slate and act as the primary UK contact for films on Dan Lin’s slate where the IP, talent, and production are based in the UK. He will also develop a handful of filmmaker-led series.
Teresa Moneo, the Netflix vet who served as Director, International Original Film, and had assumed the head of UK film role since last year, quietly left the streamer earlier this year but will continue to work with them on Peaky Blinders.
Back at Film4/C4, Farhana Bhula, Film4’s Head of Creative and Deputy Director, will take over as interim Director of Film4 effective from 1st July. Gwawr Lloyd, Commissioning Editor, Drama, will become Interim Head of Drama reporting to Ian Katz and will join his HoDs from 1st July. We’ve asked whether there will be any formal interview process for other candidates but have not heard back so it sounds like (and reading between lines of the memo below) that barring any setbacks the plan is for Bhula and Lloyd to continue in these roles longer term.
Per the memo below, Madden will continue to oversee the delivery of projects until October. Bhula and Lloyd will oversee their respective teams alone but will work together to maximise talent relationships and will co-exec Molly Manning-Walker’s new show with A24, which we announced yesterday.
It’s a time of flux and challenge at Film4/C4. Madden’s exit comes just one month after news that Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon would also be stepping down after eight years at the helm. Channel 4’s content chief Ian Katz admitted to his team at the end of April that his own future was uncertain. In recent years the broadcaster has had to contend with more than 250 layoffs, further moves to digital and the channels’ relocation out of London. More recently, plans to grow an in-house production business have ruffled feathers, while latest annual results showed a decline in content spend but a surge in executive pay.
Madden’s combined film and TV role was an unusual one in the business. Bhula and Lloyd now return to a more traditional structure. It has been a meteoric rise for the former in particular. Bhula worked in development and production at UK indies between 2012-2019 but has scaled the ranks in six years since then to assume one of Europe’s top film industry posts.
Madden continued Film4’s impressive history of awards contenders and critical hits. His slate included Oscar-winning films Poor Things, The Zone of Interest and The Favourite. His series commissions were just starting to really ramp up and include work from writers such as Russell T Davies, Jack Thorne, Daisy Haggard, Roy Williams, Caroline O’Donoghue and James Graham. The drama division had been relatively quiet for a period but suddenly found its stride in the past year with a string of buzzy commissions that will now mostly air under new leadership.
Internal message to C4 and Film4 staff from this morning
Hello everyone,
We are writing to let you know that after a remarkable eight years at the channel Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, will be leaving us in October.
Under Ollie’s leadership Film4 has backed a string of critical and commercial hits from many of the most exciting directors working today. He has overseen scores of award-winning films including 9 Oscar wins for The Favourite, The Father, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest, and 24 BAFTA wins for Beast, The Favourite, The Father, Rocks, Poor Things, The Zone of Interest and Earth Mama.
Ollie’s commitment, passion and reputation for nurturing talent has seen Film4 not only work with some of the best-known writers and directors in the UK and Ireland but also cement our industry reputation as a huge champion of new talent, backing over 27 debut films and five series by debut writers throughout his Film4 tenure, including Molly Manning-Walker’s How to Have Sex and Rose Glass’ Saint Maud.
We are thrilled that Farhana Bhula, Film4’s Head of Creative and Deputy Director, will take over as interim Director of Film4 effective from 1st July. Farhana has worked alongside Ollie to create a culture of ambition, collaboration and artistic excellence, enhancing Film4’s reputation as one of the most pioneering and dynamic teams in the business. With a current slate that epitomises everything Film4 stands for, the team will go from strength to strength under Farhana’s leadership.
Since taking on Channel 4 Drama early in 2024, Ollie and the team have commissioned one of the strongest drama slates in Channel 4’s history, making good on our promise to offer viewers brilliant original drama every month from the start of next year. Stories from each nation of the UK written by diverse talent – both established and new – will be coming to screens soon. Major new shows from Russell T Davies, Daisy Haggard, Jack Thorne, Molly Manning-Walker and Roy Williams, with more to be announced soon, demonstrate Channel 4 at its best, supporting great artists and great work.
With our longstanding reputation as a champion of the most original writers and directors and a slate of shows that will play out through 2026 and 2027, Channel 4 Drama is brilliantly placed for success in the years ahead.
Gwawr Lloyd, Commissioning Editor, Drama, has been working closely with Ollie this past year and has been with the channel for over five years, overseeing acclaimed shows including The Gathering and Somewhere Boy. We are delighted that Gwawr will become Interim Head of Drama reporting to Ian Katz and will join his HoDs from 1st July. Gwawr is passionate about our mandate to take risks and has a clear vision of how Channel 4 Drama will continue to work with the very best British talent as we roll out our new drama slate.
Ollie will continue to oversee the delivery of projects until October, working alongside Farhana and the Film4 team and Gwawr and the Channel 4 Drama team.
While Farhana and Gwawr will oversee their respective teams alone, they will continue working closely together to maximise the synergy between talent relationships
on both sides and will co-exec Molly Manning-Walker’s new show, which we announced only yesterday.
Ollie has been an inspiring creative force, great colleague, and a champion and friend to countless filmmakers. We’re incredibly grateful for his exceptional contribution and wish him all the best for the future, and congratulate Farhana and Gwawr as they build on this remarkable body of work.
