John Woodward has resigned from his position as CEO of the UK Film Council and will leave in early November. This follows the announcement made on 26 July by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport that it intends abolishing the Film Council, the government’s lead agency for film in the country.
Tim Cagney, currently Head of UK Partnerships at the UK Film Council, will assume the role of Managing Director, working with Alan Bushell, Chief Operating Officer at the UK Film Council, and the UK Film Council’s Senior Management Team to transition the UK Film Council into the new support system over the coming months.
Said Woodward: "For the next few weeks the UK Film Council will be in a dialogue with the Government about the future support structures for UK film. By choosing to make my position clear now, I can be objective and unconflicted throughout that process. It should then, rightly, be for others to take the new system forward and write the next chapter for UK film.
"I can’t adequately say what a privilege it has been to serve the British film industry since 2000 – and I enjoyed every minute of it up until 5.35pm on 24 July this year. I am proud of what the UK Film Council and its staff have delivered over the past decade. But now is the time to focus only on the future and ensure that whatever takes the place of the UK Film Council builds on its considerable achievements and retains the professionalism and expertise that the industry has said that it wants."
