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BFI Chair Josh Berger to Step Down in November After 10 Years

British Film Institute (BFI) Chair Josh Berger will step down from the role in November, after serving the maximum 10 years permissible in the position, as a Governor and Chair, under the BFI Royal Charter.

The U.K. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has launched the recruitment process for a new Chair.

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Berger has been on the BFI Board from 2011 and became Chair in 2016. He also serves as president and managing director for Warner Bros. Entertainment U.K., Ireland and Spain.

Berger said: “It has been a very great privilege to be part of this wonderful organization for the last ten years, initially as a Governor and latterly as Chair since 2016.

“In the world in which we find ourselves the BFI is more important than ever. The BFI is a champion of British film, is the guardian of the nation’s film and television heritage and has put diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything it does — and is driving this across our industry. During this pandemic, film culture has proved itself more important than ever to our lives.”

“The leadership role played by the BFI has never been more crucial as the industry seeks to recover following the impact of COVID-19. During this challenging period, the BFI has led the industry, working with Government and with key partners, to lay the foundations for film production and exhibition to start safely once again and continue to drive the U.K.’s economic growth.”

BFI CEO Ben Roberts said: “In the months since my appointment as chief executive and during one of the most challenging periods in the BFI’s history, Josh has led the board with great determination and offered myself and the Executive team enormous support and counsel. There will be many opportunities to do so in the coming months, but as the search for a new Chair commences, I would like to express my gratitude for his leadership and wisdom.”

The BFI Chair is an unpaid position and is expected to serve two days a month and whenever required for consultation with the BFI CEO.

The DCMS advertisement for the position describes it as an “extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about the success of the BFI and the wider British film/screen industry, and who has a track record of board leadership, to support the next chapter of British film and the continued success of the screen sectors.”

“The selected Board Chair will be expected to work alongside the recently appointed CEO in shaping and delivering an emerging vision for the sectors’ recovery from COVID-19, and long-term success thereafter. To do so, the selected Board Chair must have achieved leadership stature in the film industry, business, a major charitable or cultural institution, or government,” the job description adds.

Applications for the position close Sept. 5 and final interviews will take place Nov. 2.

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