Team changes at BFI London Film Festival and BFI Flare for 2018 editions

Clare Stewart and Tricia Tuttle

The BFI Festivals team today reveals its new senior management structure for 2018 as Clare Stewart, BFI London Film Festival Director and BFI Head of Festivals takes a year-long sabbatical from January 2018. Making two internal promotions, Tricia Tuttle, currently the Deputy Head of Festivals, will become the LFF’s interim Artistic Director and Anne-Marie Flynn, currently Head of Business & Industry, will become the LFF’s interim Managing Director, both reporting to Heather Stewart, the BFI’s Creative Director. The BFI is also recruiting a temporary Programme and Filmmaker Services Manager to round out the wider Festivals’ team.

Clare Stewart recently closed her sixth BFI London Film Festival which under her guardianship has been transformed following radical evolution. Changes such as a bold reinvention of the programme, shortening the Festival, adding UK-wide screenings and more headline galas and the recent introduction of a new temporary cinema at Embankment Gardens have resulted in dramatic audience growth, improved industry engagement and enhanced profile of the LFF internationally. The 2017 edition attracted London audiences of 180,900 with a significant increase in UK-wide attendances taking totals to 208,900, and the Festival welcomed over 900 international and British filmmakers to present their films in the programme.

Tricia Tuttle and Anne-Marie Flynn, who will see their responsibilities increased to cover Stewart’s sabbatical, have been an integral part of this continued growth and success, both of BFI London Film Festival and BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival. Flynn will lead the Festival’s financial, business and strategic priorities as well overseeing its production, industry-facing activities and the LFF Awards. Tuttle’s focus will be leading on the overall programme, managing the programming and filmmaker teams for both Festivals, developing new and diverse audiences, maintaining and growing the Festival’s cultural success and being the public face of the Festivals.

Clare Stewart, BFI Head of Festivals and Director of BFI London Film Festival, said:

“Delivering both our Festivals has been a truly collaborative team effort and I am fortunate to work with hugely talented colleagues on LFF and Flare. Anne-Marie and Tricia have been instrumental in successfully implementing changes which have dramatically increased the reach and impact of LFF and Flare. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and I am entirely confident they will provide strong leadership for BFI Festivals in the year ahead.”

Heather Stewart, BFI’s Creative Director, said:

“Over the past six years, Clare’s impact on our Festivals has been fantastic, particularly raising our game on the international stage and crucially increasing audiences in London and across the UK. It makes perfect sense for Anne-Marie and Tricia to step up. They are a fundamental part of the team and I am delighted they have taken on these new roles and additional responsibility. I wish Clare a fruitful and fulfilling sabbatical, and I also look forward to the opportunity to work more closely with Anne-Marie and Tricia.”

Tricia Tuttle, Artistic Director of BFI Festivals, said:

“BFI Flare and BFI LFF continue to attract eager, adventurous audiences who engage with our strong and diverse international programming and filmmakers love attending to present their work. The continued success of these Festivals is a testament to the terrific teams we have in place and we’ll look forward to delivering great editions with them in 2018.”

Anne-Marie Flynn, Managing Director of BFI Festivals, said:

“We have been on a solid growth trajectory for some years now, and our international profile has never been greater, strengthened by our positioning at the start of the Awards season. The Festival is unique, being run by the lead organisation for film in this country and that has enabled us to forge a strong industry programme with colleagues across the BFI and all sectors of the industry. I’m very excited about building on those relationships with our industry partners and to working closely with Tricia and our great team to take the LFF forward next year.”