An AFTRS and after Update - Ben Gibson appointed head of the Berlin Film Academy

The last AFTRS update reported on a short, somewhat vague reply sent by an official from Mitch Fifield's department responding to some thoughts about why the school has stopped producing film-makers who go on to direct feature films. The letter referred those interested to a piece in the AFTRS in house publication Lumina which suggested that when Sandra Levy arrived at the school, decisions were taken to do things differently. If you want to read the letter and find the link then you need to go here . 

                                                                                                         

(If you want to refresh your memory or join several hundred others and read the initial post about the quality curve you have to go to the primary post)

Part of the background in the story relates to the appointment of Ben Gibson the former head of the London Film School who was hired to, among other things,develop a Masters program, effectively a program to reintroduce the educational practices that had previously produced a stellar output of new directing talent. No point here in naming names. That appointment didn't work out and within twelve months Gibson was headed out the door. 

He has however landed on his feet. A press release from the Berlin Film Academy, aka the DFFB GmbH, advises as follows: After the board of trustees in their meeting on 23 October 2015 unanimously adopted the proposal of the appointments committee to appoint Ben Gibson as the new director and manager of DFFB GmbH, the contract negotiations on the employment of the new director by the chairman of the board of trustees and head of Berlin senate chancellery Björn Böhning have now successfully been concluded. Ben Gibson has been officially appointed as the new director and manager of DFFB GmbH in the board of trustees meeting which has confirmed the decision today. He will begin his work at the prestigious Berlin Film Academy starting 15 February 2016. State secretary Björn Böhning, the chairman of the board of trustees and head of the Berlin Senate Chancellery Office, explained: “The board's unanimous vote in favour of Ben Gibson is a sound basis for a successful realignment of the dffb. I am delighted that with Ben Gibson the Film Academy will be led by an internationally recognised expert of great experience."