Film4 hires Universal boss

The president of international at Universal Pictures is leaving the US studio after a decade to join the film production arm of UK broadcaster Channel 4 (C4).

David Kosse will take up the post of director at Film4 on November 1 following the departure of Tessa Ross, who is set to become chief executive of the National Theatre in London.

Kosse will report directly to C4 chief executive David Abraham and oversee the development, financing and green-lighting of all feature films at Film4, which is part of C4’s remit to support the UK film industry and discover and develop new talent.

In recent years Film4 has developed and co-financed features such as 12 Years a Slave, Slumdog Millionaire, This Is England and The Inbetweeners.

During his ten years at Universal, Kosse founded and built Universal Pictures International, the company’s global marketing and distribution arm. Recent successes have included Boyhood, Wolf of Wall Street and Zero Dark Thirty.

Prior to joining Universal Pictures in 2004, Kosse ran UK-based independent distributor Momentum Pictures.

UK indie association Pact has welcomed the appointment, stating that Kosse “has extensive experience of the sector in both the domestic and international markets.”

Marc Samuelson, chair of Pact’s Film Policy Group, said: “Recent statistics from the British Film Institute show that while inward investment is booming, independent film is suffering and Film4 is a cornerstone of our sector.

“We hope to work through this difficult time with Film4 as one of our most positive and far-sighted industrial partners, as they have been to date.”