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Daniel Battsek (born in 1958) is an English film producer and executive, and current director of Film4. Previously, he was president of
Cohen Media Group Charles S. Cohen (born February 8, 1952) is an American real estate developer and film distributor. Early life and education Cohen was raised in a Jewish family in Harrison, New York. He is the son of Gloria and Sherman Cohen and nephew to Eddi ...
,
Miramax Films Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a lead ...
and National Geographic Films.


Life and career

Battsek is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University where he majored in social and political studies.The Daily Telegraph: "The most influential Britons in America: #12 Daniel Battsek – Film studio chief"
January 9, 2008
Battsek began his industry career at ''The Hoyts Film Corporation'' in Sydney where he quickly rose through the ranks to general manager in Victoria State overseeing distribution. Between 1985 and 1991, Battsek was managing director of Palace Pictures where he was responsible for the acquisition and distribution of quality independent titles from around the world for release in the UK. In 1991, Battsek went to work for Disney where he was asked to start up a UK Company as part of the worldwide distribution network for
Buena Vista International Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It h ...
. As EVP and Managing Director, he oversaw all aspects of UK distribution for 18–25 releases per annum from Walt Disney Studios and their partners including
Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...
and Miramax Films. His responsibilities also included involvement in the acquisition of distribution rights across numerous territories for such films as ''
Muriel's Wedding ''Muriel's Wedding'' is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by P.J. Hogan. The film, which stars Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Jeanie Drynan, Sophie Lee, and Bill Hunter, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambi ...
'', '' Shine'', ''
Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
'', ''
Kolya ''Kolya'' ( cs, Kolja) is a 1996 Czech drama film about a man whose life is reshaped in an unexpected way. The film was directed by Jan Svěrák and stars his father, Zdeněk Svěrák, who also wrote the script from a story by Pavel Taussig. ''Ko ...
'', and ''
Ice Storm An ice storm, also known as a glaze event or a silver storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least of ice on e ...
''. In 1998, Battsek was promoted to senior vice president, BVI (UK) Limited where he oversaw approximately 35 films per year from the Disney, Touchstone and Miramax labels. With his expanding role, Battsek began acquiring and developing British film projects for worldwide distribution. He created the BVI UK Comedy Label in 2001 which produced four films, ''
High Heels and Low Lifes ''High Heels and Low Lifes'' is a 2001 action comedy-drama film starring Minnie Driver, Mary McCormack, Kevin McNally, Mark Williams, Danny Dyer and Michael Gambon. It was directed by Mel Smith and written by Kim Fuller and Georgia Pritchett. ...
'', '' Hope Springs'', ''
Calendar Girls ''Calendar Girls'' is a 2003 British comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi, based on a true story of a group of middle-aged Yorkshire women who produ ...
'', and '' Kinky Boots''. In 2005, Battsek was named President of Miramax Films, after
Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (; born March 19, 1952) is an American former film producer and convicted sex offender. He and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent films includ ...
and
Bob Weinstein Robert Weinstein (born October 18, 1954) is an American film producer. He is the founder and head of Dimension Films, former co-chairman of Miramax Films and The Weinstein Company, all of which he co-founded with his older brother, Harvey. He ...
left the company. Projects that Battsek greenlit and / or acquired whilst at Miramax included Oscar winners ''
The Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
'', ''
No Country for Old Men ''No Country for Old Men'' is a 2007 American neo-Western crime thriller film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel of the same name. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin, th ...
'' and ''
There Will Be Blood ''There Will Be Blood'' is a 2007 American period drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, loosely based on the 1927 novel '' Oil!'' by Upton Sinclair. It stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview, a silver miner turned oilm ...
'', along with Oscar nominees '' The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'', and '' Happy-Go-Lucky''. In 2010, Battsek was announced as President of National Geographic Films, replacing Adam Leizpig. During Battsek's time at National Geographic Films, he acquired projects for development and production, operated a boutique theatrical distribution arm for art-house titles and documentaries, including the Oscar-nominated '' Restrepo'', and oversaw National Geographic large-screen and IMAX projects. Battsek joined Cohen Media Group in 2012 as President,.Jewish Journal: "New York real estate magnate Charles Cohen builds a movie studio" by Danielle Berrin
February 20, 2015
working alongside CMG Chairman and CEO Charles S. Cohen in acquiring, producing and distributing top-tier films in a wide range of genres.Broadway World: "Daniel Battsek Named President Of Cohen Media Group"
December 12, 2012
Battsek helped make the company North America’s premiere independent theatrical and digital distributor of contemporary art-house and foreign films. He also helped oversee CMG’s Cohen Film Collection, a library of some 700 cinema classics being restored for theatrical and Blu-ray release. Releases included festival-winning favorites ''
Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once- domesticated animals, the ...
'' and ''
Rams In engineering, RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety)Hitchcock/Truffaut ''Hitchcock/Truffaut'' is a 1966 book by François Truffaut about Alfred Hitchcock, originally released in French as ''Le Cinéma selon Alfred Hitchcock''. First published by Éditions Robert Laffont, it is based on a 1962 dialogue between ...
'', 2015 Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film nominee, ''
Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...
'' by Abderrahmane Sissako and '' My Old Lady'', with Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline. Battsek joined
Film4 Film4 is a British free-to-air television network owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, devoted to broadcasting films. While its standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, i ...
as Director in 2016. Since joining
Film4 Film4 is a British free-to-air television network owned by Channel Four Television Corporation launched on 1 November 1998, devoted to broadcasting films. While its standard-definition channel is available on Freeview and Freesat platforms, i ...
, Battsek has greenlit films including Yorgos Lanthimos' ''
The Favourite ''The Favourite'' is a 2018 Historical drama, period black comedy film co-produced and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, from a screenplay by Deborah Davis (screenwriter), Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (writer), Tony McNamara. Set in early 18th ...
'', ''
Fighting with My Family ''Fighting with My Family'' is a 2019 biographical sports comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephen Merchant. Based on the 2012 documentary ''The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family'' by Max Fisher, it depicts the career of English profes ...
'' from writer / director Stephen Merchant, Bart Layton's '' American Animals'', '' The Festival'' from the makers of '' The Inbetweeners'', Lenny Abrahamson's ''
The Little Stranger :The Little Stranger ''is also the title of one of the Color Classics series produced 13 March 1936, in three-strip Technicolor, by Fleischer Studios. It is also the 2018 film adaptation of Waters' novel.'' ''The Little Stranger'' is a 2009 g ...
'', and Rungano Nyoni's BAFTA-winning '' I Am Not a Witch'', as well as acquiring the rights to Booker Prize winning author Graham Swift's novel ''
Mothering Sunday Mothering Sunday is a day honouring mother churches, the church where one is baptised and becomes "a child of the church", celebrated since the Middle Ages in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries on the fourth Sunday in ...
'' for development with Number 9 Films. Battsek also brought to Film4 John Williams' novel '' Stoner'', a co-production development he initiated in his previous post at Cohen Media Group. Earlier this year, Battsek enjoyed a successful awards season as Executive Producer on Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Oscar-winning '' Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'', a film written and directed by Martin McDonagh, starring Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, and Woody Harrelson.


References


External links


Daniel Battsek named President of Miramax Films

The Brit who scooped a Hollywood leading role

National Geographic Films taps Battsek
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battsek, Daniel 1958 births Living people People educated at William Ellis School British film producers American film studio executives