Industry veteran and former Film4 chairman Daniel Battsek has been appointed president of Film At Lincoln Center (FLC), effective May 1. Battsek
Industry veteran and former Film4 chairman Daniel Battsek has been appointed president of Film At Lincoln Center (FLC), effective May 1.
Battsek is tasked with guiding the strategic direction of the non-profit dedicated to cinema and home to New York Film Festival, and reports to the board.
The highly regarded UK-born, New York-based veteran brings more than three decades of leadership experience in the film world, most recently as director and later chairman of Film4 from 2016 to 2024.
Under his tenure, he oversaw production of Oscar and Bafta winners and nominees including The Zone Of Interest, Poor Things, All Of Us Strangers, The Banshees Of Inisherin, and The Favourite.
Since 2018, Battsek has served as chairman of Film London. Previous posts include president of National Geographic Films, where he acquired and developed projects like Restrepo, and National Geographic-branded large-screen and Imax 3D films.
In 2005, Battsek became president of filmed entertainment at Miramax, where he led the company for five years and greenlit and/or acquired projects such as The Diving Bell And The Butterfly and Oscar-winning films The Queen, No Country For Old Men, and There Will Be Blood.
Prior to that the British executive served as EVP and managing director of UK distribution and European production and acquisitions at Buena Vista International from 1991 to 2005, overseeing an annual slate of 18–25 films from Walt Disney Studios and partners including Pixar and Miramax.
He also established a comedy production label in 2001, which financed and produced films like Calendar Girls and Kinky Boots.
Daniel H. Stern, chair of FLC board, said: “Daniel Battsek’s extensive leadership experience, his deep connections within the global film community, and his clear passion for cinema and our mission make him the ideal fit to lead Film at Lincoln Center – especially in this time of great change in the film ecosystem.”
Battsek added: “My goal is to bring the knowledge and experience I’ve gained throughout my career in the film industry to support and elevate FLC’s programming, mission, and brand. Having long admired FLC as a vital New York cultural institution, I am immensely proud to take the helm at such an exciting moment for cinema.”
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