Written by Kianna Best on Jan 18, 2023. Posted in General Interest

BBC’s Storyville appoints Emma Hindley as lead commissioning editor

The BBC’s documentary strand Storyville has appointed Emma Hindley as lead commissioning editor. Hindley appointment comes after her temporary leadership since September after the departure of former editor Phillipa Kowarsky. The new lead commissioning editor will report to director of Unscripted Kate Phillips.

Emma Hindley says: “I have always been a huge Storyville fan and the four months I have spent as interim lead commissioning editor have made me even more excited and passionate about its importance and potential, so I’m really delighted to be joining the team on a permanent basis.

Hindley has 25 years of experience working in documentaries as a film editor, director and executive producer. For the past five years, she also served as creative director at Brook Lapping, a renowned independent production company. With a long standing history working with a range of productions such as history, arts and drama documentaries to observational documentaries, Hindley has been recognised for her work multiple time, receiving a BAFTA, Grierson and the RTS.

Image courtesy of BBC

"Storyville has always worked with the best filmmakers on the most interesting international stories and continues to offer a unique, rich and varied viewing experience to BBC viewers,” added Hindley. “Storyville has an incredible legacy to continue at a time when maintaining the BBC’s role in the UK’s cultural landscape is more crucial than ever and I am excited to be engaging with the most diverse range of producers and directors possible. We have a lot to look forward to and I’m honoured to support emerging and existing global talent through the Storyville lens.”

Kate Phillips, Director of Unscripted, says:  “Emma has a proven track record of delivering award-winning, high impact films both domestically and internationally and I’m delighted that she has accepted this role.

Hindley I known for her championing for diversity in the industry, bringing her experiences as a valued mentor to her approach to everything she does. Past initiatives that she have worked with include her commitment to women’s history through her work with the BAFTA award winning Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley, mental health endeavours with BAFTA ad RTS nominated David Harewood Psychosis and Me, as well as LGBT stories such as Tom Daly’s Illegal to Be Me.