Piers Wenger joins Film4.

LONDON, Thursday 26th May 2011: Film4, Channel 4 Television’s feature film division, has announced the appointment of Piers Wenger to the role of Senior Commissioning Executive. Wenger, currently Head of Drama, BBC Wales, will take up his new post at a date to be confirmed.

His arrival marks an expansion of the existing commissioning team; he will report to Channel 4’s Controller of Film and Drama, Tessa Ross.

Commenting on the appointment, Tessa Ross said:‘‘I’m delighted to welcome Piers to the team. He is a hugely talented executive who will bring to Film4 real vision at a time when we are embarking on an exciting new phase in our development.’

Piers Wenger added: “It is with great sadness that I say goodbye to Doctor Who and BBC Wales, and all of the extraordinary people who work on its shows. But Film4’s output, with its ethos of encouraging film-makers to produce their most authored and original work, could not be closer to my heart and so it’s with huge excitement and a great sense of privilege that I take up this role.”

Since 2008, Piers Wenger has overseen and executive produced the hugely successful creative regeneration of Doctor Who under lead writer Steven Moffat, launching a new Doctor, the first to be BAFTA-nominated for the role, and overseeing the rapid expansion of the show around the world.

During his three year tenure, he has broadened and expanded the slate of drama productions at BBC Wales, to include Eric & Ernie, co-executive produced with Victoria Wood, which won the writer and leading actor BAFTAs at the 2011 Awards, Christopher and His Kind, Kevin Elyot’s account of Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin years with Matt Smith in the lead role and Upstairs Downstairs written by Heidi Thomas. He is currently working on the much-anticipated adaptation of Ford Madox Ford’s masterpiece, Parade’s End, written by Sir Tom Stoppard as well as Punchdrunk’s latest theatrical production The Crash of the Elysium which will premiere at the Manchester International Festival later this year.

For more information: http://www.film4.com/productions