Sheffield Doc/Fest deputy director and programme director to leave

Sheffield Doc/Fest deputy director Charlie Phillips is to step down after seven years to take up a newly created position as head of documentaries at the Guardian, as part of its video team, from Oct 20.

Reporting to the Guardian’s executive editor of multimedia, Merope Mills, Phillips will be responsible for overseeing the acquisition and production of international documentaries of all lengths and genres.

Melanie Iredale will replace Phillips at the documentary festival from November and joins from Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival, which she has directed since 2009.

Iredale has also been development consultant for Sheffield Doc/Fest since 2010, raising funds for new festival strands as well as arts and public-facing projects. 

It has also been confirmed that director of programming Hussain Currimbhoy is leaving for an international film festival. His replacement will be announced soon.

Karolina Lidin, Marketplace executive producer, and Anna Parker MeetMarket manager, will continue to run Doc/Fest’s industry Marketplace.

Sheffield Doc/Fest chair Alex Graham said: “We are of course very sad to see Charlie leave, but I know Doc/Fest will continue to grow in the brilliant hands of the team under Heather Croall’s direction.”

Croall, CEO and festival director, said Iredale’s work with Sheffield Doc/Fest had “yielded fantastic results and I’m looking forward to working with her as my deputy”.

Speaking about Phillips, Croall added: “It is sad to say goodbye to such a brilliant talent but it is a great testament to the quality and breadth of his work with us that he is has been given this opportunity.”

Phillips said: “It’s been an amazing seven years at Sheffield Doc/Fest, and whilst I’m sad to leave such a special organisation, their support for innovation and developing talented documentary-makers for which they’re renowned is something I’ll be strongly committed to at the Guardian.

“I’m very much looking forward to talking to filmmakers and documentary funders in the near future as we begin this fascinating new chapter.”

Iredale said: “It goes without saying that I am sad that the forthcoming Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival will be my last, but to be offered the chance to work at a senior level at one of the biggest festivals of its kind in the world is a huge opportunity and a challenge.”

Iredale has had experience of working in film exhibition and events across the North of England for the past ten years. Starting her career at the Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, she went on to manage Northern Lights Film Festival in Newcastle-Gateshead, and then work as film programme director at the Scandinavian mixed arts event, NICE-Festival in Liverpool, while freelance work included project management for AV Festival and Northern Film & Media.

In 2009, Iredale was appointed as director of Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival, leading the festival artistically and strategically. Work she commissioned at Berwick has gone on to be exhibited at festivals and galleries from the UK and Rotterdam to Hong Kong.

Iredale was brought in to work with Sheffield Doc/Fest on a freelance basis as a development consultant in 2010, raising funds for new strands in the festival as well as arts and public-facing projects.

Sheffield Doc/Fest 2015 will run from June 5-10.