Left Bank Pictures‘ CEO Andy Harries will take over as the new chair of the Film London Executive Task Force this month.
Harries, whose company produces “The Crown” among other high-end dramas, succeeds the inaugural chair, Lord David Puttnam, who has been in the role since 2004.
Harries established Left Bank Pictures in 2007; Sony Pictures Television acquired the company in 2012.
The Film London Executive Task Force is comprised of stakeholders from both the screen industry, including Netflix, Channel 4 and The Production Guild, and the public sector, such as the Metropoliton Police. Its aim is to ensure London remains a desirable place to shoot – with all the economic benefits that offers – while delivering minimum disruption for residents and local businesses.
Some of the issues the task force deals with include traffic management, code of practice, permissions and fees, data collection and communication.
During Lord Puttnam’s tenure, the task force introduced road closure legislation for filming in the U.K. and launched the London Filming Partnership, which is comprised of over 500 organizations across the city who liaise to ensure the capital is as film-friendly as possible.
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“It’s been an honour and a privilege to have served for seventeen years as chair,” Lord Puttnam said in a statement. “I’m delighted to have played a role in the development of this collaborative and wholly successful Executive Task Force. We can all take pride in what’s been achieved during my tenure, including the design and implementation of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act of 2008 and the subsequent – and very significant – increase in all types of filming in our city (whether it be feature films, television, advertisements or student films).”
“I’d like to recognise the enormous support and encouragement I’ve received from the Board and Film London’s Executive, every one of whom has been a delight to work with,” Lord Puttnam continued. “With the appointment of my successor, Andy Harries, I know the Executive Task Force will be brilliantly placed to fulfil its mission of ensuring the UK remains the ‘destination of choice’ for the rapidly growing international content industry.”
Harries said: “I have been living and filming in London for the last 30 years of my life and this great city gives me the greatest pleasure, watching it come to life on screen and raising my family here. It’s an honour to follow David in this position and a privilege to keep the fight up for London to be at the very heart of our brilliant and ever expanding business.”
Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, added: “It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to Lord David Puttnam as Chair of the Film London Executive Task Force. Lord Puttnam has been instrumental in strengthening cooperation between London’s multiple agencies and the industry, turning London into one of the most production-friendly cities in the world. I can’t underplay the impact that Lord Puttnam has had on our city, our sector, and our country’s success on the global stage as a result, and I know many echo my words. We are truly grateful for his contribution and I would like to thank him for his commitment, expertise and immense leadership supporting the London Filming Partnership and indeed Film London for over nearly two decades.”
“Moving forward, I am delighted to announce Left Bank Pictures CEO Andy Harries as newly appointed chair of the Executive Task Force,” Wootton added. “Andy brings a wealth of industry experience, critical acclaim and innovative forward thinking and we look forward to welcoming him to the Task Force.”
