BBC Storyville commissioner Philippa Kowarsky quits after less than year in role

Philippa Kowarsky

Philippa Kowarsky has stepped down from her role as commissioning editor of UK pubcaster the BBC’s original documentary brand Storyville, after just short of a year.

Kowarsky took on the position in August last year, but has now exited to pursue other ventures outside of the BBC.

The role tasked her with identifying and co-producing original documentaries with creators from around the world, across the BBC’s platforms. Eva Yates, the director of BBC Film, will take over Kowarsky’s responsibilities in the interim until a replacement is found.

Kowarsky joined the BBC last year from Cinephil, the international sales and advisory firm which she founded in 1997 and where she served as managing director. In that role, she worked on independent international documentary productions, from strategy and marketing, to global distribution and acting as a co-producer and executive producer

She represented and oversaw a slate of films including Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn’s The Act Of Killing and Alexander Nanau’s Collective. Kowarsky is also a documentary producer whose credits include Dror Moreh’s The Gatekeepers, Andre Singer’s Night Will Fall, and most recently Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee.