DirectorsDigest—Thursday4December2025

In the news this week, UKTV factual commissioner Emile Nawagamuwa has kick-started an initiative to support out-of-work freelancers over the festive-season, BBC Entertainment is on the hunt for a bold new comedy-entertainment format, and winners of the BIFA and Gotham Awards were announced.

Read about it in this week's Digest.

News

•  UKTV factual commissioning editor Emile Nawagamuwa has launched a drive to support freelancers without work over the festive period, which is gaining traction among peers. (Broadcast)

•  BBC Entertainment Commissioning has launched the search for a “brand new and original funny, fresh, and bold” comedy entertainment format as a series of 10 x 30’ episodes that could be stripped across two weeks for BBC iPlayer and BBC Two. (Televisual)

•  Pact and Creative Wales have announced eleven Welsh independent production companies selected for their “Future Wales” development programme, designed to identify promising indies in Wales and unlock their potential to grow as global businesses. (Televisual)

•  While accepting the Vanguard Tribute at the Gotham Awards, Guillermo del Toro spoke out about AI and commended his latest film Frankenstein as “willfully made by humans, for humans.” (Deadline)

•  Iran sentences award-winning director Jafar Panahi to prison in absentia. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Director Interviews

•  Lynne Ramsay: ​‘I love pushing people as far as I can’. (Little White Lies)

Awards

•  The winners of the 2025 BIFA Awards have been revealed. A huge congratulations to all the winners — and a special shout-out to the outstanding British directors nominated for Best Director: Harry Lighton, Kirk Jones, Laura Carreira, Lynne Ramsay, and the winner on the night, Akinola Davies Jr. See the full list of winners here. (BIFA)

•  Congratulations to all the winners at the 2025 Gotham Awards. Special congrats to Jafar Panahi, winner of the Best Director prize, and Akinola Davies Jr. who took home the Breakthrough Director award. See the full list of winners here. (Deadline)

Obituaries

•  We're saddened by the loss of Sir Tom Stoppard. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. (Guardian)