BBC Storyville's Philippa Kowarsky leaves the company

BBC Storyville commissioning editor Philippa Kowarsky will soon depart from the company to pursue other opportunities. “I’m writing to let you know that Philippa Kowarsky will be leaving the team to pursue other ventures outside of the BBC," In a notice to BBC staff, Yates states. "I would like to personally thank Philippa for her contribution to the success of Storyville over the past year, during which time she has built a rich and varied slate of films. I wish her all the best for her future plans.”

The move was confirmed by Director of BBC Film Eva Yates, who will serve as the interim commissioning contact for BBC Storyville until a replacement for Kowarsky is found. “I would like to personally thank Philippa for her contribution to the success of Storyville over the past year, during which time she has built a rich and varied slate of films. I wish her all the best for her future plans," Yates said.

The titles commissioned by Kowarsky during her year-long tenure at BBC include "The Earth is as Blue as an Orange," which followed a Ukrainian family living under siege in 2019. She initially joined the company as a replacement for Mandy Change to take on various doc feature coproductions. The executive contributed the knowledge she gathered at her previous position at Cinephil,  where she worked on films including the BAFTA-winning "The Act Of Killing" and "Collective."

She also served as a producer on "The Gatekeepers," "Night Will Fall," and the Sundance award winner "Flee.""We will update you soon on the next steps for Storyville. In the interim, please come to me with any issues or commissioning decisions that may arise,” Yates said.