Mamoun Hassan

Mamoun Hassan 12 December 1937 29 July 2022 was a Saudiborn British screenwriter director editor producer and teacher of film who held prominent positions in British cinema during the 1970s and 80s frequently backing experimental work He was the first head of production of the British Film Institute BFI and later managing director of the National Film Finance Corporation NFFC Mamoun Hassan was born in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on 12 December 1937 He began his career in film working as an editing assistant with Kevin Brownlow He made his first distributed short film The Meeting in 1965 for which he was awarded a best prize award at the Oberhausen Film Festival He was the first head of production of the British Film Institute from 1971 in which post he instigated the BFIs policy of backing lowbudget feature films that charted in new directions he assisted the director Bill Douglas by securing crew and funding to make The Bill Douglas Trilogy 197278 and financially supported the production of Winstanley 1975 Hassan was the first to support film that was made by Black British filmmakers about their experiences in Britain Horace Oves Pressure After leaving the BFI he taught at the National Film and Television School at Beaconsfield In 1979 he wrote a policy paper for AIP of which he was a founder member on the future of the National Film Finance Corporation which led to him being appointed to the board by the Minister of Trade and Industry Subsequent to this he was appointed Managing Director In this position he backed the film Babylon 1980 Gregorys Girl Britannia Hospital Raymond Briggs When the Wind Blows and again helped Douglas in the production of Comrades 1986 When he wasnt able to support film directly he would use his influence to ensure they were made These include Merchant Ivorys Heat and Dust and Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence Despite the brave funding choices and renewed creativity of the NFFC under Hassan it was abolished in 1985 Afterwards he worked as a film producer screenwriter consultant lecturer and teacher in the field of cinema Hassan died on 29 July 2022 at the age of 84