Mamoun Hassan

Mamoun Hassan (12 December 1937 – 29 July 2022) was a Saudi-born British screenwriter, director, editor, producer and teacher of film who held prominent positions in British cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, 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).

Life and career

Mamoun Hassan was born in Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia on 12 December 1937.[1] He began his career in film working as an editing assistant with Kevin Brownlow.[2] He made his first distributed short film 'The Meeting', in1965, for which he was awarded a best prize award at the Oberhausen Film Festival.[2] He was the first head of production of the British Film Institute from 1971,[3] in which post he instigated the BFI's policy of backing low-budget feature films that charted in new directions;[4] he assisted the director Bill Douglas by securing crew and funding to make The Bill Douglas Trilogy (1972–78),[5] and financially supported the production of Winstanley (1975).[6] Hassan was the first to support film that was made by Black British filmmakers about their experiences in Britain: Horace Ove's Pressure.[2] After leaving the BFI he taught at the National Film and Television School at Beaconsfield.[7] 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.[2] Subsequent to this, he was appointed Managing Director.[2] In this position he backed the film Babylon (1980),[8] Gregory's Girl, Britannia Hospital, Raymond Briggs' When the Wind Blows and again helped Douglas in the production of Comrades (1986).[2][5][9] When he wasn't able to support film directly, he would use his influence to ensure they were made. These include Merchant Ivory's 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.[8][10] Afterwards he worked as a film producer, screenwriter, consultant, lecturer and teacher in the field of cinema.[11]

Hassan died on 29 July 2022, at the age of 84.[12]

Filmography
Year Film Credit[1]
2019 Spider Creative consultant
2012 My Brother the Devil Editing consultant
2009 Bill Douglas: Reflections on His Trilogy Interviewee
2008 La Buena Vida Producer, Screenplay
2006 Affairs of the House Special thanks
2006 Bill Douglas: Intent on Getting the Image Cast member
2004 Machuca Producer, Screenplay
1988 Distant Voices, Still Lives Special thanks
1986 When the Wind Blows Executive Producer - uncredited, Special thanks
1985 No Surrender Producer
1985 Dance with a Stranger Executive Producer - uncredited[2]
1984 Another Country Executive Producer - uncredited[2]
1982 Britannia Hospital Executive Producer - uncredited[2]
1976 Some of the Palestinians Director, Editor
1975 Winstanley Executive Producer - uncredited[2]
1974 A Private Enterprise Executive Producer - uncredited, Special thanks
1971 Here Are Ladies Editor
1969 Wild and Free Twice Daily (Documentary) Editor
1966 Turner (Documentary short) Editor
1964 The Meeting Director, Producer, Writer

Television Credits
Year Production Credit
1990 Movie Masterclass (Series 2) - Program 1: World of Apu Deviser, Producer, Presenter
1988 Movie Masterclass (Series 1) - Program 1: Seven Samurai Deviser, Producer, Presenter
1973 Cinema Now (TV Series) - Two Young Film Makers Self
1968 Contrasts (TV Series) (1 Episode) Living on the Box Director

References
  1. "Mamoun Hassan". BFI. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  2. "Mamoun Hassan obituary: filmmaker, British film industry leader and passionate believer in cinema". BFI. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  3. Allon, Yoram; Del Cullen; Hannah Patterson (2001). Contemporary British and Irish film directors: a wallflower critical guide. Wallflower Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-903364-21-5.
  4. Caterer, James (2011). The People's Pictures: National Lottery Funding and British Cinema. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 36. ISBN 9781443833226.
  5. Hassan, Mamoun (20 June 2008). "Mamoun Hassan recalls working with director Bill Douglas". The Guardian.
  6. Tibbetts, John C., "Winstanley"; or, Kevin Brownlow Camps out on St. George's Hill.". Literature/Film Quarterly. Salisbury University. 1 January 2003h
  7. Petrie, Duncan; Stoneman, Rod (2014). Educating Film-makers: Past, Present and Future. Intellect Books. p. 93. ISBN 9781783201853.
  8. Barber, Sian (2013). The British Film Industry in the 1970s: Capital, Culture and Creativity. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 44. ISBN 9781137305923.
  9. Street, Sarah (2008). British National Cinema. Taylor & Francis. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-415-38422-3.
  10. Adair, Gilbert; Roddick, Nick (1985). A night at the pictures: ten decades of British film. Columbus Books in association with the British Film Year. p. 93. ISBN 9780862871888.
  11. "Watch Mamoun Hassan's introduction to L'avventura". European Film College. 4 April 2014.
  12. "Mamoun Hassan obituary". The Guardian. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.


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