Two New Trustees Join the Board

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The Grierson Trust – guardians of the British Documentary Awards – announced two new appointments to its Board today. Acclaimed documentary directors Alex Cooke and Morgan Matthews join the Board of Trustees, chaired by Dawn Airey.

Dawn Airey said: “The Grierson Trust’s aim is to promote and celebrate documentary making in all its forms, so I’m delighted to announce the appointment of two new Trustees who bring hands on expertise in the field.

“Alex’s experience includes directing hard-hitting documentaries including Closing Guantanamo and Tea Party America for BBC2’s This World as well as editing and producing for both the BBC and Channel 4, while Morgan has been making critically-acclaimed documentaries for over ten years and has also set up Minnow Films – a company known for developing exciting new talent – which will be of huge value on the education front. I’m very much looking forward to working alongside both of them.”

Alex Cooke is currently CEO of Renegade Pictures, the company she founded with Alan Hayling, where she has produced a range of documentaries for both international and domestic broadcasters. Prior to this Alex directed United Gates Of America for the BBC, a one-hour documentary about race and immigration inside one of California’s largest gated communities. In 2005 she initiated and produced a ten part series for Discovery Times, Only In America, immersing herself in subcultures across the US and in 2004 made her debut feature documentary, How Arnold Won The West, a political satire following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campaign trail to become Governor. Before directing Alex was the programmer of Sheffield International Documentary Festival from 1997 to 2001. From 1991 to 1993 she was a founder member and Managing Director of The Big Issue.

An acclaimed director for the last decade, Morgan Matthews’ notable early work includes feature length documentaries Taxidermy: Stuff the World and Beautiful Young Minds, both of which garnered award nominations from bodies including BAFTA, RTS and Grierson. Morgan went on to set up Minnow Films where he directed The Fallen, a three-hour film that paid tribute to every British serviceman and woman to have died whilst serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. As well as being nominated for a Grierson, The Fallen won an RTS and two BAFTA’s, including one for Best Factual Director. Most recently, Morgan was again BAFTA and Grierson nominated for the powerful Scenes from a Teenage Killing.

Alex and Morgan will serve their three year tenures alongside fellow Trustees Emma Hindley, Charlotte Moore, Terry Back, John Battsek, Emily Bell, Mandy Chang, Simon Dickson, George Duffield, Jill Franklin, Christopher Hird, Chris Harris, Mark Boyd and James Hunt.