“I never wanted to work in America or for a Studio,” veteran UK producer Tessa Ross began this morning when prompted on her working relationship with the Hollywood studios during an expansive and illuminating career Q&A session with BFI chief Ben Roberts.

Across her decades-long career, Ross has held commissioning and exec roles at virtually every public funding body, from the now-defunct British Screen to the BBC, Channel 4, and Film4 .

Ross continued to explain that her dedication to the UK industry gave her power when it came to working and negotiating with Studios.

“There is power in knowing that you’re fine where you are, and therefore, not pleasing those studios is quite important,” she said. “From time to time, I’d tell my team that we have to bend over and take it, because d

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