Banijay’s Workerbee strikes pact with ‘Touching The Void’ director Kevin Macdonald

Touching The Void

Banijay UK label Workerbee has struck a multi project deal with Scottish director and producer Kevin Macdonald to executive produce and direct factual projects over the next two years.

Macdonald, whose credits include the Oscar-winning One Day In September, as well as Touching The Void, Marley and Whitney, will work closely with Workerbee’s film division to identify unscripted projects to collaborate on.

The first project to result from the partnership is a “major feature documentary” that Macdonald will exec produce, but is not yet ready to be announced, according to Banijay UK.

This is the first creative partnership to be announced since the company was expanded into the Workerbee Group, with distinct films and formats business divisions formed in November, and a new strategy of acquisition, investment and creative partnerships in the North of England and Wales.

The company, which produces The Bridge for Channel 4 and Idris Elba’s Fight School for BBC Two, recently hired Ben Mitchell, formerly creative director of popular factual from BBC Studios, to lead its formats division, while Benjamin Hirsch, who was behind Workerbee’s Janet Jackson, heads up films.

Rick Murray, CEO of the Workerbee Group said; “After working closely with Kevin as co-director on Bruno Vs Tyson and exec on our Janet series, we are delighted to be furthering our relationship with this deal. On a personal level I’m huge fan of Kevin’s approach to storytelling and his partnerships with our lead director Ben Hirsh have produced our most exciting documentary projects to date.”