David Puttnam
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David Terence Puttnam, Baron Puttnam,
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
, HonFRSA, HonFRPS, MRIA (born 25 February 1941) is a British film producer, educator, environmentalist and former member of the
House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
. His productions include ''
Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell ...
'', which won the
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
, '' The Mission'', ''
The Killing Fields A killing field is a concept in military science. Killing field may also refer to: * Killing Fields, a number of sites in Cambodia where collectively more than a million people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of ...
'', '' Local Hero'', '' Midnight Express'' and '' Memphis Belle''. In 1982, he received the BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema, and in 2006 he was awarded the
BAFTA Fellowship The BAFTA Fellowship, or the Academy Fellowship, is a lifetime achievement award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in recognition of "outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image". The award is t ...
for lifetime achievement from the
British Academy of Film and Television Arts British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
. Puttnam sat on the Labour benches in the House of Lords, although he was not principally a politician. In 2019 he was appointed chair to th
select committee on democracy and digital technologies
The committee published its findings in its

' report in June 2020.


Early life

Puttnam was born in
Southgate, London Southgate is a suburban area of North London, England in the London Borough of Enfield. It is located around north of Charing Cross. The name is derived from being the south gate to Enfield Chase. History Southgate was originally the ''South ...
, England, the son of Marie Beatrix, a housewife of
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
origin, and Leonard Arthur Puttnam, a photographer. Educated at
Minchenden Grammar School Minchenden School was a mixed secondary school situated in Southgate, North London, established in 1919 with 90 pupils. It merged with Arnos School in 1984. History The school was established in 1919 in Tottenhall Road as a mixed secondary sc ...
in London, Puttnam had an early career in advertising, including five formative years at
Collett Dickenson Pearce Collett Dickenson Pearce & Partners (CDP) was a British advertising agency which operated from 1960 till 2000. It was founded by John Pearce and Ronnie Dickenson who bought an existing agency owned by John Collett. The agency played a pivotal ro ...
, and as agent acting for the photographers David Bailey and Brian Duffy.


Film career


Sandy Lieberson

Puttnam turned to film production in the late 1960s, working with
Sanford Lieberson Sanford "Sandy" Lieberson (born 16 July 1936)"Sanford Lieberson"
IMDb.
is an American film producer and ...
's production company
Goodtimes Enterprises Goodtimes Enterprises was a British film production company, run by David Puttnam and Sanford Lieberson. Their films include ''Performance'', ''Melody'', ''That'll Be The Day'', ''Stardust'', ''Mahler'', ''Lisztomania'' and ''Bugsy Malone''. The ...
. The first feature he produced was ''
Melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
'' (1971), based on a script by
Alan Parker Sir Alan William Parker (14 February 1944 – 31 July 2020) was an English filmmaker. His early career, beginning in his late teens, was spent as a copywriter and director of television advertisements. After about ten years of filming adverts ...
and which was a minor hit. Puttnam and Lieberson produced the documentaries ''Peacemaking 1919'' (1971), ''Glastonbury Fayre'' (1972), and ''Bringing It All Back Home'' (1972). Their second film, ''
The Pied Piper The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back t ...
'' (1972), directed by Jacques Demy was not a success, but ''
That'll Be the Day "That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, the Crickets. The 1957 recording achieved widespr ...
'' (1973) with
David Essex David Essex (born David Albert Cook; 23 July 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. Since the 1970s, he has attained 19 Top 40 singles in the UK (including two number ones) and 16 Top 40 albums. Internationally, Essex had the most ...
proved a hit. Puttnam and Lieberson went on to produce ''
The Final Programme ''The Final Programme'' is a novel by British science fiction and fantasy writer Michael Moorcock. Written in 1965 as the underground culture was beginning to emerge, it was not published for several years. Moorcock has stated that publishers a ...
'' (1973), a science fiction film, and made some more documentaries, these being ''Double Headed Eagle: Hitler's Rise to Power 1918-1933'' (1973) and ''Swastika'' (1974). Puttnam and Lieberson executive-produced the
Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...
biopic ''
Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
'' (1974), and did a sequel to ''That'll Be The Day'', entitled '' Stardust'' (1974) and directed by
Michael Apted Michael David Apted, (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was a British television and film director and producer. Apted began working in television and directed the '' Up'' documentary series (1964–2019). He later directed '' Coal Miner's ...
. There were more documentaries: ''Radio Wonderful'' (1974), ''
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" is one of the best-known American songs of the Great Depression. Written by lyricist Yip Harburg and composer Jay Gorney, it was part of the 1932 musical revue ''Americana''; the melody is based on a Russian-Je ...
'' (1975), '' James Dean: The First American Teenager'' (1975) and ''The Memory of Justice'' (1976). A second film with Russell, ''
Lisztomania Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on ...
'' (1975), was a box office disaster and led to the end of the Puttnam-Lieberson partnership. Puttnam had a box office success with ''
Bugsy Malone ''Bugsy Malone'' is a 1976 gangster musical comedy film written and directed by Alan Parker (in his feature film directorial debut). A co-production of United States and United Kingdom, it features an ensemble cast, featuring only child actor ...
'' (1976), a musical he executive-produced, written and directed by Alan Parker, and produced by Alan Marshall. It was the last film Puttnam would make under the 'Goodtimes' banner. He went on to set up a new company, Enigma Films.


Enigma Films

Puttnam produced ''
The Duellists ''The Duellists'' is a 1977 British historical drama film and the feature film directorial debut of Ridley Scott. It won the Best Debut Film award at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival. The basis of the screenplay is the Joseph Conrad short story "T ...
'' (1977), the directorial debut of
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...
; and with Marshall once more, he produced '' Midnight Express'' (1978), directed by Parker from a script by
Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...
, and which was a notable box office success. Puttnam made his first film in America, ''
Foxes Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
'' (1980), itself the directorial debut of Adrian Lyne. It was a box office flop. Puttnam's next film was his most successful yet. ''
Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell ...
'' (1981), the first feature directed by
Hugh Hudson Hugh Hudson (born 25 August 1936) is an English film director. He was among a generation of British directors who would begin their career making documentaries and television commercials before going on to have success in films. He directed the ...
, became a massive hit and won the
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
. It was produced in association with
Goldcrest Pictures Goldcrest Films is an award-winning independent British distribution, production, post production, and finance company. Operating from London and New York, Goldcrest is a privately owned integrated filmed entertainment company. Goldcrest Films ov ...
. Puttnam set up a television company, Enigma TV, and made a series of television films in association with Goldcrest, which carried Puttnam's name as executive producer. Six were made as a series called ''First Love'' for the fledgling
Channel Four Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service i ...
: ''
P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang ''P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang'', also released as ''Kipperbang'', is a British television film first shown on Channel 4 on its second night, 3 November 1982. Written by Jack Rosenthal as part of the ''First Love'' series, it is a coming-of-age fil ...
'' (1982), directed by Apted; '' Experience Preferred... But Not Essential'' (1982); ''
Secrets Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...
'' (1983); '' Those Glory Glory Days'' (1983); '' Sharma and Beyond'' (1983); and ''
Arthur's Hallowed Ground ''Arthur's Hallowed Ground'' is a 1983 British TV film directed by Freddie Young. Cast *Jimmy Jewel *Vas Blackwood *Jean Boht * David Swift * Bernard Gallagher *Michael Elphick * Derek Benfield * John Flanagan *Sam Kelly * Al Ashton * Mark Drewry ...
'' (1984). Other films produced for television were '' Forever Young'' (1983); '' Red Monarch'' (1983); and '' Winter Flight'' (1984). Puttnam continued to produce feature films. He had another success with '' Local Hero'' (1983), written and directed by
Bill Forsyth William David Forsyth (born 29 July 1946). known as Bill Forsyth, is a Scottish film director and writer known for his films '' Gregory's Girl'' (1981), '' Local Hero'' (1983) and '' Comfort and Joy'' (1984) as well as his adaptation of the Ma ...
; and also produced the acclaimed '' Cal'' (1984) directed by Pat O'Connor, and ''
The Killing Fields A killing field is a concept in military science. Killing field may also refer to: * Killing Fields, a number of sites in Cambodia where collectively more than a million people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of ...
'' (1984), directed by
Roland Joffe Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...
. Puttnam continued to executive produce television movies such as ''
The Frog Prince "The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" (german: Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich, literally "The Frog King or the Iron Henry") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 1). ...
'' (1985), '' Mr. Love'' (1985), ''
Defence of the Realm ''Defence of the Realm'' is a 1986 British political thriller film directed by David Drury, starring Gabriel Byrne, Greta Scacchi, and Denholm Elliott, with Robbie Coltrane in a supporting role. The film takes its title from the Defence of the ...
'' (1986), and '' Knights & Emeralds'' (1986). He also produced '' The Mission'' (1986), directed by Joffe from a script by
Robert Bolt Robert Oxton Bolt (15 August 1924 – 20 February 1995) was an English playwright and a two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter, known for writing the screenplays for ''Lawrence of Arabia'', ''Doctor Zhivago'', and '' A Man for All Seasons'', ...
, which won the
Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
in 1986.


Columbia Pictures

Puttnam was chairman and CEO of
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
from June 1986 until September 1987. There he oversaw a development of the $270-million film package that has a number of 15-18 films for the first two years, and a number of 15 films for the next two years, and handled in such acquisitions, like '' The Big Easy'', from Kings Road Productions, and
Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
's low budget feature '' School Daze'', and made a decision to drop big-budget films in favor of smaller features, a move that did not sit well with
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
and Hollywood, and decided to let deals with existing contracts expire.


Post-Columbia producing work

Puttnam returned to producing individual films with '' Memphis Belle'' (1990), ''
Meeting Venus ''Meeting Venus'' is a 1991 British–American-Japanese film directed by the Hungarian director István Szabó and starring Glenn Close and Niels Arestrup. The movie was filmed in Budapest, Hungary. This fictional story follows misadventu ...
'' (1991), '' A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia'' (1992), '' Being Human'' (1994), '' War of the Buttons'' (1994), ''
The Confessional ''The Confessional'' (french: Le Confessionnal) is a 1995 mystery-drama film directed by Robert Lepage. The film is set in Quebec City, in two distinct time periods. In the present day, Pierre Lamontagne (Lothaire Bluteau) searches for his estran ...
'' (1994), and ''
My Life So Far ''My Life So Far'' is a 1999 film about a year in the life of a ten-year-old Scottish boy. It was directed by Hugh Hudson, with screenplay by Simon Donald. The film is set in 1927 and is based on the memoirs of Denis Forman, a British televis ...
'' (1995). He also executive-produced ''
The Josephine Baker Story ''The Josephine Baker Story'' is an American television film that first aired on HBO on March 16, 1991. It stars Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker, who was an international African-American star, who was especially successful in Europe. The film ...
'' (1991), '' Without Warning: The James Brady Story'' (1992), and '' The Burning Season'' (1994). Puttnam returned to the field of film production in 2015 to oversee pre-production of ''Don’t Trust, Don’t Fear, Don’t Beg'', Ben Stewart's account of the Arctic 30 incident. He stepped away from the role in 2019 when he was appointed to chair the House of Lords Special Committee ‘Democracy and Digital Technology’. Puttnam is the President of the Film Distributors’ Association; Chair of the TSL Advisory Board; Chair of Nord Anglia International School, Dublin; Life President, National Film & Television School, a UNICEF Ambassador, and Adjunct Professor of Film Studies and Digital Humanities at University College Cork.


Politics

In 1983, Puttnam was appointed
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
. In 1995 Puttnam was appointed as a
Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...
. In 1997, he was created as a
life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
and was granted Letters Patent to become Baron Puttnam, of Queensgate in the
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is an Inner London borough with royal status. It is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England; it is one of the most densely populated administrative regions in the ...
. On 12 October 2021, it was announced that Lord Puttnam would retire from the Lords after 24 years service on 27 October 2021. In 1998, Puttnam was named in a list of financial donors to the British Labour Party. In 2002, he chaired the joint scrutiny committee on the Communications Bill, which recommended an amendment to prevent ownership of British terrestrial television stations by companies with a significant share of the newspaper market. This was widely interpreted as being aimed at stopping
Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
's
News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in Ne ...
from buying Channel Five. When the government opposed the amendment, Puttnam brokered a compromise – the introduction of a 'public interest' test, to be applied by the new regulator
Ofcom The Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom. Ofcom has wide-ranging powers acros ...
but without explicit restrictions. From 2004 to 2005, Puttnam chaired the
Hansard Society The Hansard Society was formed in the United Kingdom in 1944 to promote parliamentary democracy. Founded and chaired by Commander Stephen King-Hall, the first subscribers were Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee. The society's co-presidents a ...
Commission on Communication of Parliamentary Democracy, the final report of which urged all political parties to commit to a renewal of parliamentary life in an attempt to reinvigorate representative democracy. In 2007, he chaired the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Draft Climate Change Bill. From 2012 to 2017, Puttnam was the
Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy A Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy is a position in British foreign policy, within the Department for International Trade since 2016, and formerly with the UK Trade & Investment government department from 2003 to 2016. Trade Envoys are appointed by ...
to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma). During the same period, Puttnam - who lives in
Skibbereen Skibbereen (; ) is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in West Cork West Cork ( ga, Iarthar Chorcaí) is a tourist region and municipal district in County Cork, Ireland. As a municipal district, West Cork falls within the administr ...
, County Cork - was named Ireland's Digital Champion by Communications Minister
Pat Rabbitte Pat Rabbitte (born 18 May 1949) is an Irish former Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources from 2011 to 2014, Leader of the Labour Party from 2002 to 2007 and a Minister of State from 19 ...
, TD. In August 2014, Puttnam was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue. In June 2019, Puttnam chaired the special House of Lords Democracy and Digital Technologies Committee, set up to investigate the impact of digital technologies on democracy and oversaw the publication of its findings in June 2020. The report,
Digital Technology & the Resurrection of Trust
', made 45 recommendations to government to address the spread of misinformation and disinformation and the consequential erosion of public trust. And that the media has a duty to “balance freedom of expression with wider moral and social responsibilities.” Lord Puttnam announced his retirement from the House of Lords on 27 October 2021 as he delivered the Shirley Williams Lecture, detailing his reasons for leaving in his speech.


Atticus Education

Puttnam founded Atticus Education in 2012. Atticus delivers interactive seminars on film and a variety of other subjects to educational institutions around the world.


Association with education

For 10 years, Puttnam was chairman of the National Film and Television School whose alumni included people such as
Nick Park Nicholas Wulstan Park (born 6 December 1958) is a British animator who created ''Wallace and Gromit'', ''Creature Comforts'', ''Chicken Run'', ''Shaun the Sheep'', and '' Early Man''. Park has been nominated for an Academy Award a total of ...
; and in 2017, he succeeded
Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...
as Life President. Puttnam founded
Skillset A skill is the learned ability to act with determined results with good execution often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills. For example, in the domain of w ...
, which trains young people to become members of the film and television industries. From 2002 to 2009, he was UK president of
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
and remains an ambassador. Puttnam was the first Chancellor of the
University of Sunderland , mottoeng = Sweetly absorbing knowledge , established = 1901 - Sunderland Technical College1969 - Sunderland Polytechnic1992 - University of Sunderland (gained university status) , staff = , chancellor = Emeli ...
from 1997 until 13 July 2007. He was appointed an Honorary Doctor of Education during the School of Education and Lifelong Learning's Academic Awards Ceremonies and upon his retirement, he was granted the Freedom of the City of Sunderland. In 1998, he founded the National Teaching Awards and became its first chairman. He was the founding chairman of the General Teaching Council from 2000 to 2002, was appointed as Chancellor of the
Open University The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off- ...
from 2006 to 2017, and was also the Chairman of NESTA (The
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts Nesta (formerly NESTA, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) is an innovation foundation based in the UK. The organisation acts through a combination of programmes, investment, policy and research, and the formation of part ...
) from 1998 until 2003. He was also on the board of directors of learning technologies company Promethean. Puttnam is the patron of Schools NorthEast, an organisation set up in 2007 to represent all schools in the North East of England. He is also a patron of the Shakespeare Schools Festival (now Shakespeare Schools Foundation), a charity that enables school children across the UK to perform Shakespeare in professional theatres. In 2012 he founde
Atticus Education
delivering interactive seminars on film, media and screen to students at universities all over the world. From May 2014 until 2018, Puttnam was Chair of the Academic Board for Pearson College, part of
Pearson PLC Pearson plc is a British multinational corporation, multinational publishing and education company headquartered in London, England. It was founded as a construction business in the 1840s but switched to publishing in the 1920s.J. A. Spende ...
, the first
FTSE 100 The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index, also called the FTSE 100 Index, FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the "Footsie" , is a share index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with (in principle) the highest market ...
company to offer degrees in the UK. In March 2015, Puttnam was made a freeman at the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead, in recognition of his service as chairman at the Sage Gateshead. Puttnam was a member of the Commonwealth of Learning's Board of Governors until January 2020 and stood down as Chair of Film London Executive Task Force in 2022. As well as being Chair of Atticus Education, today he holds a number of positions including President of the Film Distributors’ Association, Chair of the NAE Education Advisory Board, leading on the Groups Digital Transformation, Life President of the National Film & Television School, , UNICEF Ambassador, Member of the Advisory Board of Accenture (Ireland), Adjunct Professor of Film Studies and Digital Humanities at University College Cork, Adjunct Professor of the School of Media & Communications at RMIT University (Australia), Patron of the Dublin Bid World Summit on Media for Children 2020/2023 and International Ambassador, WWF.  He is a member of the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) Parliamentary Network. In October 2022 Lord Puttnam was awarded a fellowship by adult education provider, City Lit, for his contribution to the world of film and media.


Awards

In 1982, Puttnam received the BAFTA
Michael Balcon Sir Michael Elias Balcon (19 May 1896 – 17 October 1977) was an English film producer known for his leadership of Ealing Studios in West London from 1938 to 1955. Under his direction, the studio became one of the most important British film ...
Award for his outstanding contribution to the British Film Industry. In February 2006, he was awarded the
BAFTA Fellowship The BAFTA Fellowship, or the Academy Fellowship, is a lifetime achievement award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in recognition of "outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image". The award is t ...
. He made the occasion notable by delivering a particularly moving homage to his late father, who had died before he could see his son receive the Best Picture Oscar for ''Chariots of Fire''. Puttnam also congratulated contemporary filmmakers (specifically
George Clooney George Timothy Clooney (born May 6, 1961) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by George Clooney, numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Awards, British Academy Film A ...
) for making films with integrity: the lack of such films being produced had been the reason for his retirement from the film industry in the late 1990s. Puttnam is the recipient of over 50 honorary degrees and fellowships from the UK and overseas: he received an Honorary Doctorate from
Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...
in 2001, and from
Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...
in 2016; he was awarded The Royal Photographic Society's President's Medal and Honorary Fellowship (HonFRPS) in recognition of a sustained, significant contribution to the art of photography in 2003; and in May 2006, he was made an
Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematic ...
of Arts. On 12 July 2007, Puttnam was given the freedom of the
City of Sunderland The City of Sunderland () is a metropolitan borough with city status in the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear, North East England. It is named after its largest settlement, Sunderland, spanning a far larger area, including nearby towns i ...
. In 2008, he received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science from Nottingham Trent University in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the cultural landscape of the UK, in both economic and creative terms, and for his notable support for the Nottingham City-based GameCity Festival. He was elected to the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...
in 2017. Puttnam suffers from ME, debilitating him on occasions. In 2009, in partnership with Sir Michael Barber, Puttnam released ''We Are the People We've Been Waiting For'', an education documentary featuring high-profile figures discussing their own experiences of education. All in all, Puttnam's films have won 10 Oscars, 31 BAFTAs, 13 Golden Globes, nine Emmys, four David di Donatellos in Italy and the Palme d'Or at Cannes.


Other interests

Puttnam was deputy Chairman of Channel 4 Television from 2006 to 2012. He is president of the Film Distributors' Association (FDA) and chair of the TSL Advisory Board. Puttnam co-authored (with Neil Watson) ''Movies and Money'', published in January 2000 by Vintage Books. When Puttnam became the chairman of Profero, a London-based
digital marketing Digital marketing is the component of marketing that uses the Internet and online based digital technologies such as desktop computers, mobile phones and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services. Its development duri ...
agency in April 2007, he explained the move saying: "My experience over the past forty-odd (some very odd) years has encompassed marketing, entertainment and social issues, a fascinating mix that is integral to the daily lives of consumers and citizens. A business that can combine and magnify these dynamics can only create incredible value for their clients and, as a by-product, themselves. To me Profero is in just such a position, and it's now my job to help them realise their potential." Puttnam, who had produced
Ian Charleson Ian Charleson (11 August 1949 – 6 January 1990) was a Scottish stage and film actor. He is best known internationally for his starring role as Olympic athlete and missionary Eric Liddell in the Oscar-winning 1981 film '' Chariots of Fire''. ...
's star-making film ''Chariots of Fire'', contributed a chapter to the 1990 book, ''For Ian Charleson: A Tribute''. On 19 August 2007, Puttnam gave the oration at the annual
Michael Collins Michael Collins or Mike Collins most commonly refers to: * Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), Irish revolutionary leader, soldier, and politician * Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), American astronaut, member of Apollo 11 and Ge ...
commemoration in
Béal na Bláth Béal na Bláth or Béal na Blá (anglicised Bealnablath or Bealnabla)"Béal na Blá/Bealnablath"
,
County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...
. He has also preached at
Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...
at the feast of the cathedral's commemoration of its founders and benefactors.


Philanthropy

Puttnam is patron of the Irish education charity Camara Education and CFS/ME charity
Action for ME Action for ME is a charitable organisation and self-help group based in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the ...
.


Personal life

On 21 June 2022, Puttnam announced via Twitter that he and his wife Patsy had obtained Irish citizenship. The couple have lived in Skibbereen, west Cork, since 1998.


Filmography


Selected filmography as producer

*''
Melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
'' (1971) *''
The Pied Piper The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back t ...
'' (1972) *'' Glastonbury Fayre'' (1972) (documentary) *''
That'll Be the Day "That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, the Crickets. The 1957 recording achieved widespr ...
'' (1973) *''
Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...
'' (1974) *'' Stardust'' (1974) *''
Lisztomania Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on ...
'' (1975) *''
Trick or Treat Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "trick or treat". Th ...
'' (1975) (unfinished) *''
Bugsy Malone ''Bugsy Malone'' is a 1976 gangster musical comedy film written and directed by Alan Parker (in his feature film directorial debut). A co-production of United States and United Kingdom, it features an ensemble cast, featuring only child actor ...
'' (1976) *''
The Duellists ''The Duellists'' is a 1977 British historical drama film and the feature film directorial debut of Ridley Scott. It won the Best Debut Film award at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival. The basis of the screenplay is the Joseph Conrad short story "T ...
'' (1977) *'' Midnight Express'' (1978) *''
Foxes Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
'' (1980) *''
Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 British historical sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell ...
'' (1981) *'' Local Hero'' (1982) *''
Secrets Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...
'' (1983) *'' Sharma and Beyond'' (1984) *''
The Killing Fields A killing field is a concept in military science. Killing field may also refer to: * Killing Fields, a number of sites in Cambodia where collectively more than a million people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime, during its rule of ...
'' (1984) *'' Cal'' (1984) *'' The Mission'' (1986) *'' Memphis Belle'' (1990) *''
Meeting Venus ''Meeting Venus'' is a 1991 British–American-Japanese film directed by the Hungarian director István Szabó and starring Glenn Close and Niels Arestrup. The movie was filmed in Budapest, Hungary. This fictional story follows misadventu ...
'' (1991) *'' Being Human'' (1994) *'' War of the Buttons'' (1994) * ''
My Life So Far ''My Life So Far'' is a 1999 film about a year in the life of a ten-year-old Scottish boy. It was directed by Hugh Hudson, with screenplay by Simon Donald. The film is set in 1927 and is based on the memoirs of Denis Forman, a British televis ...
'' (1999)


Some films made or bought while head of Columbia (1986–1988)

Puttnam
greenlit To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
and "picked up" a number of films while head of the studio, only some of which had been released by the time he left the position. They included:Alexander Walker, ''Icons in the Fire: The Rise and Fall of Practically Everyone in the British Film Industry 1984–2000'', Orion Books, 2005 p60-62 *''
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' is a 1988 adventure fantasy film co-written and directed by Terry Gilliam, and starring John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce, Oliver Reed, Robin Williams and Uma Thurman. An interna ...
'' (1988) *''
The Adventures of Milo and Otis is a 1986 Japanese adventure comedy-drama film about two animals, Milo (an orange tabby cat) and Otis (a pug). The original Japanese version, narrated by Shigeru Tsuyuki and with poetry recitation by Kyōko Koizumi, was released on July 12, ...
'' (1989) *'' The Beast'' (1988) (pick up) *'' The Big Easy'' (1986) (pick up) *'' The Big Town'' (1987) *'' Hope and Glory'' (1987) (pick up) *''
Housekeeping Housekeeping is the management and routine support activities of running an organised physical institution occupied or used by people, like a house, ship, hospital or factory, such as tidying, cleaning, cooking, routine maintenance, shopping, ...
'' (1987) *''
The Last Emperor ''The Last Emperor'' ( it, L'ultimo imperatore) is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the final Emperor of China. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Peploe, which was adapted ...
'' (1987) *''
Leonard Part 6 ''Leonard Part 6'' (also known as ''Leonard Part VI'') is a 1987 American spy parody film. It was directed by Paul Weiland and starred Bill Cosby, who also produced the film and wrote its story. The film also starred Gloria Foster as the vill ...
'' (1987) *''
Little Nikita ''Little Nikita'' is a 1988 American thriller film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier. The film marks the first collaboration between Phoenix and Poitier (the second being '' Sneakers'' in 1992). Plot Jef ...
'' (1988) *''
Old Gringo ''Old Gringo'' is a 1989 American romantic adventure film starring Jane Fonda, Gregory Peck, and Jimmy Smits. It was directed by Luis Puenzo and co-written with Aída Bortnik, based on the 1985 novel '' The Old Gringo'' by Mexican novelist Ca ...
'' (1989) *'' Karate Kid III'' (1989) *'' Me and Him'' (1988) *''
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking ''The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking'' is a 1988 musical adventure film written and directed by Ken Annakin, based on the Pippi Longstocking book series by Astrid Lindgren. It is a Swedish-German-American joint venture produced by Columbia ...
'' (1988) *''
Pulse In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the n ...
'' (1988) *''
Punchline A punch line (a. k. a. punch-line or punchline) concludes a joke; it is intended to make people laugh. It is the third and final part of the typical joke structure. It follows the introductory framing of the joke and the narrative which sets up ...
'' (1988) *''
Rocket Gibraltar ''Rocket Gibraltar'' is a 1988 American drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and starring Burt Lancaster, Suzy Amis, Patricia Clarkson, Frances Conroy, Sinead Cusack, John Glover, Bill Pullman, Kevin Spacey and Macaulay Culkin in his film deb ...
'' (1988) *'' School Daze'' (1988) (pick up) *'' Someone to Watch Over Me'' (1987) *'' Stars and Bars'' (1988) *''
Time of the Gypsies ''Time of the Gypsies'' ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Дом за вешање, Dom za vešanje, Home for Hanging) is a 1988 Yugoslav coming-of-age fantasy crime drama directed by Emir Kusturica. Filmed in Romani and Serbo-Croatian, ''Time of the Gypsies'' ...
'' (1988) *''
A Time of Destiny ''A Time of Destiny'' is a 1988 American drama war film directed by Gregory Nava and written by Nava and Anna Thomas. The story is based on the opera '' La forza del destino'' by Giuseppe Verdi. The motion picture was executive produced by Shep G ...
'' (1988) *'' Vibes'' (1988) *''
Vice Versa References

Additional references * * {{Latin phrases Lists of Latin phrases, V ca:Locució llatina#V da:Latinske ord og vendinger#V fr:Liste de locutions latines#V id:Daftar frasa Latin#V it:Locuzioni latine#V nl:Lijst van Latijns ...
'' (1988) *''
Zelly and Me ''Zelly and Me'' is a 1988 American drama film written, directed and produced by Tina Rathborne and starring Isabella Rossellini, Glynis Johns and Alexandra Johnes. Filmmaker David Lynch features in a minor role. Released on April 15, 1988, ''Zel ...
'' (1988)


Further reading

*


References


External links

*
University of SunderlandThe Open UniversityWe are the people movieFuturelab's Board of Trustees
* * – transcript of ''Sunday AM'' interview with
Huw Edwards Huw Edwards (; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh journalist, presenter, and newsreader. Edwards presents ''BBC News at Ten'', the corporation's flagship news broadcast. Edwards also presents BBC coverage of state events, international events, th ...

Speech on 'Educating for the Digital Society'
at the IIEA – 19 January 2010 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Puttnam, David 1941 births British film producers American film studio executives BAFTA fellows BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award Filmmakers who won the Best Film BAFTA Award Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award Chancellors of the Open University Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Knights Bachelor Labour Party (UK) life peers Life peers created by Elizabeth II Living people People associated with the University of Sunderland People with chronic fatigue syndrome Members of the Royal Irish Academy English people of Jewish descent Presidents of Columbia Pictures