Mandy Chang is a veteran documentary filmmaker and executive, having worked on all sides as a director and producer, then as a commissioner for both public TV as well as in the commercial sector, before being appointed as CEO of the UK’s Documentary Film Council.
For Mandy, documentary film is an artform that speaks truth to power. She developed her career as the sector was being built on a base of robust public investment, often through public service broadcasting. Now as the very foundations of documentary storytelling are under sustained attack, Mandy will speak to why independent documentary filmmaking cannot be protected without protecting the notion of documentary as public service. As she has said in interviews: “I think if you are privileged enough to work in this industry, you have to give something back.”
Biography (submitted by the speaker):
Mandy Chang is an award-winning executive producer and a leading figure in international documentary filmmaking. In 2026, she was appointed CEO of the UK’s Documentary Film Council, where she works to strengthen and advocate for the documentary sector. Previously, she served as Global Head of Documentaries at Fremantle and as Commissioning Editor of the BBC’s flagship strand Storyville. In a career spanning nearly 3 decades, Chang has directed, produced, executive produced and commisioned over 100 films and series, including internationally acclaimed titles such as The Mole Agent, Writing with Fire, and Welcome to Chechnya, One in a Million.
Mandy Chang is a veteran documentary filmmaker and executive, having worked on all sides as a director and producer, then as a commissioner for both public TV as well as in the commercial sector, before being appointed as CEO of the UK’s Documentary Film Council.
For Mandy, documentary film is an artform that speaks truth to power. She developed her career as the sector was being built on a base of robust public investment, often through public service broadcasting. Now as the very foundations of documentary storytelling are under sustained attack, Mandy will speak to why independent documentary filmmaking cannot be protected without protecting the notion of documentary as public service. As she has said in interviews: “I think if you are privileged enough to work in this industry, you have to give something back.”
Biography (submitted by the speaker):
Mandy Chang is an award-winning executive producer and a leading figure in international documentary filmmaking. In 2026, she was appointed CEO of the UK’s Documentary Film Council, where she works to strengthen and advocate for the documentary sector. Previously, she served as Global Head of Documentaries at Fremantle and as Commissioning Editor of the BBC’s flagship strand Storyville. In a career spanning nearly 3 decades, Chang has directed, produced, executive produced and commisioned over 100 films and series, including internationally acclaimed titles such as The Mole Agent, Writing with Fire, and Welcome to Chechnya, One in a Million.
