For Sama producer to head up Storyville

The BBC has appointed the producer of Oscar-nominated doc For Sama, Nevine Mabro, in the newly-created role as head of Storyville.

Mabro has spent the past four years at Channel 4 as a commissioning editor specialising in international documentaries and current affairs.

She also headed up C4’s long-running foreign affairs series Unreported World, commissioning programmes from around the globe, and has held several senior editorial roles at Channel 4 News, covering humanitarian disasters, wars and elections for Channel 4 News and Associated Press.

She has exec produced three Emmy-winning programmes from Syria between 2012-2017, as part of 25 years’ experience in documentaries and factual programming.

Mabro will start her role in January, reporting to Fiona Campbell, controller of youth audiences and interim director of unscripted.

Storyville rejigs

Her appointment comes months after the BBC revealed it would reduce Storyville’s output by a fifth and close three roles. While Storyville’s budget will remain the same, the number of films it commissions per year will fall from around 24 to around 19 as a response to “pressures on global financing”, according to the BBC.

The former top role of lead commissioner, which was held by Emma Hindley, is among the roles to have closed. Hindley, who was lead commissioner since 2023, has now taken up the role of commissioning editor in Jack Bootle’s specialist factual team after a competitive process.

At Storyville she ordered and exec produced docs including Welded Together (Little Big Story, Witfilm, Stenola Productions), Khartoum (Native Voice Films, Sudan Film Factory) and Life and Death in Gaza (BBC Eye).

The BBC did not comment on Storyville commissioning editor Lucie Kon, who has held the role since 2022. In June, she scooped an Emmy as the commissioner and exec producer of Surviving October 7th: We Will Dance Again.

Her other credits include Mr Nobody Against Putin (Made in Copenhagen, Pink Productions, ZDF, Arte), Portrait of a Confused Father (Upnorth Film, Big Little Story) and Deborah James: Bowelbabe in Her Own Words (Brook Lapping).

Mabro said: “It’s a huge privilege to be joining BBC Storyville with its rich history of showcasing the best international documentaries from around the world. I believe it’s the place where storytelling, journalism and cinema can meet. I can’t wait to start working with the best documentary directors and producers in the world, making impactful films as well as finding and nurturing new talent and voices.”

Campbell added: “Nevine has a wealth of experience delivering award-winning, high impact films and I’m delighted that she has accepted this role. She is hugely respected within the industry as a champion of bold and original storytelling and I’m looking forward to her lead BBC Storyville into the future.”