Person details
Roy Ackerman is Managing Director of Fresh One Productions, the campaigning, multi-genre company founded by Jamie Oliver. Recent output includes Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution (ABC); God Bless You? Barak Obama (BBC); Jamie’s American Roadtrip (Channel 4); a major talent-led series An African Journey (BBC), Jamie Does… (Channel 4), The Delicious Miss Dahl (with Sophie Dahl, BBC), Flying Saucer (Tabak Al Ta’er – an Arabic-language kids’ show mixing science fiction and food for Al-Jazeera Children’s Channel, JCC) and Black Beach: Simon Mann’s African Coup (BBC) a feature documentary on the extraordinary coup in Equatorial Guinea (BBC and PBS). Previously, Roy was Creative Director at Diverse Productions. His scripted films include the acclaimed Mrs Mandela a drama portrait of Winnie Mandela (BBC/France 2/SBS); the RTS Shortlisted docu-drama Killing Hitler (BBC2/History Channel); the Grierson shortlisted star-studded drama Our Hidden Lives (BBC). He has two major international series and two big single films – in development with the BBC. Factual output includes Fat Man in a White Hat with Bill Buford, the acclaimed New Yorker editor/author goes on an immersive journey – sometimes literally – into Haute Cuisine; award-winning documentaries such as Sundance entry Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson; Sundance Grand Jury Award and Peabody winner Why We Fight; BAFTA-winning epic Tsunami: 7 Hours on Boxing Day (BBC). Seven Sins of England (Channel 4, in association with Halcyons Heart Films, winner of the Royal Television Society: Educational Television Award); the RTS and Banff award-winning feature-length documentary After The War: Conquering Germany (BBC2); the RTS award-winning Not Cricket (BBC4/2); the multi-award winning US theatrical documentary hit The Trials of Henry Kissinger (BBC 4/ BBC 2/ Arte/ History Television/SBS television (Australian)/TV2 (Denmark); the Broadcast and RTS winning film for House of War (Channel 4 and CNN); BAFTA, RTS and Broadcast Award winning 100% White (Channel 4); BAFTA shortlisted Battlecentre (Channel 4); International Emmy-winning The Phil (Channel 4, a year in the life of the Philharmonia orchestra). Series successes includes BAFTA Kids winner Election, where children embarked on a series of challenges that tested their leadership skills; hit format and winner of RTS Broadcast Prix Italia and other awards Operatunity; its award-winning follow up Musicality; and equally acclaimed Ballet Changed My Life: Ballet Hoo!; Play It Again¸ a major series where leading celebrities learn a musical instrument; and Rocket Science, an inspirational science series. Other major shows included: Britain’s Rich List: Give It Away (ITV); Last Chance Kids (part of Channel 4’s “Lost for Words” strand, a `Jamie’s Kitchen’ for kids who can’t read); Sacred Voyager: Jerusalem (Travel Channel Media); Calais: The Last Border (BBC, winner of Best Documentary at the Berlin Film Festival. Who Wrote the Bible (C4); Seconds to Impact, Playing for England, The Builders Are Coming; Mind Your F-king Language (Cutting Edge – Channel Four); Not Cricket 2: The Captain & The Bookmaker (BBC4 ) and JD Salinger Doesn’t Want to Talk (BBC2) . As a director his films include the award-winning or shortlisted Secret Life of Jeremy Thorpe; Volvo City; Enigma – Adventures of a Hardback Hero; Lifers – The Rise and Rise of the Literary Biographer. Roy is on the TV Committee of BAFTA, writes occasionally for the Guardian and other newspapers. He sings in a performing choir, plays saxophone in a rock band and plays bridge competitively and football, very uncompetitively.
Roy Ackerman
Managing Director of Fresh One Productions, UK